Sarah Jessica Parker is an American film, television, and theater actress and producer.
She is best known for her leading role as
Carrie BradshawCarrie Preston is the fictional narrator and lead character of the HBO sitcom/drama Sex and the City, portrayed by actress Sarah Jessica Parker. She is a semi-autobiographical character created by Candace Bushnell, who published the book Sex and the City, based on her own columns in the New York...
on the HBO television series
Sex and the CitySex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
(1998–2004), for which she won four
Golden Globe AwardThe Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
s, three
Screen Actors Guild AwardsA Screen Actors Guild Award is an accolade given by the Screen Actors Guild to recognize outstanding performances by its members. The statuette given, a nude male figure holding both a mask of comedy and a mask of tragedy, is called "The Actor"...
, and two
Emmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
s. She played the same role in the 2008 feature film based on the show,
Sex and the City: The MovieSex and the City is a 2008 American blue romantic comedy film adaptation of the HBO comedy series of the same name about four female friends: Carrie Bradshaw , Samantha Jones , Charlotte York Goldenblatt , and Miranda Hobbes , dealing with their lives as...
, and in its sequel,
Sex and the City 2Sex and the City 2 is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed by Michael Patrick King. It is the sequel to the 2008 film Sex and the City, which is based on the HBO TV series of the same name....
, which opened on May 26, 2010. Parker has also appeared in many other films.
Early life
Sarah Jessica Parker was born in
Nelsonville, OhioNelsonville is a city in northwestern Athens County, Ohio, United States. The population was 5,230 at the 2000 census. Hocking College is located in Nelsonville.-Geography:...
, the daughter of Barbara Parker (née Keck), a nursery school operator and teacher, and Stephen Parker, an entrepreneur and journalist. She was one of a total of eight children from her parents' marriage and her mother's second marriage (her full siblings include actors
Timothy Britten ParkerTimothy Britten Parker , also known as Toby, is an American stage, film, and television actor.-Background:Parker was born in Iowa City, Iowa and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. He moved to New York City with his family in 1977 as he began pursuing his professional career. Toby is one of eight children...
and
Pippin ParkerPippin Parker is an American playwright and theatre director. He is Director of The New School for Drama.He is one of the co-founding members of Naked Angels Theater Company in New York City where he was Artistic Director...
). After her parents' divorce, her mother married Paul Forste, a truck driver and account executive who was a part of Parker's life from an early age. Parker's father, a native of
BrooklynBrooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, was of
Eastern EuropeEastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
an Jewish background; his family's original surname was "Bar-Kahn" ("son of
KohenA Kohen is the Hebrew word for priest. Jewish Kohens are traditionally believed and halachically required to be of direct patrilineal descent from the Biblical Aaron....
"). Parker's mother was of English and
German descentGerman Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
; through her mother, Parker is descended from Esther Elwell, one of the accused during the
Salem witch trialsThe Salem witch trials were a series of hearings before county court trials to prosecute people accused of witchcraft in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Middlesex in colonial Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693...
. Parker has identified culturally and ethnically with her father's religion, Judaism, although she has had no religious training. She has said that even while her family lived in Cincinnati, her mother emulated a New York lifestyle.
As a young girl, Parker trained in singing and ballet, and was soon cast in the
BroadwayBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
revivalRevival may refer to:*Resuscitation of a person*Language revival of an extinct language*Revival of a defunct team*Revival of a former television series*Revival of a former hit play in a new production...
of William Archibald's
The InnocentsThe Innocents is a 1976 play written by William Archiblad. The show opened at the Morosco Theatre on October 21, 1976 and closed on October 30, 1976 after 12 performances.-Setting:...
. Her family moved to
Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
and then to
Dobbs Ferry, New YorkDobbs Ferry is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 10,875 at the 2010 census.The Village of Dobbs Ferry is located in, and is a part of, the town of Greenburgh...
, near New York City, so that she could get specialized training. There, her mother and stepfather helped Parker develop her career as a child actress. In 1977, the family moved to the newly-opened
planned communityA planned community, or planned city, is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are less frequent in planned communities since...
on
Roosevelt IslandRoosevelt Island, known as Welfare Island from 1921 to 1973, and before that Blackwell's Island, is a narrow island in the East River of New York City. It lies between the island of Manhattan to its west and the borough of Queens to its east...
, in the
East RiverThe East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland...
between
ManhattanManhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and
QueensQueens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, and later to Manhattan. The family later moved to
Englewood, New JerseyEnglewood is a city located in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 27,147.Englewood was incorporated as a city by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1899, from portions of Ridgefield Township and the remaining portions of...
