Sarah Jessica Parker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sarah Jessica Parker
Parker in 2022
Born	(1965-03-25) March 25, 1965 (age 60) Nelsonville, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation	Actress producer
Years active	1974–present
Works	Full list
Spouse(s)	Matthew Broderick ​ (m. 1997)​
Partner(s)	Robert Downey Jr. (1984–1991)
Children	3
Relatives	Timothy Britten Parker (brother) Pippin Parker (brother)
Awards	Full list

Sarah Jessica Parker (born March 25, 1965) is an American actress and television producer. She has been acting for over 50 years. She has performed in many movies and plays. She has won many awards. These include six Golden Globe Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards. Time magazine even called her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2022.

Parker started on Broadway when she was 11 years old. This was in the 1976 play The Innocents. Later, in 1979, she played the main role in the musical Annie. Her first big movie roles were in 1984. These were in the dramas Footloose and Firstborn. In the 1990s, she appeared in films like L.A. Story (1991) and Hocus Pocus (1993). She also starred in Ed Wood (1994) and Mars Attacks! (1996).

Parker became famous worldwide for playing Carrie Bradshaw. This was in the HBO TV show Sex and the City (1998–2004). For this role, she won two Primetime Emmy Awards. She also won four Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress in a Comedy Series. She won three Screen Actors Guild Awards too. She played Carrie Bradshaw again in the movies Sex and the City (2008) and Sex and the City 2 (2010). She also returned for the new series And Just Like That... (2021–present). Many people think Carrie Bradshaw is one of the best characters in American TV history.

At the same time, Parker kept acting in movies. These include The Family Stone (2005) and Hocus Pocus 2 (2022). She also had other TV roles. She played Isabelle Wright in Glee (2012). She also played Frances Dufresne in Divorce (2016–2019). For Divorce, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. Since 2005, she has run her own company called Pretty Matches. This company makes TV shows for HBO and other networks.

Many people call Parker a fashion icon. Her personal style and the styles of her characters get a lot of attention. Her appearances at the Met Gala fashion event are also very famous.

Early Life and Training

Sarah Jessica Parker was born in Nelsonville, Ohio. Her mother, Barbara Parker, was a teacher. Her father, Stephen Parker, was an entrepreneur and journalist. Sarah Jessica was one of eight children. Her brothers, Timothy Britten Parker and Pippin Parker, are also actors.

Her parents divorced when she was three and a half years old. Her mother later remarried. Parker's father was Jewish, and she identifies with that faith. Her mother made sure her children experienced a lot of culture. She often took them to free ballets and theaters in Cincinnati. This helped them live "full, rich lives."

As a young girl, Parker learned singing and ballet. She was soon chosen for the Broadway play The Innocents. Her family moved to Cincinnati and then to Dobbs Ferry, New York. This was so she could get special acting training. Her mother and stepfather helped her become a child actress. The family later moved to Roosevelt Island and then to Manhattan. They also lived in Englewood, New Jersey, where Parker went to Dwight Morrow High School.

Parker studied at several schools. These included the School of American Ballet in New York City. She also attended the New York Professional Children's School.

Acting Career Highlights

Early Roles (1974–1997)

Parker during a USO show aboard USS Iwo Jima, 1979

Parker and some of her siblings performed in The Sound of Music in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1977, she was chosen for the Broadway musical Annie. She first played a small role called "July." Then, in March 1979, she took over the main role of Annie. She played Annie for one year.

In 1982, Parker got the main role in the TV show Square Pegs. It only lasted one season. But critics praised her acting as a shy teen with hidden talents. In the next three years, Parker was in four movies. The most important ones were Footloose (1984) and Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1985). In 1986, she appeared in Flight of the Navigator, a Disney science fiction movie.

In the romantic comedy L.A. Story (1991), Parker played a cheerful aspiring model. Both the movie and her acting received good reviews. She starred with Nicolas Cage in Honeymoon in Vegas (1992). She also played one of three villainous witches in the Disney fantasy comedy Hocus Pocus (1993). She starred alongside Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy. Hocus Pocus became a cult film later on, meaning it gained a strong following over time. In 1993, she also starred with Bruce Willis in Striking Distance. In 1994, she appeared with Johnny Depp in Ed Wood. She played Dolores Fuller, the main character's girlfriend.

In 1996, she was in another movie directed by Tim Burton, Mars Attacks!. She played a talk-show host. She also appeared in The First Wives Club. This movie was very popular and became a favorite among many women.

Sex and the City (1998–2004)

Parker at the rehearsal for the 1999 Emmy Awards

Parker received the script for the HBO show Sex and the City. The show is set in New York City. It is about four women who are close friends. The show's creator, Darren Star, wanted her for the project. Parker agreed to star, even though she had some doubts about a long TV series.

