Sarah Jessica Parker portrays Carrie Bradshaw on the television series, Sex and the City.
Biography[]
Sarah Jessica Parker is an American film, television and theatre actress, and producer. She is best known for her leading role as Carrie Bradshaw on the HBO television series Sex and the City, for which she won four Golden Globe Awards.
Parker was born in Nelsonville, Ohio, Parker's parents struggled to support their large family – oftentimes the electricity could be shut off, or the family would have to forgo Christmases and birthdays for lack of money. Nonetheless, she has stated: "I wouldn't change any of it, for anything ... for the most part, we had everything we needed. Not always, but for the most part." Parker's mother immersed her children in culture and extracurricular activities; she often took them to free public institutions, like the ballet and the theater in Cincinnati, so that they lived "full, rich lives". As a young girl, Parker trained in singing and ballet, and was soon cast in the Broadway revival of William Archibald's play The Innocents. Her family moved to Cincinnati and then to Dobbs Ferry, New York, near New York City, so that she could get specialized training. She attended the School of American Ballet in New York City, the New York Professional Children's School, the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati, and Hollywood High School in Los Angeles.
She was selected for a role in the new 1977–81 Broadway musical Annie as July and then succeeding Andrea McArdle and Shelley Bruce in the lead role. She also appeared in other stage productions, like The Heidi Chronicles, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and Once Upon a Mattress. She later appeared in films, like Footloose, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, L.A. Story, Honeymoon in Vegas, Mars Attacks!, The First Wives Club, Dudley Do-Right, Failure to Launch, Did You Hear About the Morgans?, and New Year's Eve.
In 1982, Parker was cast as the co-lead of the CBS sitcom Square Pegs. The show lasted one season before being cancelled by the network, but Parker's performance, as a shy, misfit teen who showed hidden depths, was critically well-received. In the three years that followed, she was cast in four films — the most significant of those being Footloose in 1984 and 1984's Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, co-starring Helen Hunt. In 1986, Parker appeared in the cult classic Flight of the Navigator, a Disney science fiction film about a boy, David, who is relativistically transported in time by an alien spacecraft eight years into the future without aging.
By the early 1990s, Parker's career was gaining momentum. In 1991, she appeared in a supporting role in the romantic comedy, L.A. Story; both the movie and her performance garnered positive reviews. The following year, she landed an important starring role in the well-received film Honeymoon in Vegas, co-starring Nicolas Cage. 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 Willis in film Striking Distance. The following year, she appeared opposite Johnny Depp in the critically acclaimed movie Ed Wood as Wood's girlfriend Dolores Fuller.
The film Miami Rhapsody, in 1995, saw her back on familiar territory with more romantic comedy material and a leading role. In 1996, she appeared in another Tim Burton-directed movie, Mars Attacks!, as well as in The First Wives Club and The Substance of Fire, 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.
Sex and the City[]
The script for an HBO drama/comedy series titled Sex and the City was sent to Parker. The show's creator, Darren Star, was determined that she be cast in his project. Despite some early doubts about being cast in a long-term television series, Parker agreed to star.
The show proved to be an instant success, raising Parker's profile considerably. It is credited with turning Parker from simply an actress into a star and icon. Despite the show's increasingly risqué storylines, Parker retained the strict no-nudity clause in her contract throughout the show's six-season run. Parker became a producer for the show starting with its third season. In 2004, Parker won an Emmy Award for her lead role (after five consecutive losses). Parker stated 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 and it was revealed that a script had been completed for such a project. However, at the time, Parker stated that it would likely never be made. Two years later, however, preparations were resumed, and the film was released on May 30, 2008. A Sequel began filming in August 2009 and will be realeased on 28 May 2010.
Later career[]
In addition to work in motion pictures and television, Parker is also a respected stage actor, having appeared in well-reviewed lead roles in the off-Broadway play Sylvia, alongside future husband Matthew Broderick in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and the Tony Award-nominated Once Upon a Mattress, as Princess Winifred the Woebegone.
In December 2005, Parker appeared in her first theatrical film in several years, The Family Stone; she received a Golden Globe nomination as Best Actress - Comedy for the role. Her next film, the romantic comedy Failure to Launch, co-starring Matthew McConaughey, was released on March 10, 2006 and opened at #1 in the North American box office, grossing slightly over $24 million in its opening weekend, despite mediocre reviews. Parker's work as a producer continued with the independent film Spinning Into Butter (which she also starred in), based on the Rebecca Gilman play. Parker was initially set to star in Vacancy, along with her co-star from The Family Stone, Luke Wilson, but she dropped out in favor of other projects. Kate Beckinsale later won the role.
On July 20, US 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's show will have 13 finalists of any age over 17. Parker's inspiration comes from her mother-in-law, whose artwork only became noticed after she died.
Parker is also producing a new comedy series for HBO called Washingtonienne. The pilot is currently in production and will air in 2009. The show revolves around the lives of three smart and sophisticated friends, all working for powerful men on Capitol Hill.
Parker is also taking part in the American version of the hit UK television series Who Do You Think You Are? for NBC, in which celebrities trace their family trees. The executive producer is Lisa Kudrow and the series will feature herself, Kudrow, Susan Sarandon and others.
Fashion industry[]
Parker is a fashion icon and has become very influential in the world of fashion. In 2000, she hosted the MTV Movie Awards and appeared in no fewer than 15 different costumes throughout 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 highly lucrative deal with Garnier to appear in television and print advertising promoting their Nutrisse hair products. In 2004, she fronted an international campaign by Gap, but her contract with the clothing giant was terminated in spring 2005 in favor of British soul singer Joss Stone. A friend of Parker's commented to the press that, "Sarah's spring campaign for Gap has only just started, and she feels the announcement of her replacement in the same week that the new ads are appearing is a bit of a snub".
In addition to her advertising work, 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's. The line, which features hundreds of clothing items and accessories under $20, launched on June 7, 2007, exclusively at Steve and Barry's. In July 2007, following the enormous success of "Lovely," Parker released her second fragrance "Covet." In 2007, Parker was a guest on Project Runway for the second challenge.
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 Firstborn. Downey had a drug problem and this had a significant effect on their relationship; referring to that time in her life, Parker has said: "I believed I was the person holding him together".
On May 19, 1997, she married actor Matthew Broderick, 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 ceremony in an historic synagogue on the Lower East Side of Manhattan that is no longer used as a house of worship. The couple's son James Wilkie Broderick was born on October 28, 2002. He was named after Broderick's father, the actor James Wilke Broderick and writer Wilkie Collins.
It was confirmed by their representatives on April 28, 2009 that Parker and Broderick were expecting twin girls through surrogacy in July.
Parker and Broderick's surrogate 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 family. Marion weighed 5 pounds, 11 ounces, while Tabitha was 6 pounds.
As of 2009, she lives in New York City with her husband, son, and daughters. The couple frequently attend the arts and also spend a considerable amount of time in County Donegal, Ireland, where Broderick spent his summers as a child.
Parker is a prominent member of the Hollywood's Women's Political Committee and is UNICEF's Representative for the Performing Arts; in 2006, she traveled to Liberia as a UNICEF celebrity ambassador, and has commented that, "It's a place that gets little or no attention, so we're going to try and bring some attention to it". She is currently a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for the United States. Parker has also defended the state of Israel. "I feel defensive when people say, 'How can Israel go in with tanks?'," she says. "What are they supposed to do? Children are being killed by people willing to strap bombs to their bodies and walk into the public market. So Israel's response to this is to protect its people".
E! News confirms that prior to her appearance at the 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star game, she had her signature mole removed.