, where Parker attended
Dwight Morrow High SchoolDwight Morrow High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Englewood, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Englewood Public School District. The school also serves students from Englewood Cliffs, who attend as part of a sending/receiving relationship...
.
Parker attended the
School for Creative and Performing ArtsThe School for Creative and Performing Arts is a magnet arts school in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, and part of the Cincinnati Public Schools...
in Cincinnati, the
School of American BalletThe School of American Ballet is one of the most famous classical ballet schools in the world and is the associate school of the New York City Ballet, a leading international ballet company based at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. The school trains students from the...
in New York City, Dwight Morrow High School in New Jersey, and the
Professional Children's SchoolProfessional Children's School is a not for profit, college preparatory school that was founded in New York City in 1914 to provide an education to young people working on the New York stage, in Vaudeville, or "on the road."-History:...
,
Hollywood High SchoolHollywood High School is a Los Angeles Unified School District high school located at the intersection of North Highland Avenue and West Sunset Boulevard in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California.-History:...
in Los Angeles, California.
Early acting career
Parker and four siblings appeared in a production of
The Sound of MusicThe Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
at the outdoor Municipal Theatre (Muny) in
St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. She was selected for a role in the new 1977–81 Broadway musical
AnnieAnnie is a Broadway musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and the book by Thomas Meehan. The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years with a blonde Annie as the poster...
: first in the small role of "July" and then succeeding
Andrea McArdleAndrea McArdle is an American singer and actress best known for playing Annie in the Broadway musical Annie, as well as for her alto range and strong vocal belt.-Career:She was born in Philadelphia...
and Shelley Bruce in the lead role of the
DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
-era orphan, beginning March 1979. Parker held the role for a year.
In 1982, Parker was cast as the co-lead of the CBS sitcom
Square PegsSquare Pegs is an American comedy series that aired on CBS during the 1982–1983 season. The series follows Patty Greene and Lauren Hutchinson , two awkward teenage girls desperate to fit in at Weemawee High School....
. The show lasted just one season, but Parker's performance, as a shy teen who showed hidden depths, was critically well-received. In the three years that followed, she was cast in four films: the most significant being Footloose in 1984 and 1984's
Girls Just Wanna Have FunGirls Just Want to Have Fun is a 1985 dance film starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt, directed by Alan Metter.It resembles the style of Footloose and Flashdance. For many years, Comedy Central, Lifetime, USA Network, Lifetime Movie Network and ABC Family have aired the film...
, co-starring
Helen HuntHelen Elizabeth Hunt is an American actress, film director, and screenwriter. She starred in the sitcom Mad About You for seven years, before being cast in the romantic comedy As Good as It Gets...
. In 1986, Parker appeared in the cult classic
Flight of the NavigatorFlight of the Navigator is a 1986 Disney science fiction film directed by Randal Kleiser and written by Mark H. Baker and Michael Burton, about a 12-year-old boy named David who is abducted by an alien space craft and finds himself caught in a world which has changed around him...
, a Disney
science fictionScience fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
film.
By the early 1990s, Parker's career was gaining momentum. In 1991, she appeared in a supporting role in the romantic comedy
L.A. StoryL.A. Story is a 1991 American romantic comedy film, written by and starring Steve Martin. Set in Los Angeles, California, it relates a series of episodes in the romantic life of an L.A. TV weatherman. It includes surreal sequences in which he is offered romantic advice flashed to him by a freeway...
; both the movie and her performance garnered positive reviews. The following year, she landed a starring role in the well-received film
Honeymoon in VegasHoneymoon in Vegas is a 1992 comedy film directed by Andrew Bergman and starring Nicolas Cage, James Caan and Sarah Jessica Parker.-Plot:...
, co-starring
Nicolas CageNicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
. Her 1993 role in the film Hocus Pocus was a higher grosser at the box office but received negative reviews. Also in 1993, she starred as a police diver opposite
Bruce WillisWalter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
in the film
Striking DistanceStriking Distance is a 1993 thriller starring Bruce Willis, Sarah Jessica Parker, Dennis Farina, and Tom Sizemore as Pittsburgh Police officers pursuing a serial killer. It was directed by Rowdy Herrington and written by Herrington and Marty Kaplan...
