Parker made her Broadway debut at the age of 11 in the 1976 revival ofThe Innocents, going on to star in the title role of the Broadway musicalAnnie in 1979. She made her first major film appearances in the 1984 dramasFootloose andFirstborn. Further films followed in the 1990s, includingL.A. Story (1991),Honeymoon in Vegas (1992),Hocus Pocus (1993),Ed Wood (1994), andMars Attacks! (1996).
Concurrently, Parker continued to appear in films, such asThe Family Stone (2005),Failure to Launch (2006),Did You Hear About the Morgans? (2009),New Year's Eve (2011), andHocus Pocus 2 (2022). Further television roles included her portrayal ofIsabelle Wright in three episodes of theFox musical seriesGlee (2012) and Frances Dufresne in the HBO comedy drama seriesDivorce (2016–2019), for which she was nominated for aGolden Globe Award. Since 2005, she has run her own production company, Pretty Matches, which has created content for HBO and other networks.
Sarah Jessica Parker was born on March 25, 1965, inNelsonville, Ohio, the daughter of Barbara Parker (née Keck), a nursery-school operator and teacher, and Stephen Parker, an entrepreneur and journalist.[8][9] She was one of a total of eight children from her parents' marriage and her mother's second marriage; her full siblings include actorsTimothy Britten Parker andPippin Parker. Parker's parents divorced when she was 3½ years old, and her mother married Paul Forste, a truck driver and account executive.[10] Stephen, a native ofBrooklyn, isJewish (from a family from Eastern Europe)[11][12][13] and his family's original surname was "Bar-Kahn" ("son ofKohen").[9][14] Barbara is of German, and some English, descent.[9][15]
Parker has identified as culturally Jewish, like her father, although she has had no religious training.[14] Her parents struggled to support their large family – often the electricity could be shut off, or the family would have to forgoChristmases and birthdays for lack of money.[10] 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."[16] Her mother immersed her children in culture and extracurricular activities. She often took them to free public institutions like the ballet and the theater inCincinnati, so that they lived "full, rich lives", emulating the New York artistic scene.[14][16]
Parker and four siblings appeared in a production ofThe Sound of Music at the outdoor Municipal Theatre (Muny) inSt. Louis,Missouri.[22] She was selected for a role in the new 1977–81 Broadway musicalAnnie: first in the small role of "July" and then succeedingAndrea McArdle and Shelley Bruce in the lead role of theDepression-era orphan, beginning March 1979. Parker held the role for a year. In 1982, Parker obtained the lead role of theCBS sitcomSquare Pegs, which lasted just one season. Her performance as a shy teen who showed hidden depths, nevertheless, was acclaimed by critics. In the three years that followed, Parker was cast in four films: the most significant beingFootloose (1984) andGirls Just Want to Have Fun (1985), withHelen Hunt. In 1986, Parker appeared inFlight of the Navigator, aDisneyscience fiction film.[23]
In the romantic comedyL.A. Story (1991), Parker took on the role of a ditzy aspiring spokesmodel meeting a television meteorologist; both the film and her performance garnered positive reviews.[17] She would star withNicolas Cage, as the girlfriend of a commitment-phobic man, in the filmHoneymoon in Vegas (1992), and play one in a villainous trio of witches in the Disney fantasy family comedyHocus Pocus (1993), alongsideBette Midler andKathy Najimy.Honeymoon in Vegas was a critical success, earning US$35m whileHocus Pocus rated average with reviewers and made US$39 million in the US,[24][25] but became acult film due to strong DVD sales and large television following.[26][27] In 1993, she also starred as a police diver oppositeBruce Willis in the filmStriking Distance, and in 1994, she appeared oppositeJohnny Depp in the critically acclaimed biographical dramaEd Wood[17] as the titular character's girlfriend,Dolores Fuller. She headlined the romantic comedyMiami Rhapsody (1995), playing a woman who has some misgivings about her fiancé, and starred in the off-Broadway playSylvia, alongside future husbandMatthew Broderick.
