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No Hablo Español is rolling R's with Jimmy Smits

It's almost a Hollywood truth, everything is better with Jimmy Smits in it. And this holds true for No Hablo Español.

The Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor and star of TV institutions such as "L.A. Law," "NYPD Blue," "The West Wing," "Dexter," and "Sons of Anarchy" is now starring in "24: Legacy" on FOX. In movies, Smits played Senator Bail Organa in two Star Wars prequels and the recent spinoff "Rogue One."

Sports has always been part of his life and upbringing in New York and Puerto Rico. The L.A. resident can frequently be seen at Staples Center.

Smits dropped by ESPN's Los Angeles studio to sit down with host Danny Corrales and weigh in on topics such as his new show, the iconic nature of "24" and the need for anti-inflammatory medication after running around on a day of filming. Most important of all, the two discuss the crucial nature of the proper pronunciation of the Spanish "R" sound, as explained via a memorable "Saturday Night Live" sketch Smits took part in years ago.

The acting star also recounted how feeling like an outsider in Puerto Rico helped him go into his profession. Although Smits and his family had often visited the island in his childhood (his mother is from Puerto Rico), it was only when they moved there for two years when Smits was around 10 that he had to make a major cultural adjustment. The lifestyle of the island was in sharp contrast to his life in the United States, where he had lived previously.

"After a lot of therapy," Smits said jokingly about the situation, he found that experience useful to draw on for a wide variety of roles.

Corrales also confessed that watching Smits in one of his key roles, Matt Santos on "The West Wing," had an impact on him. On the show, the character ascended to the U.S. presidency. On Corrales' show, Smits ascends to the status of one of the most affable guests on No Hablo Español.

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