. The following year, she appeared opposite
Johnny DeppJohn Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
in the critically acclaimed movie
Ed WoodEd Wood is a 1994 American comedy-drama biopic directed and produced by Tim Burton, and starring Johnny Depp as cult filmmaker Edward D. Wood, Jr. The film concerns the period in Wood's life when he made his best-known films as well as his relationship with actor Bela Lugosi, played by Martin Landau...
as Wood's girlfriend
Dolores FullerDolores Agnes Fuller was an American actress and songwriter best known as the one-time girlfriend of the low-budget film director Edward D. Wood, Jr. She played the protagonist's girlfriend in Glen or Glenda, co-starred in Wood's Jail Bait, and had a minor role in Bride of the Monster...
.
The film
Miami RhapsodyMiami Rhapsody is a 1995 American romantic comedy film starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Gil Bellows, Antonio Banderas, Mia Farrow, Paul Mazursky, Kevin Pollak, Barbara Garrick, and Carla Gugino. It was written, produced, and directed by David Frankel, with music composed by Mark Isham.-Plot:Gwyn...
, in 1995, was a romantic comedy in which she had a leading role. In 1996, she appeared in another
Tim BurtonTimothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
-directed movie,
Mars Attacks!Mars Attacks! is a 1996 American science fiction film directed by Tim Burton and based on the cult trading card series of the same name. The film uses elements of black comedy, surreal humour, and political satire, and claims to be also a parody of multiple science fiction B movies...
, as well as in
The First Wives ClubThe First Wives Club is a 1996 comedy film, based on the best-selling 1992 novel of the same name by Olivia Goldsmith. Narrated by Diane Keaton, it stars Keaton, Goldie Hawn, and Bette Midler as three divorced women who seek revenge on their husbands who left them for younger women...
and
The Substance of FireThe Substance of Fire is a play by Jon Robin Baitz.At its core is Isaac Geldhart, a childhood survivor of the Holocaust, who arrived in New York City an orphan, reinvented himself as a bon vivant, married well, and found fame and fortune as a champion of authors who are passionate about their work...
, in which she reprised her 1991 stage role. In 1997, she appeared as Francesca Lanfield, a washed-up former child actress, in the comedy
Till There Was You"Till There Was You" is a song written by Meredith Willson for his 1957 musical play The Music Man, and which also appeared in the 1962 movie version...
.
Sex and the City (1998–2004, 2008–2010)
The script for an HBO drama/comedy series titled
Sex and the CitySex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
was sent to Parker. The show's creator,
Darren StarDarren Bennett Star is an American producer, director and writer for film and television. He is best known for creating the hit TV shows Melrose Place, Beverly Hills, 90210 and Sex and the City.-Career:...
, wanted her for his project. Despite some doubts about being cast in a long-term television series, Parker agreed to star. After five nominations, in 2004, Parker won an
Emmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for her lead role. Parker said in 2006 that she "will never do a television show again".
After Sex and the City ended in 2004, rumors of a film version circulated. It was revealed that a script had been completed for such a project. At the time, Parker said such a film would likely never be made. Two years later, preparations were resumed, and the film was released on May 30, 2008. A sequel to the movie,
Sex and the City 2Sex and the City 2 is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed by Michael Patrick King. It is the sequel to the 2008 film Sex and the City, which is based on the HBO TV series of the same name....
, was released in 2010.
Later work
In addition to work in film and television, Parker has gained respect as a stage actor, having appeared in well-reviewed lead roles in the off-Broadway play
SylviaSylvia is a play about a dog, the couple who adopts her,and the drama that results. It was written by A. R. Gurney and first produced in 1995....
, alongside future husband
Matthew BroderickMatthew Broderick is an American film and stage actor who, among other roles, played the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Adult Simba in The Lion King film series, and Leo Bloom in the film and Broadway productions of The Producers.He has won two Tony Awards, one in 1983 for his...
in
How to Succeed in Business Without Really TryingHow to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, and Willie Gilbert, based on Shepherd Mead's 1952 book of the same name....
, and the
Tony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
-nominated
Once Upon a MattressOnce Upon a Mattress is a musical comedy with music by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer and book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, and Marshall Barer. It opened off-Broadway in May 1959, and then moved to Broadway...
.
In December 2005, Parker appeared in her first film in several years,
The Family StoneThe Family Stone is a 2005 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Thomas Bezucha. Produced by Michael London and distributed by 20th Century Fox, it stars an ensemble cast, including Diane Keaton, Craig T. Nelson, Dermot Mulroney, Sarah Jessica Parker, Luke Wilson, Claire Danes, Rachel...
; she received a Golden Globe nomination as Best Actress — Comedy for the role. Her next film, the romantic comedy
Failure to LaunchFailure to Launch is a 2006 American romantic comedy film. In the movie a 35-year-old man lives in the home of his parents and shows no interest in leaving the comfortable life his parents, especially his mother, have made for him there.-Plot:...