In 1996, she appeared in anotherTim Burton-directed movie,Mars Attacks!, in which she made part of a large ensemble cast consisting ofJack Nicholson,Glenn Close,Pierce Brosnan, among others, portraying a chat-show host whose head is transposed with that of her chihuahua by the invading aliens. The romantic comedyThe First Wives Club saw Parker take on the role of a dim-witted but manipulative fiancée, and also reunite withHocus Pocus collaborator Bette Midler. The film was a critical darling and a major commercial success, grossing US$105million at the North American box office,[28] and it developed acult following among middle-aged women.[29][30] Her other 1996 release wasThe Substance of Fire, in which she reprised her 1991 stage role. In 1997, Parker appeared as a washed-up former child actress in the little seen comedy'Til There Was You.[31]
1998–2004:Sex and the City
Parker at the rehearsal for the 1999 Emmy Awards
The script for theHBO dramedy seriesSex and the City was sent to Parker. Set in New York City and based onCandace Bushnell's1997 book of the same name, the show follows the lives of a group of four women—three in their mid-thirties and one in her forties—who, despite their different natures and ever-changing sex lives, remain inseparable and confide in each other. CreatorDarren Star wanted her for the project, and despite some doubts about being cast in a long-term television series, she agreed to star. Her role was that ofCarrie Bradshaw, the narrator and main protagonist, with each episode structured around her train of thought while writing her weekly column "Sex and the City" for the fictitious paper, theNew York Star. The positive response to her performance during the show's run continued in the years immediately afterward. Bradshaw was widely popular during the run and later included in lists of the greatest female characters in American television history.[32][33][34] In 2009,The Guardian named Bradshaw an icon of the decade: "Carrie Bradshaw did as much to shift the culture around certain women's issues as real-life female groundbreakers."[35] She received twoEmmy Awards, threeScreen Actors Guild Awards, and fourGolden Globe Awards for her performance.
2004–2015: Continued film roles
In late 2005, Parker reunited withFirst Wives Club co-starDiane Keaton for her first film in years, the seasonal family dramedyThe Family Stone, in which she played an uptight, contemporary New York Citycareer woman.[36][37]James Berardinelli, in his review, wrote: "The talented cast helps. Sarah Jessica Parker, finding that there is life afterSex in the City, has no difficulty with [her role]'s arc. Of all the characters in the movie, she undergoes the biggest transformation, and Parker aces it".[38] Budgeted at US$18 million, it was a commercial success, grossing over US$92 million worldwide.[39] For her role, she received aGolden Globe nomination for Best Actress – Comedy. Her next film was the romantic comedyFailure to Launch, starring withMatthew McConaughey as an interventionist hired to get a 35-year-old man out of the home of his parents. It was released on March 10, 2006, and opened atop in the North American box office, grossing over US$24 million on its opening weekend,[40] despite negative reviews.[41] Her work as a producer continued with her next starring vehicle, the independent dramaSpinning into Butter (2007), based on the Rebecca Gilman play.[42] The filmSmart People (2008) premiered at theSundance Film Festival and saw Parker portray a sympathetic doctor, oppositeDennis Quaid andElliot Page.
Following the end ofSex and the City, rumors of a film version circulated, until preparations for a production were resumed in 2007, andthe film was released on May 30, 2008. A sequelSex and the City 2, was released in 2010.[43][44] Despite lukewarm critical responses, both films were commercially successful.[45] In the interim, Parker teamed up withHugh Grant for the romantic comedyDid You Hear About the Morgans? (2009), playing a recently separated New York power couple on the verge of divorce until they witness the murder of a man. While the film was a moderate commercial success,[46] Parker received aRazzie Award nomination for Worst Actress, andRoger Ebert, panning the film, noted: "I grant you Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker evoke charm in the right screenplay. This is the wrong screenplay".[47] In 2011, Parker starred inI Don't Know How She Does It, described by critics as "[a] limp comedy with a hopelessly outdated viewpoint on gender, featuring Sarah Jessica Parker in roteCarrie-mode",[48] and also made part of a large ensemble cast inGarry Marshall's romantic comedyNew Year's Eve (2011), which made US$142 million worldwide.[49] ForSex and the City 2 and her 2011 roles, she garnered nominations for the Razzie Award for Worst Actress.[50]
Parker guest-starred onseason 4 ofFOX musical comedy seriesGlee as Isabelle Wright, a Vogue executive who takesKurt Hummel under her wing after he graduates and moves to New York.Vulture, on one of its recaps ofGlee, remarked: "[C]haracters who are big-eyed but a little broken inside and desperately in love with New York are what Sarah Jessica Parker does best. I don't think her stint onGlee will revolutionize the show or her career or anything, but she's absolutely an asset, and I'm glad she's onboard".[51] In 2013, Parker provided her voice for one of the characters of the animated filmEscape from Planet Earth, and playedGloria Steinem in deleted scenes of the biographical dramaLovelace. In 2015, she starred in the independent romantic comedyAll Roads Lead to Rome, as an American journalist revisiting Italy with her rebellious daughter.
