« It's hail to the chief (and farewell, too?) on 'The West Wi | Main | 'Wing' and a prayer »
August 16, 2004
Smits Heading "West"?
by Charlie Amter
E!Online
Jimmy Smits may soon be prowling The West Wing.
Smits' reps confirmed to E! Friday that the Emmy-winning actor is in talks to join the Emmy-winning drama next season, as a rival--and, according to the trades--a potential successor to Martin Sheen's President Bartlet.
Although West Wing distributor Warner Bros. declined to comment on the addition of Smits, his character is said to be an ambitious Houston congressman with eyes always on a bigger, possibly oval-shaped, office.
While The West Wing remains an Industry darling--snagging 12 Emmy nominations this year, including one for Best Drama--this season has been dogged by declining ratings and bad reviews. The show averaged just 11.8 million viewers in 2003-04, down from 13.5 million in 2002-03 and 17.2 million in 2001-02.
Critics complain that The West Wing has lost its spark, especially since creator Aaron Sorkin was forced out last year.
A big-name actor like Smiths would presumably give a jolt to the series. And with Sheen's high salary coupled with President Bartlet nearing the end of his second and final term, it makes sense that a new commander in chief could be coming soon.
Smits, who shot to fame on NBC's L.A. Law, is credited with helping boost ratings on NYPD Blue when David Caruso left the police drama in 1994.
The 49-year-old actor turned in his Blue badge six years ago and has been concentrating on film and theater. Smits recently starred in a New York production of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and the Broadway play Anna in the Tropics.
As for his film career, it's been bumpy at best (see: The Price of Glory, Bless the Child, The Million Dollar Hotel, etc.). But Smits has managed to snag one high-profile recurring role that could give him the political chops necessary for a West Wing stint: He plays Senator Bail Organa in Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones and in next year's Star Wars: Episode III--Revenge of the Sith.
Smits had been planning a return to the small screen this fall. He headed up the cast for the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced private-eye drama City of Dreams for NBC, which was supposed to debut this fall but has been shelved by the network for some tinkering. Last we heard, the show had been slated for a midseason 2005 debut, but its fate remains unclear.
No word on exactly when Smits will appear on West Wing once he works out a deal. The show's fifth season will premiere a bit late this year due to NBC's Olympic coverage. Episode one will pick up where last season's cliffhanger left off Sept. 24. The season-opener guest stars John Goodman and Annabeth Gish.
Posted by Jo at August 16, 2004 09:02 AM