, co-starring
Matthew McConaugheyMatthew David McConaughey is an American actor.After a series of minor roles in the early 1990s, McConaughey gained notice for his breakout role in Dazed and Confused . He then appeared in films such as A Time to Kill, Contact, U-571, Tiptoes, Sahara, and We Are Marshall...
, was released on March 10, 2006, and opened at #1 in the North American box office, grossing slightly over $24 million on its opening weekend, despite mediocre reviews. Parker's work as a producer continued with the
independent filmAn independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
Spinning Into ButterSpinning Into Butter is a play by American playwright Rebecca Gilman. The play debuted at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago in 1999. It was later produced at the Lincoln Center and the Royal Court Theatre, was named one of the best plays of 1999 by Time, and eventually became the third-most-produced...
(which she also starred in), based on the Rebecca Gilman play.
On July 20, U.S. cable network Bravo announced it had picked up a reality show produced by Parker under the working title American Artist. As a self-described "art enthusiast", Parker will feature artists of any age over 17, with each show having 13 finalists. Parker's inspiration comes from her mother-in-law, whose artwork became noticed only after she died.
Parker participated in the United States version of the hit U.K. television series
Who Do You Think You Are?Who Do You Think You Are? is an American genealogy documentary series that premiered on NBC on March 5, 2010. The show is an adaptation of the British series of the same name, aired by the BBC. Each week a celebrity goes on a journey to trace his or her family tree. Lisa Kudrow is executive...
for NBC, in which celebrities were helped to trace their family trees. The executive producer was
Lisa KudrowLisa Valerie Kudrow is an American actress, best known for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the television sitcom Friends, for which she received many accolades including an Emmy Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards...
, and the series featured Parker, husband
Matthew BroderickMatthew Broderick is an American film and stage actor who, among other roles, played the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Adult Simba in The Lion King film series, and Leo Bloom in the film and Broadway productions of The Producers.He has won two Tony Awards, one in 1983 for his...
, Kudrow and others.
Fashion industry
Endorsements
In 2000, Parker hosted the
MTV Movie AwardsThe MTV Movie Awards is a film awards show presented annually on MTV . It also contains movie parodies that used official movie footage with hosts and other celebrities and music performances. The nominees are decided by producers and executives at MTV. Winners are decided online by the general...
, appearing in fourteen different outfits during the show.
She has also become the face of many of the world's biggest fashion brands through her work in a variety of advertising campaigns. In August 2003, Parker signed a lucrative deal with
GarnierGarnier is a mass market cosmetics brand of L'Oréal that produces hair care and skin care products. Much like other brands from L'Oréal, it is sold in several markets around the world.- Advertising Slogans :...
to appear in TV and print advertising promoting their Nutrisse hair products.
In early 2004, shortly after the last season of
Sex and the CitySex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
wrapped up, Parker signed a $38 million contract with the
GapThe Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
. It was the first multi-season contract in the clothing company’s history, in which Parker was to appear in their upcoming fall ads, and continue until the Spring of 2005. The endorsement sparked many levels of criticism from the public; the glamorous, urban-chic fashionista that her character
Carrie BradshawCarrie Preston is the fictional narrator and lead character of the HBO sitcom/drama Sex and the City, portrayed by actress Sarah Jessica Parker. She is a semi-autobiographical character created by Candace Bushnell, who published the book Sex and the City, based on her own columns in the New York...
has branded her with, was ironic considering the
GapThe Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
maintains an image that does not promote high-end fashion. Wendy Liebmann, president of WSL strategic retail, suggested that the Gap “felt the need for an iconic but contemporary face to represent [themselves]. . . . they were perhaps feeling a little insecure, a little in need of some high luster around the brand". However, the ad campaigns were a success, and Parker had given the Gap a new, fresh face that appeared in many commercials, online and print ads, and other promotions.
In March 2005, Parker’s contract with the
GapThe Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
ended, and was replaced with then 17-year old British soul singer
Joss StoneJocelyn Eve Stoker , better known by her stage name Joss Stone, is an English soul singer-songwriter and actress. Stone rose to fame in late 2003 with her multi-platinum debut album, The Soul Sessions, which made the 2004 Mercury Prize shortlist...
. A rising star at the time, Stone’s replacing of Parker was a puzzling move to the public. The company then stated that “While Gap will always seek partnerships with celebrities, musicians and rising stars, we don’t have any future plans to sign a single person to a multi-season deal like the unique and special relationship we enjoyed with Sarah Jessica”.