2016–present:Divorce, Broadway return, andAnd Just Like That...
Beginning in late-2016, Parker executive produced and starred in the HBO dramedy seriesDivorce, as Frances Dufresne, a married woman who has an affair which precipitates her divorce.[52][53] Drawn to the "complexity and promise" of the story[54] she was also intrigued by the doubtful likability of her character, remarking: "I like that Frances is very real to me. She's both honorable and messy. She's both exacting and untethered, but I think she's a very real person."[55] The series ran for three seasons and earned acclaim from critics;The A.V. Club noted: "Parker's gift, even onSex and the City, has always been a well-timed comeback or a reaction shot. [Her character] is not a reboot of Carrie Bradshaw, but she doesn't exactly force the actor to stray from her comfort zone, either. That's not necessarily a bad thing: It's a pleasure to see her back, shaking her head at just the right moment".[56] For her role, she earned a Golden Globe nomination.[57]
In 2018, Parker headlined and produced the independent dramaHere and Now, playing a New York City singer who gets a life-changing medical diagnosis.[58][59][60]
In February 2020, Parker and her husband, Broderick, starred in a revival ofNeil Simon'sPlaza Suite atBoston'sColonial Theatre for two weeks.[61] Previews at theHudson Theatre had been set for March 2020 and its official debut was scheduled for April 2020, but this was later postponed[62][63] and eventually canceled due to Parker testing positive for COVID-19.[64]
And Just Like That..., theSex and the City revival, was confirmed by HBO Max in January 2021. The first season premiered on December 9, 2021.[65]
In 2000, Parker hosted theMTV Movie Awards in 14 different outfits.[70] 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 withGarnier to appear in TV and print advertising promoting their Nutrisse hair products.[71]
Parker in 2012
In early 2004, shortly after the last season ofSex and the City wrapped up, Parker signed a $38 million contract with theGap.[72] 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.[72] The endorsement sparked many levels of criticism from the public; the glamorous, urban-chic fashionista that her characterCarrie Bradshaw has branded her with, was ironic considering the Gap maintains an image that does not promote high-end fashion.[73] Wendy Liebmann, president of WSL strategic retail, suggested Gap executives "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".[72] The ad campaigns were a success, she having given the Gap a fresh face that appeared in many commercials and promotions.[74]
In March 2005, Parker's contract with the Gap ended, and she was replaced with then 17-year-old British soul singerJoss Stone. A rising star at the time, Stone's replacing of Parker was a puzzling move to the public. The company then stated: "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".[75]
Parker released her own perfume in 2005, calledLovely.[17] In March 2007, Parker announced the launch of her own fashion line, "Bitten",[76] in partnership with discount clothing chainSteve & Barry's.[77] The line, featuring clothing items and accessories under $20, launched on June 7, 2007, exclusively at Steve and Barry's.[78] In July 2007, following the success of Lovely, Parker released her second fragrance, Covet. In 2007, Parker was a guest onProject Runway for the second challenge.[79] In 2008, Covet Pure Bloom was released as continuous series of Covet.[80] In February 2009, as part of the Lovely collection, Parker launched a series of three new fragrances called Dawn, Endless, and Twilight.[81]
On February 28, 2014, Parker started the SJP Collection, a footwear line, atNordstrom.[82] In June 2015, she was named the new spokesmodel for Jordache Jeans.[83] In April 2018, Parker partnered withGilt to launch herready-to-wear bridal collection for modern nontraditional brides.[84]
In November 2023, Parker teamed up with Lele Sadoughi to curate a collection of accessories including brooches, headbands and more.[85][86]
Production work