She played Carrie Bradshaw, the main character and narrator. Each episode was structured around Carrie's thoughts as she wrote her weekly column. People loved her performance. Her character became very popular. In 2009, The Guardian newspaper called Carrie Bradshaw an icon. Parker won two Emmy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards for this role.

Movies and TV After Sex and the City (2004–2015)

In 2005, Parker starred in The Family Stone. She played a New York City career woman. Critics praised her performance. The movie was a success. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. Her next movie was the romantic comedy Failure to Launch (2006). It was number one at the box office when it opened.

After Sex and the City ended, there were talks about a movie version. The film Sex and the City was released in 2008. A sequel, Sex and the City 2, came out in 2010. Both movies were very successful. In 2009, Parker starred with Hugh Grant in Did You Hear About the Morgans?. In 2011, she was in New Year's Eve, which earned a lot of money worldwide.

Parker at the Miami International Film Festival in 2013

Parker was a guest star on season 4 of the FOX musical show Glee. She played Isabelle Wright, a fashion executive. She helped Kurt Hummel when he moved to New York. In 2013, Parker lent her voice to a character in the animated movie Escape from Planet Earth. In 2015, she starred in All Roads Lead to Rome. She played an American journalist visiting Italy.

Recent Work (2016–Present)

From 2016 to 2019, Parker was an executive producer and star of the HBO show Divorce. She played Frances Dufresne. She liked that her character felt very real. The show ran for three seasons and received good reviews. She earned a Golden Globe nomination for her role.

In 2018, Parker starred in and produced Here and Now. She played a New York City singer who gets a life-changing medical diagnosis.

In February 2020, Parker and her husband, Matthew Broderick, starred in a play called Plaza Suite. It was a revival of a play by Neil Simon. The play was set to open in New York City, but it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In January 2021, HBO Max confirmed a new Sex and the City series called And Just Like That.... The first season started in December 2021.

Other Ventures

Fashion and Fragrance

Many publications have called Parker a fashion icon. In 2000, she hosted the MTV Movie Awards wearing 14 different outfits. She has also been the face of many big fashion brands in their advertisements. In 2003, Parker signed a deal with Garnier to promote their hair products.

Parker in 2012

In 2004, Parker signed a big contract with the Gap clothing company. She appeared in their ads for several seasons. This was the first time the Gap had signed one person for a multi-season deal.

In 2005, Parker launched her own perfume called Lovely. In 2007, she announced her own fashion line, "Bitten." It was sold at discount clothing stores and featured items under $20. In July 2007, she released her second perfume, Covet. In 2007, Parker was a guest on the show Project Runway. In 2009, she launched three new fragrances as part of the Lovely collection.

On February 28, 2014, Parker started the SJP Collection. This was a line of footwear sold at Nordstrom. In 2015, she became the new spokesperson for Jordache Jeans. In 2018, Parker worked with Gilt to launch a bridal collection. In November 2023, Parker teamed up with Lele Sadoughi for a collection of accessories.

Production Work

Parker runs a production company called Pretty Matches. She started it in 2005 with Alison Benson. The company has created shows for HBO and other channels since 2009. Through this company, they produced the series Divorce (2016–2019) and the film Here and Now (2018). The company aims to have more women working in media production.

Books and Wine

In October 2016, Parker announced a book publishing imprint with Crown Publishing Group. In 2017, she partnered with the American Library Association (ALA). They created Book Club Central, an online platform for book clubs and readers.

In 2019, Parker started working with a New Zealand winery called Invivo & Co. Together, they produce a special Sauvignon Blanc wine each year. They also make a Rosé wine from Provence.

Personal Life

Parker was in a relationship with actor Robert Downey Jr. from 1984 to 1991. They met while working on the movie Firstborn.

Matthew Broderick and Parker in 2009

Parker married actor Matthew Broderick on May 19, 1997. They were introduced by one of her brothers. Their son, James, was born on October 28, 2002. Their twin daughters, Marion and Tabitha, were born on June 22, 2009, through surrogacy.

Since 2009, Parker has lived in Greenwich Village with her husband and children. The family also spends time at their second home in Kilcar, Ireland. This is where Broderick spent summers as a child.

Awards and Notable Works

Parker has received many nominations and awards. She was nominated for ten Emmy Awards, all for Sex and the City. She won Outstanding Comedy Series (as a producer) in 2001. She also won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2004. She received nine Golden Globe nominations and won four times for Sex and the City.

Some of her well-known and successful films include:

See Also

In Spanish: Sarah Jessica Parker para niños