Parker released her own perfume in 2005, called "Lovely". In March 2007, Parker announced the launch of her own fashion line, "Bitten", in partnership with discount clothing chain
Steve & Barry'sSteve & Barry's was an American retail clothing chain, featuring casual apparel. By mid-2008, the chain operated 276 stores in 39 states. The company was headquartered in Port Washington, New York. The company liquidated all of its stores throughout 2008....
. The line, featuring clothing items and accessories under $20, launched on June 7, 2007, exclusively at Steve and Barry's.
In July 2007, following the success of "Lovely," Parker released her second fragrance "Covet." In 2007, Parker was a guest on
Project RunwayProject Runway is an American reality television series on Lifetime Television, previously on the Bravo network, which focuses on fashion design and is hosted by model Heidi Klum. The contestants compete with each other to create the best clothes and are restricted in time, materials and theme...
for the second challenge. In 2008, Covet Pure Bloom was released as continuous series of Covet. In February 2009, as part of the "Lovely" collection, Parker launched a series of three new fragrances called "Dawn", "Endless" and "Twilight".
Personal life
Parker was romantically involved with actor Robert Downey, Jr. from 1984 until 1991. They met on the set of
FirstbornFirstborn is a 1984 drama film starring Teri Garr, Peter Weller, Christopher Collet, Corey Haim , Sarah Jessica Parker and Robert Downey Jr....
. Downey had a drug problem, which affected their relationship. Parker has said, "I believed I was the person holding him together."
On May 19, 1997, she married actor
Matthew BroderickMatthew Broderick is an American film and stage actor who, among other roles, played the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Adult Simba in The Lion King film series, and Leo Bloom in the film and Broadway productions of The Producers.He has won two Tony Awards, one in 1983 for his...
, to whom she was introduced by one of her brothers at the Naked Angels theater company, where they both performed. The couple married in a
civil ceremonyCivil marriage is marriage performed by a government official and not a religious organization.-History:Every country maintaining a population registry of its residents keeps track of marital status, and most countries believe that it is their responsibility to register married couples. Most...
in a historic
synagogueA synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
on the
Lower East SideThe Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
in
ManhattanManhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. The couple's son, James Wilkie Broderick, was born on October 28, 2002. He was named after Broderick's father, the actor
James Joseph BroderickJames Joseph Broderick III was an American actor.-Life and career:Broderick was born in Charlestown, New Hampshire, the son of Mary Elizabeth and James Joseph Broderick, Jr....
, and writer
Wilkie CollinsWilliam Wilkie Collins was an English novelist, playwright, and author of short stories. He was very popular during the Victorian era and wrote 30 novels, more than 60 short stories, 14 plays, and over 100 non-fiction pieces...
.
Parker and Broderick's
surrogate motherSurrogacy is an arrangement in which a woman carries and delivers a child for another couple or person. This woman may be the child's genetic mother , or she may carry the pregnancy to delivery after having an embryo, to which she has no genetic relationship whatsoever, transferred to her uterus...
delivered their twin daughters, Marion Loretta Elwell and Tabitha Hodge, on June 22, 2009. Their middle names of "Elwell" and "Hodge" are from Parker's mother's family.
As of 2009, she lives in New York City with her husband, son, and daughters. They also spend considerable time at their second home near
KilcarCill Charthaigh is a small Gaeltacht village on the R263 regional road in the south west of County Donegal, Ireland.-The Village:...
, a village in
County DonegalCounty Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
,
IrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, where Broderick spent summers as a child.
Parker is a prominent member of the Hollywood's Women's Political Committee. She is
UNICEFUnited Nations Children's Fund was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946, to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries that had been devastated by World War II...
's Representative for the Performing Arts; in 2006, she traveled to
LiberiaLiberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
as a UNICEF celebrity ambassador. She said, "It's a place that gets little or no attention, so we're going to try and bring some attention to it". She is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for the United States.
Parker appeared in the premiere episode of the U.S. version of
Who Do You Think You Are?Who Do You Think You Are? is an American genealogy documentary series that premiered on NBC on March 5, 2010. The show is an adaptation of the British series of the same name, aired by the BBC. Each week a celebrity goes on a journey to trace his or her family tree. Lisa Kudrow is executive...
on March 5, 2010, where she discovered she had ancestors in the
California Gold RushThe California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
of 1849-50 and in the
Salem Witch TrialsThe Salem witch trials were a series of hearings before county court trials to prosecute people accused of witchcraft in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Middlesex in colonial Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693...
of 1692.