Parker runs a production company, Pretty Matches, which has created content for HBO and other channels since 2009.[87] She founded the company in 2005 with Alison Benson, following an introduction from her agent Kevin Huvane. Through it, they produced the seriesDivorce (2016–2019) and the filmHere and Now (2018). The company aims to increase female representation in media production.[88][89]
In 2025, Parker served as an executive producer on the documentaryThe Librarians focusing on librarians combatingbook banning in the United States.[90] In May 2025, Parker received the PEN/Audible Literary Service Award from PEN America at a gala in New York City, being called an “indispensable defender” of the freedom to read, both for this documentary and "for uplifting underrepresented voices through her own publishing imprint SJP Lit."[91]
Books and wine
In October 2016, Parker announced an imprint withCrown Publishing Group, SJP forHogarth,[92] and in 2017, her partnership withAmerican Library Association (ALA) to create Book Club Central, a new online platform that will provide reading resources, including recommendations, expert-curated book lists, and other content for book clubs and readers.[93] In June 2023, she partnered with an independent publisher Zando to create her own imprint, SJP Lit.[94]
In 2019, Parker entered into a collaboration partnership with New Zealand wineryInvivo & Co to produce a range of wines.[95] Together each year they produce a vintage, award-winning Invivo X, Sarah Jessica Parker Sauvignon Blanc, from Marlborough New Zealand; and the Invivo X, Sarah Jessica Parker Rosé from Provence.[96]
Parker was in a relationship with actorRobert Downey Jr. from 1984 until 1991. They met on the set ofFirstborn. His drug problem affected their relationship. She said: "I believed I was the person holding him together."[98] She later briefly datedJohn F. Kennedy Jr.[99]
Parker married actorMatthew Broderick on May 19, 1997, in Manhattan'sLower East Side, in an Episcopal ceremony officiated by Broderick's sister, Rev. Janet Broderick Kraft.[100][101] The couple had been introduced by one of her brothers at theNaked Angels theater company, where she and Broderick both performed.[102] Their son James Wilkie Broderick was born October 28, 2002.[103][104] Their twin daughters, Marion and Tabitha, were born June 22, 2009, viasurrogacy.[105][106] Their respective middle names, Elwell and Hodge, are from maternal ancestors she discovered in the first episode ofWho Do You Think You Are?, which originally aired March 5, 2010.[107]
Since 2009, Parker has lived inGreenwich Village with her husband and children.[108] In 2017, it was reported that the couple was combining two townhouses they had purchased for $35 million on West 11th Street in 2016, with renovations continuing into 2019.[109][110] The family also spends considerable time at their second home nearKilcar, a village inCounty Donegal, Ireland, where Broderick spent summers as a child.[111]
^Parker has attended theMet Gala on multiple occasions, with her outfits frequently garnering recognition.[7]
^Certain award groups do not simply award one winner. They acknowledge several different recipients, have runners-up, and have third place. Since this is a specific recognition and is different from losing an award, runner-up mentions are considered wins in this award tally. For simplification and to avoid errors, each award in this list has been presumed to have had a prior nomination.
Parker received tenEmmy Award nominations, all forSex and the City, winning Outstanding Comedy Series (as producer) in 2001 and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2004.[112][113][114] She also received nineGolden Globe nominations, with four wins (all forSex and the City) in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004.[115] Some of her critically acclaimed and commercially successful films are:[116]
^Klein, Alvin (October 30, 1983)."Actress, 18, Has Some Regrets".The New York Times. RetrievedFebruary 18, 2014.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.
_1979.jpg)
