Sarah Jessica Parker (born March 25, 1965, in Nelsonville, Ohio, U.S.) is an American actress best known for her iconic role as Carrie Bradshaw on the television series 6ex and the City (1998, 2004) and its reboot, And Just Like That (2021). She also portrayed the character in two feature films 6ex and the City (2008) and 6ex and the City 2 (2010). Parker’s other notable film credits include Footloose (1984) L.A. Story (1991) Hocus Pocus (1993) and The Family Stone (2005).
Annie, Square Pegs, and Footloose
Parker took ballet and acting classes as a child, and at age 11 she moved with her family to New York City so that she and her siblings could pursue careers in entertainment. In 1978 she landed the lead role in the Broadway musical Annie, remaining with the production for about three years. Additional stage work followed, and in 1979 she made her film debut in Rich Kids. In 1982 Parker portrayed a high school nerd in the television series Square Pegs. Although the show lasted only one season, it developed a cult following and led to several film offers, including Footloose (1984) and Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1985). Parker continued to perform in theater throughout her career. Notable stage roles include The Heidi Chronicles (1989) The Substance of Fire (1991) and Sylvia (1995) in which she earned critical acclaim for her portrayal of a dog. She also starred in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying 1996 appearing alongside her longtime partner Matthew Broderick. The two married in 1997. Parker later headlined the Broadway revival of Once Upon a Mattress (1996,97) and in 2022 she and Broderick reunited on stage in a production of Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite.
Hocus Pocus and 6ex and the City
In 1991 Parker’s film career received a boost with her performance opposite Steve Martin as the quirky and effervescent Sandee in L.A. Story. A series of film roles soon followed, including Honeymoon in Vegas (1992) co starring Nicolas Cage the cult favorite Hocus Pocus (1993) a comedy about a trio of resurrected witches; Ed Wood (1994) Tim Burton’s biopic of the notoriously inept filmmaker, in which she starred opposite Johnny Depp and The First Wives Club (1996) a revenge comedy featuring Diane Keaton, Goldie Hawn, and Bette Midler. Despite her growing filmography, these roles did not solidify Parker’s status as a leading lady.
That changed with 6ex and the City which premiered in 1998. The groundbreaking HBO series inspired by the best selling book by Candace Bushnell, catapulted Parker to superstardom. The show followed four close friends Carrie Bradshaw (played by Parker) Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) Samantha (Kim Cattrall) and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) as they navigated careers, friendships, and relationships in New York City. Known for its witty, candid, and often provocative exploration of modern womanhood, the series became a cultural phenomenon. Parker’s performance as Carrie, a fashionable and introspective relationship columnist, earned her critical acclaim and several awards, including two Emmy Awards (2001, 2004) and four Golden Globe Awards (2000,2002, 2004).
Just Like That and later films
After 6ex and the City ended in 2004 Parker continued her film career with roles in The Family Stone (2005) a holiday dramedy, and the romantic comedy Failure to Launch (2006) opposite Matthew Mc Conaughey. She later reprised her iconic role as Carrie Bradshaw in the film adaptations 6ex and the City (2008) and 6ex and the City 2 (2010). In 2009 Parker starred alongside Hugh Grant in Did You Hear About the Morgans, a comedy about a New York couple forced into witness protection after witnessing a murder. Her later film roles included playing an overwhelmed working mother in I Don’t Know How She Does It (2011) and voicing an alien in the animated feature Escape from Planet Earth (2013).
Parker returned to HBO in 2016 with the comedy series Divorce (2016,19) in which she portrayed a woman navigating the emotional and logistical challenges of ending her marriage. In 2021 she once again stepped into the role of Carrie Bradshaw in And Just Like That a continuation of 6ex and the City that explores the lives of the characters in their 50. In 2022 she also revisited another fan favorite character, starring alongside Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy in Hocus Pocus 2 the sequel to the 1993 cult classic.