Awards
Golden Globes
- 1999: Nominee: Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series: Musical or Comedy - Sex and the City
- 2000: Winner: Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series: Musical or Comedy - Sex and the City
- 2001: Winner: Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series: Musical or Comedy - Sex and the City
- 2002: Winner: Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series: Musical or Comedy - Sex and the City
- 2003: Nominee: Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series: Musical or Comedy - Sex and the City
- 2004: Winner: Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series: Musical or Comedy - Sex and the City
- 2005: Nominee: Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series: Musical or Comedy - Sex and the City
- 2005: Nominee: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture: Musical or Comedy - The Family Stone
Emmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
s
- 1999: Nominee: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Sex and the City
- 2000: Nominee: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Sex and the City
- 2001: Nominee: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Sex and the City
- 2001: Winner: Outstanding Comedy Series - as an executive producer of Sex and the City
- 2002: Nominee: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Sex and the City
- 2002: Nominee: Outstanding Comedy Series - as an executive producer of Sex and the City
- 2003: Nominee: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Sex and the City
- 2002: Nominee: Outstanding Comedy Series - as an executive producer of Sex and the City
- 2004: Winner: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Sex and the City
- 2004: Nominee: Outstanding Comedy Series - as an executive producer of Sex and the City
Screen Actors GuildThe Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
Awards
- 2000: Nominee: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series - Sex and the City
- 2001: Winner: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series - Sex and the City
- 2001: Nominee: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series - Sex and the City
- 2002: Nominee: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series - Sex and the City
- 2002: Winner: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series - Sex and the City
- 2003: Nominee: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series - Sex and the City
- 2004: Winner: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series - Sex and the City
- 2005: Nominee: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series - Sex and the City
- 2005: Nominee: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series - Sex and the City
Razzie Award
- 2009: Nominee: Worst Actress - "Did You Hear About the Morgans?"
- 2010: Winner: Worst Actress (with Kim Cattrall
Kim Victoria Cattrall is an English actress. She is known for her role as Samantha Jones in the HBO comedy/romance series Sex and the City, and for her leading roles in the 1980s films Police Academy, Big Trouble in Little China, Mannequin, and Porky's...
, Kristin DavisKristin Landen Davis is an American actress.She first rose to prominence and achieved fame for playing the role of Charlotte York Goldenblatt on HBO's Sex and the City. She has achieved success appearing in roles in film and television.-Early life and education:Davis was born in Boulder, Colorado...
and Cynthia NixonCynthia Ellen Nixon is an American actress, known for her portrayal of Miranda Hobbes in the HBO series Sex and the City . She has received two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, and a Grammy Award....
) - "Sex and the City 2"
BambiThe Bambi - Deutschlands Wichtigster Medienpreis, often simply called Bambi Awards and stylized as BAMBI, are presented annually by Hubert Burda Media to recognize excellence in international media and television "with vision and creativity who affected and inspired the German public that year",...
Award
- 2010: Surprise-Award for her life and style.
Maxim Magazine Award
- 2007: Number 1 Unsexiest Woman Alive
Women in Film
Crystal + Lucy AwardFirst presented in 1977, Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards are presented to honor women in communications and media. The awards include the Crystal Award, the Lucy Award, the Dorothy Arzner Directors Award, the MaxMara Face of the Future Award, and the Kodak Vision Award...
- 1999: Lucy Award, along with the rest of the cast of Sex & The City.
Films
| Year |
Title |
Role |
Notes |
| 1974 |
|
The Little Match Girl |
Credited as Sarah Parker |
| 1982 |
My Body, My Child My Body, My Child is a 1982 television film directed by Marvin J. Chomsky and starring Vanessa Redgrave. It premiered on ABC on 12 April, 1982. It includes early performances by future Sex and the City co-stars, Sarah Jessica Parker and Cynthia Nixon...
|
Katy |
Television film |
| 1983 |
Somewhere Tomorrow |
Lori Anderson |
|
| 1984 |
Footloose |
Rusty |
|
| 1984 |
Firstborn Firstborn is a 1984 drama film starring Teri Garr, Peter Weller, Christopher Collet, Corey Haim , Sarah Jessica Parker and Robert Downey Jr....
|
Lisa |
|
| 1985 |
Girls Just Want to Have Fun Girls Just Want to Have Fun is a 1985 dance film starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt, directed by Alan Metter.It resembles the style of Footloose and Flashdance. For many years, Comedy Central, Lifetime, USA Network, Lifetime Movie Network and ABC Family have aired the film...
