Jimmy Smits has been cast in a major, season-long arc for the upcoming fifth season of the hit FX drama ‘Sons Of Anarchy,’ Deadline is reporting. The former ‘NYPD Blue’ star will play Neron “Nero” Padilla, a Latino gangbanger with an exit strategy who serves as a dangerous mentor for Charlie Hunnam’s character, Jax.

Nero is a dramatic departure from Smits’ former characters, who were usually respective members of the community. However, he played scheming ADA Miguel Prado during another season-long arc on another hit cable drama, Showtime’s ‘Dexter.’ Nero is being described as being heavily tattooed, and is expected to be a darker character than Prado, which earned the actor an Emmy nomination. The news of Smits’ casting comes after it was announced that ‘Sons Of Anarchy’ was renewed for a fifth and sixth season, with a seventh season being considered.

Written by: Karen Benardello