Jimmy Smits, the 1996 Hispanic Heritage Award Honoree for Performing Arts, is one of the most recognizable Hispanic faces in television and on film. Performing in projects that range from the court room to the White House, Mr. Smits has proven what having a dream can accomplish.

Born in 1955, Mr. Smits attributes his deep cultural heritage to living in Puerto Rico before attending high-school. Returning to Brooklyn for high-school, Mr. Smits split his time between the football team and the drama club. Realizing that his thirst for the stage was unquenchable, he attended Brooklyn College and was eventually accepted to the Master’s program at Cornell University. Acting onstage in New York, Mr. Smits got his big break in the pilot episode of the television series Miami Vice. Soon Mr. Smits was starring in numerous film and television productions. Some of his roles included parts in films and series like L.A. Law, Running Scared, Blake Edward’s Switch, the Star Wars Prequels, Old Gringo, and the immensely popular NYPD Blue.

Disturbed by the lack of Hispanic representation in the popular media, Mr. Smits co-founded the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts in 1997. Since its creation, the Foundation has distributed more than $500.000 in scholarships to Hispanic students in the arts. The foundation has also sponsored talent events featuring predominantly young Hispanic artists.

Most recently, Mr. Smits could be seen on the highly successful show West Wing, where he played a Hispanic presidential candidate.