|
Janey Glenn |
|
| 1986 |
Flight of the NavigatorFlight of the Navigator is a 1986 Disney science fiction film directed by Randal Kleiser and written by Mark H. Baker and Michael Burton, about a 12-year-old boy named David who is abducted by an alien space craft and finds himself caught in a world which has changed around him...
|
Carolyn McAdams |
|
| 1991 |
L.A. Story L.A. Story is a 1991 American romantic comedy film, written by and starring Steve Martin. Set in Los Angeles, California, it relates a series of episodes in the romantic life of an L.A. TV weatherman. It includes surreal sequences in which he is offered romantic advice flashed to him by a freeway...
|
SanDeE* |
|
| 1992 |
In the Best Interest of the Children In the Best Interest of the Children is a fact-based TV film starring Sarah Jessica Parker who plays a woman struggling with manic-depression while raising her five children...
|
Callie Cain |
|
| 1992 |
Honeymoon in VegasHoneymoon in Vegas is a 1992 comedy film directed by Andrew Bergman and starring Nicolas Cage, James Caan and Sarah Jessica Parker.-Plot:...
|
Betsy/Donna |
|
| 1993 |
Striking Distance Striking Distance is a 1993 thriller starring Bruce Willis, Sarah Jessica Parker, Dennis Farina, and Tom Sizemore as Pittsburgh Police officers pursuing a serial killer. It was directed by Rowdy Herrington and written by Herrington and Marty Kaplan...
|
Jo Christman/Det. Emily Harper |
|
| 1993 |
Hocus Pocus |
Sarah Sanderson |
|
| 1994 |
Ed Wood Ed Wood is a 1994 American comedy-drama biopic directed and produced by Tim Burton, and starring Johnny Depp as cult filmmaker Edward D. Wood, Jr. The film concerns the period in Wood's life when he made his best-known films as well as his relationship with actor Bela Lugosi, played by Martin Landau...
|
Dolores Fuller Dolores Agnes Fuller was an American actress and songwriter best known as the one-time girlfriend of the low-budget film director Edward D. Wood, Jr. She played the protagonist's girlfriend in Glen or Glenda, co-starred in Wood's Jail Bait, and had a minor role in Bride of the Monster...
|
|
| 1995 |
Miami Rhapsody Miami Rhapsody is a 1995 American romantic comedy film starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Gil Bellows, Antonio Banderas, Mia Farrow, Paul Mazursky, Kevin Pollak, Barbara Garrick, and Carla Gugino. It was written, produced, and directed by David Frankel, with music composed by Mark Isham.-Plot:Gwyn...
|
Gwyn Marcus |
|
| 1996 |
Mars Attacks! Mars Attacks! is a 1996 American science fiction film directed by Tim Burton and based on the cult trading card series of the same name. The film uses elements of black comedy, surreal humour, and political satire, and claims to be also a parody of multiple science fiction B movies...
|
Nathalie Lake |
|
| 1996 |
If Lucy Fell If Lucy Fell is a 1996 romantic comedy starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Eric Schaeffer and Ben Stiller. The film is rated R and runs for 92 minutes...
|
Lucy Ackerman |
|
| 1996 |
|
Shelly Stewart |
|
| 1996 |
Extreme Measures Extreme Measures is a 1996 thriller film based on Michael Palmer's 1991 novel of the same name, about the ethics of how far we are willing to go, and how much we are willing to sacrifice, in order to cure the world's ills.-Cast:...
|
Jodie Trammel |
|
| 1997 |
'Til There Was You 'Til There Was You is a 1997 American romantic drama film directed by Scott Winant. The screenplay, written by Winnie Holzman, traces thirty-odd years in the parallel lives of two people whose intertwined paths finally converge when their mutual interest in a community project brings them...
|
Francesca Lanfield |
|
| 1999 |
Dudley Do-Right Dudley Do-Right is a 1999 romantic comedy film, based on Jay Ward's Dudley Do-Right, produced by Davis Entertainment for Universal Studios. The film stars Brendan Fraser as the cartoon's title character. It was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...
|
Nell Fenwick |
|
| 2000 |
State and Main State and Main is a 2000 comedy film, written and directed by David Mamet and starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Rebecca Pidgeon, about the on-location production in Waterford, Vermont of a film called The Old Mill...
|
Claire Wellesley |
|
| 2001 |
Life Without Dick Life Without Dick is a direct-to-video 2002 American black comedy film written and directed by Bix Skahill. The screenplay focuses on the relationship that develops between an incompetent hitman and a woman who accidentally kills her boyfriend when she discovers he's leaving her for another...
