Sarah Jessica Parker

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Sarah Jessica Parker

Parker in New York City, June 2003
Born March 25, 1965 (1965-03-25) (age 43)
Nelsonville, Ohio, USA
Occupation actress, producer
Years active 1974 - present
Spouse(s) Matthew Broderick (1997-)

Sarah Jessica Parker (born March 25, 1965) is an American actress and producer, with a portfolio of television, film, and theater performances. She is best known for her role as Carrie Bradshaw, a newspaper journalist, on the HBO television series Sex and the City, for which she won four Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Emmy Awards. She played the same role in the feature film version of the show, which was released on May 30, 2008.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Parker was born in Nelsonville, Ohio, the daughter of Barbara, a nursery school operator and teacher, and Steven Parker, an entrepreneur and journalist.[1] Parker's father, a native of Brooklyn, was Jewish, the original family surname being "Bar-Kahn" ("son of Kohen"); Parker has said of herself, "I always just considered myself a Jew".[2] Parker's parents divorced early on in Parker's life and her mother remarried Paul Forste. Parker grew up with her mother, stepfather, and seven siblings (three from her parents' marriage, and four from her mother's second marriage).

As a young girl, she trained in singing and ballet, soon being cast in the Broadway production of The Innocents. Her family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, and then to Dobbs Ferry, New York, near New York City, where Parker was developing her career as a child actress. In 1977, the family moved to the newly opened planned community on Roosevelt Island, in the East River between Manhattan and Queens, and later to Manhattan proper; her parents later moved to Englewood, New Jersey where she attended Dwight Morrow High School.[3]

Parker attended the School for Creative and Performing Arts, the School of American Ballet and the Professional Children's School, Hollywood High School in Los Angeles, California, and later Dwight Morrow High School.

[edit] Acting career

She and four siblings appeared in a revival of The Sound of Music, and Parker went on to the new 1977-81 Broadway musical Annie — first in the small role of "July," and then succeeding Andrea McArdle and Shelley Bruce in the lead role of the plucky Depression-era orphan, beginning March 6, 1979. Parker held the role for a year.

In 1982, Parker was cast as the co-lead of the CBS-TV sitcom Square Pegs. The show lasted only one season before being canceled 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 Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, co-starring Helen Hunt, in 1985.

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. The following year, she appeared opposite Johnny Depp in the critically acclaimed movie Ed Wood.

The film Miami Rhapsody, in 1995, saw her back on familiar territory with more romantic comedy material and a leading role. She appeared in another Tim Burton-directed movie, Mars Attacks!, as well as The First Wives Club and The Substance of Fire, in which she reprised her 1991 stage role, in 1996. In 1997, she appeared as Francesca Lanfield, a washed-up former child actress, in the comedy Til There Was You.

[edit] Sex and the City

Later that year, 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.[4]

The show proved to be an instant success, raising Parker's profile considerably. 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). Many gambling and betting establishments stopped taking bets on her Emmy victory, because it was so widely predicted that she would win.[citation needed] Parker stated in 2006 that she "will never do a television show again",[5] although she will co-executive produce a new HBO series based on Washingtonienne, but will not star in it.[6]

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, Parker commented that it would likely never be made.[7] Two years later, however, preparations were resumed, and the film was released throughout the world on May 30, 2008. A sequel is also in early talks for 2009.[citation needed]

[edit] Later theater and film work

In addition to work in movies and television, Parker is also a respected stage actor, having appeared in well-reviewed lead roles in the off-Broadway play Sylvia, alongside 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,[8] despite mediocre reviews.[9] Parker's work as a producer continues with the independent film Spinning Into Butter, based on the Rebecca Gilman play, which she will also star in. 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.

[edit] 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 abruptly 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".[10]

In addition to her advertising work, Parker released her own fragrance in 2005 called "Lovely". In March 2007, Parker announced the launch of her own fashion line, Bitten,[11] in partnership with discount clothing chain Steve & Barry's.[12] The line, which features hundreds of clothing items and accessories under $20, launched on June 7, 2007, exclusively at Steve and Barry's.[13] In July 2007, following the enormous success of "Lovely," Parker released her second fragrance "Covet." In 2007 Sarah was a guest on Project Runway for the second challenge [14]

[edit] 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".[15] As her career continued to blossom into the 1990s, she met journalist John Kennedy Jr. and dated him for several months. She was also romantically linked to singer-songwriter Joshua Kadison in the early 1990s, who described their tumultuous relationship and their cat Moses in the song "Jessie" on the album Painted Desert Serenade.

On May 19, 1997, she married actor Matthew Broderick, to whom she was introduced by her brother at the Naked Angels theater company where they both performed.[16] The couple married in a civil ceremony in a historic synagogue on the Lower East Side of Manhattan that is no longer used as a house of worship; both Parker and Broderick (who each have one Jewish parent) consider themselves to be "culturally Jewish."[17] 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."[2] The couple's first child, son James Wilkie Broderick, was born on October 28, 2002. He was named after Broderick's father, the Irish-American actor James Broderick. His middle name is that of author Wilkie Collins, an author Broderick and Parker greatly admire.

Parker and Broderick live in New York City and frequent the arts. Parker and Broderick also spend a considerable amount of time at their holiday home in County Donegal, Republic of 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."[18] She is currently a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for the United States.

As of 2008, she lives in New York City with her husband and son.

