Jimmy Smits is returning to his roots. The actor has been tapped to star in NBC’s legal drama pilot, Bluff City Law. Smits will play Elijah Strait, the legendary defense lawyer from Tennessee who is well-known to all in the Memphis community. He joins Caitlin McGee on the pilot, who will play his daughter.
Smits starred as Victor Sifuentes for more than 100 episodes on the NBC’s legal drama L.A. Law, which ran from 1986 to 1994. He also had a recurring role on NBC’s The West Wing as Matt Santos, a congressman and later president-elect. Smits was nominated for Best Actor in a Drama at the Emmys for six consecutive years, winning in 1990.
Bluff City Law is a character-driven legal drama that follows the lawyers of an elite Memphis law firm that specializes in the most controversial landmark civil rights cases. Led by Strait and his brilliant daughter, Sydney Keller, they take on the toughest David-and-Goliath cases while navigating their complicated relationship.
The project is set up at Universal Television, and co-created by Dean Georgaris and Michael Aguilar, with David Janollari as an executive producer. Bluff City Law is one of seven drama pilots set up NBC.