|
Colleen Gibson |
Direct-to-video film |
| 2005 |
|
Meredith Morton |
Nominated–Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy |
| 2006 |
Strangers with CandyStrangers with Candy is a 2005 comedy film released by THINKFilm, first screened at the Sundance Film Festival. It serves as a prequel to the TV series of the same name...
|
Peggy Callas |
|
| 2006 |
Failure to Launch Failure to Launch is a 2006 American romantic comedy film. In the movie a 35-year-old man lives in the home of his parents and shows no interest in leaving the comfortable life his parents, especially his mother, have made for him there.-Plot:...
|
Paula |
|
| 2007 |
Spinning Into Butter Spinning Into Butter is a 2007 drama film, written by Rebecca Gilman and loosely based on her play of the same title. It was directed by first-time director Mark Brokaw and produced by Sarah Jessica Parker, who also stars in the film. Spinning Into Butter premiered at the Cannes Film Market on...
|
Sarah Daniels |
|
| 2008 |
Smart PeopleSmart People is a 2008 American comedy-drama film starring Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ellen Page and Thomas Haden Church. The film was directed by Noam Murro, written by Mark Poirier and produced by Michael London, with Omar Amanat serving as executive producer.Smart People was filmed on...
|
Janet Hartigan |
|
| 2008 |
Sex and the City |
Carrie BradshawCarrie Preston is the fictional narrator and lead character of the HBO sitcom/drama Sex and the City, portrayed by actress Sarah Jessica Parker. She is a semi-autobiographical character created by Candace Bushnell, who published the book Sex and the City, based on her own columns in the New York...
|
|
| 2009 |
Did You Hear About the Morgans? Did You Hear About the Morgans? is a 2009 American romantic comedy film directed and written by Marc Lawrence. Golden Globe winners Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker portray the film's protagonists, Paul and Meryl Morgan, a recently separated New York power couple on the verge of divorce until...
|
Meryl Morgan |
Nominated — Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress |
| 2010 |
Sex and the City 2 Sex and the City 2 is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed by Michael Patrick King. It is the sequel to the 2008 film Sex and the City, which is based on the HBO TV series of the same name....
|
Carrie Bradshaw |
Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress (shared with Sex and the City cast) |
| 2011 |
New Year's Eve New Year's Eve is an upcoming romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall. Like Valentine's Day, Marshall's previous film, it depicts a series of holiday vignettes of the state of several romances.-Cast:...
|
Kate |
|
| 2011 |
I Don't Know How She Does It I Don't Know How She Does It is a 2011 American comedy film based on Allison Pearson's novel of the same name. The film stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Pierce Brosnan, and Greg Kinnear about Kate Reddy, a financial executive and the breadwinner of her family....
|
Kate Reddy |
|
Television
| Year |
Title |
Role |
Notes |
| 1982–83 |
Square PegsSquare Pegs is an American comedy series that aired on CBS during the 1982–1983 season. The series follows Patty Greene and Lauren Hutchinson , two awkward teenage girls desperate to fit in at Weemawee High School....
|
Patty Greene |
| Season 1 |
| 1987–88 |
|
Kay Erickson |
A miniseries in 1986 aired for one season |
| 1990–91 |
Equal Justice |
Jo Ann Harris |
Two seasons |
| 1999 |
Space Ghost Coast to Coast Space Ghost Coast to Coast is an American animated parody talk show hosted by the 60s Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Space Ghost. The show premiered on April 15, 1994 on Cartoon Network...
|
Herself |
TV series; one episode |
| 1998–2004 |
Sex and the CitySex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
|
Carrie Bradshaw |
Lead role
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (2004)
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy (2000–02, 2004)
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2002, 2004)
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series (2001)
Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (1999–2003)
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy (1999, 2003, 2005)
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2001, 2003, 2005)
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series (2000, 2002, 2005) |
| 2010 |
Who Do You Think You Are? Who Do You Think You Are? is an American genealogy documentary series that premiered on NBC on March 5, 2010. The show is an adaptation of the British series of the same name, aired by the BBC. Each week a celebrity goes on a journey to trace his or her family tree. Lisa Kudrow is executive...
|
Herself |
TV series |
Producer
| Year |
Title |
Role |
Notes |
| 2002–04 |
Sex and the City |
Producer |
28 episodes |
| 2008 |
Sex and the City (film) |
Co-producer |
|
| 2010 |
Sex and the City 2 |
Producer |
|
External links