[edit] Awards

Golden Globes

  • 2005: Nominee: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture: Musical or Comedy - The Family Stone
  • 2005: 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
  • 2003: Nominee: 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
  • 2001: Winner: 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
  • 1999: Nominee: Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series: Musical or Comedy - Sex and the City

Emmy Awards

  • 2004: Winner: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Sex and the City
  • 2004: Nominee: Outstanding Comedy Series - Sex and the City
  • 2003: Nominee: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Sex and the City
  • 2003: Nominee: Outstanding Comedy Series - Sex and the City
  • 2002: Nominee: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Sex and the City
  • 2002: Nominee: Outstanding Comedy Series - Sex and the City
  • 2001: Nominee: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Sex and the City
  • 2001: Winner: Outstanding Comedy Series - Sex and the City
  • 2000: Nominee: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Sex and the City
  • 1999: Nominee: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Sex and the City

Screen Actors Guild Awards

  • 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
  • 2004: 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 2000: Nominee: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series - Sex and the City

[edit] Filmography

Year Title Role Other notes
1974 The Little Match Girl The Little Match Girl
1982 Square Pegs Patty Greene season 1 (1982-1983)
1983 Somewhere Tomorrow Lori Anderson
1984 Footloose Rusty
1985 Girls Just Want to Have Fun Janey Glenn
1986 A Year in the Life Kay Erickson (The "Free Spirited" girl) A miniseries in 1986. Aired for one season 1987-1988.
Flight of the Navigator Carolyn McAdams
1991 L.A. Story SanDeE*
1992 In the Best Interest of the Children Callie Cain
1992 Honeymoon in Vegas Betsy/Donna
1993 Striking Distance Jo Christman/Det. Emily Harper
Hocus Pocus Sarah Sanderson
1994 Ed Wood Dolores Fuller
1995 Miami Rhapsody Gwyn Marcus
1996 Mars Attacks! Nathalie Lake
If Lucy Fell Lucy Ackerman
The First Wives Club Shelly Stewart
Extreme Measures Jodie Trammel
1997 'Til There Was You Francesca Lanfield
1998 Sex and the City Carrie Bradshaw 6 seasons (1998-2004)
1999 Dudley Do-Right Nell Fenwick
2000 State and Main Claire Wellesley
2001 Life Without Dick Colleen Gibson direct-to-video
2005 The Family Stone Meredith Morton
2006 Strangers with Candy Peggy Callas
Failure to Launch Paula
2007 Spinning Into Butter Sarah Daniels
2008 Smart People Janet Hartigan
Sex and the City: The Movie Carrie Bradshaw

[edit] References

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
  1. ^ Sarah Jessica Parker Biography (1965-)
  2. ^ a b Pogrebin, Abigail. "Excerpt: 'Stars of David: Prominent Jews Talk About Being Jewish' by Abigail Pogrebin", ABC News, 2005-12-26. Retrieved on 2007-09-26. 
  3. ^ Klein, Alvin. "ACTRESS, 18, HAS SOME REGRETS", The New York Times, October 30, 1983. Accessed December 27, 2007. "Before attending Hollywood High School, she was a student at Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood... After living for a while on Roosevelt Island, between Manhattan and Queens, Mr. and Mrs. Forste bought a house in Englewood."
  4. ^ 365gay.com. Sarah Jessica Parker. Retrieved on March 13, 2006.
  5. ^ 365gay.com. Sarah Jessica Parker. Retrieved on March 16, 2006. available at the Internet Archive
  6. ^ United Press. Sarah Jessica Parker in new HBO project. Retrieved on March 16, 2006.
  7. ^ Winnipeg Sun. No Sex for Sarah. Retrieved on March 13, 2006.
  8. ^ 13Wham.com. McConaughey & Parker's Film Soars to the Top. Retrieved on March 13, 2006.
  9. ^ Rotten Tomatoes. Failure to Launch. Retrieved on March 13, 2006.
  10. ^ FemaleFirst. Joss Stone Ousts Sarah Jessica Parker At GAP. Retrieved on March 13, 2006.
  11. ^ bittensjp.com
  12. ^ Actress Sarah Jessica Parker is launching her own fashion line EnjoyFashion, March 14, 2007
  13. ^ Bitten Revealed! Fashion Week Daily, March 13, 2007
  14. ^ caseofthecovetedbottle.com
  15. ^ Entertainment Wise. Sarah Jessica Parker Knows All About Addiction. Retrieved on March 15, 2006.
  16. ^ For Naked Angels, the Party's Over. Time to Get Serious Again. The New York Times, May 14, 2006
  17. ^ San Francisco Jewish paper. Celebrity Jews. Retrieved on March 13, 2006.
  18. ^ Star Pulse. Sarah Jessica Parker Joins UNICEF, Will Travel to Liberia. Retrieved on March 13, 2006.

[edit] External links

[edit] Interviews

Preceded by
Lisa Kudrow		 MTV Movie Awards host
2000		 Succeeded by
Kirsten Dunst and Jimmy Fallon
v • d • e
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Comedy Series

Patricia Heaton (2000) · Patricia Heaton (2001) · Jennifer Aniston (2002) · Debra Messing (2003) · Sarah Jessica Parker (2004) · Felicity Huffman (2005) · Julia Louis-Dreyfus (2006) · America Ferrera (2007)
v • d • e
Sex and the City
Episode list · Awards
Characters
Cast
Films
Other
Persondata
NAME Parker, Sarah Jessica
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION American actress
DATE OF BIRTH March 25, 1965
PLACE OF BIRTH Nelsonville, Ohio, United States
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH