Sarah Jessica Parkeris a decorated actress and producer who has appeared in countless critically-lauded films and shows over her dazzling career. Having made her television debut in the short-lived CBS sitcomSquare Pegs,Parker quickly began to nab significant roles in movies likeFootloose, Girls Just Want to Have Fun,andHoneymoon in Vegas,along with a hilarious supporting role in Steve Martin’sL.A. Story. She found further success in the ‘90s with the spooky Halloween classicHocus Pocusand star-studded 1996 comedyThe First Wives Club.The actress became a small-screen darling when she nabbed the highly-coveted role of Carrie Bradshaw on the hit HBO seriesSex and the City,winning numerous accolades and earning widespread praise for her superb portrayal.
After (temporarily) saying goodbye to her HBO character in 2004, Parker went on to appear in two follow-up films and headlined entertaining pictures likeFailure to LaunchandThe Family Stone,while later making a return to TV in the 2017 dramedy seriesDivorce.The performer most recently reprised her role as Bradshaw in the polarizingSex and the Cityspin-off,And Just Like That…, with a second season currently in the works at HBO. These are some of the best Sarah Jessica Parker performances.
9Girls Just Want to Have Fun
Sarah Jessica Parker, Shannen Doherty, and Helen Hunt headline the 1985 romantic comedyGirls Just Want to Have Fun,following a group of girls with a passion for dancing who decide to enter a thrilling dance competition in hopes of landing a highly coveted spot on a popular TV show in Chicago. Parker and Hunt star as fast-friends Janey and Lynne, who share a love for dancing and team up to audition for the program despite Janey’s strict father forbidding her from doing so.
The film was inspired by the Cyndi Lauper hit song of the same name, with Parker taking on the role of Janey after having previously worked with screenwriter Janis Hirsch onSquare Pegs. On what attracted her to the project,the actress revealed,“Janis wasn’t into depicting people my age being stupid. I was impressed with her fondness for two best friends who aren’t competitive."
8Failure to Launch
For the 2006 romantic comedyFailure to Launch,Sarah Jessica Parker portrays an interventionist hired by the desperate parents of a 35-year-old man to help take responsibility in his life and inspire him to finally move out of their home and into a place of his own. Parker’s character Paula has a fool-proof method of helping her clients gain enough confidence to leave the nest, but her plans go awry when she begins to develop feelings for her mark.
Parker appears alongsidemovie stars Matthew McConaughey, Zooey Deschanel, and Bradley Cooper in the charming rom-com, and despite a lackluster response from critics it went on to become a hit at the box office and was more enthusiastically received by moviegoers, earning an A- CinemaScore.
Chronicling the fascinating life of the eponymous cult filmmaker, the 1994 biographical dramedyEd Wooddepicts the efforts of the eccentric creator as he fights to find a place in Hollywood by helming a series of campy, low-budget pictures with the help of a loyal group of people and actor Bela Lugosi.Johnny Depp delivered an outstanding performanceas the deeply complex Wood, with Martin Landau appearing as Lugosi and Sarah Jessica Parker as Wood’s girlfriend and actress/songwriter Dolores Fuller.
Tim Burton directed the riveting biopic, having been a fan of the director’s work and beingintrigued by how he“wrote about his films as if he was makingCitizen Kaneyou know, whereas other people perceived them as, like, the worst movies ever." The Academy Award-winningEd Woodwas met with critical acclaim upon its release, with praise going towards the exceptional performances of the cast, direction, and refreshing screenplay.
6The First Wives Club
Based on the Olivia Goldsmith novel of the same name, the 1996 smash hit comedyThe First Wives Clubfeatures Bette Midler, Diane Keaton, and Goldie Hawn as a trio of divorcées who plot to exact revenge on their cheating ex-husbands who have abandoned them for younger women. Sarah Jessica Parker portrays the dim-witted but conniving fiancée of Midler’s deceiving ex, once again joining forces with the legendary actress/singer after having worked together in the Halloween stapleHocus Pocus.
In honor of the comedy’s twentieth anniversary, director Hugh Wilson opened up toVanity Fairabout working with Parker, stating, “I’d go to war with Sarah Jessica Parker. She kicks ass, and when she’s not on camera, she goes over and starts reading a good book. I haven’t seen her in a long time, but she was a great friend to me.”
5Honeymoon in Vegas
Andrew Bergman directed the 1992 filmHoneymoon in Vegas,acomedy with Nicolas Cageand Sarah Jessica Parker as the at-odds couple Jack and Betsy. Their relationship and future is tested when notorious con man Tommy Korman (James Caan) offers to pay off Jack’s hefty debt in exchange for a romantic Hawaiian getaway with his lovely fiancée Betsy. Parker shines as the frustrated partner of the commitment-phobe Jack, ultimately finding herself enamored by the charming professional gambler and sparking an intense jealousy in her former flame.
Honeymoon in Vegaswas a critical and financial success, earning two Golden Globe nominations and further establishing Parker as a dazzling leading lady; in their review of the rom-com,Varietywrote,“Writer-director Andrew Bergman has a rare talent for intelligently conceived farce, and he has plenty of fun with the premise.”
4The Family Stone
Touting a star-studded cast of Hollywood greats led by Sarah Jessica Parker, Diane Keaton andClaire Danes, the 2005 comedy-dramaThe Family Stonetakes place over Christmastime and focuses on the hilarious exploits of the Stone family as their eldest son brings home his girlfriend in hopes of proposing to her during the festive holiday. Dermot Mulroney appears as Everett Stone, with Parker portraying his apprehensive love interest Meredith Morton who finds herself at odds with his family after a less-than warm reception.
Related:Best Movies That Celebrate Family Love
Parker was excited to tackle the stern character after struggling to find a role that distinguished her from herSex and the Citycounterpart;she described Meredith as“controlling, rigid and tightly wound. When she tries to dig herself out of awkward moments, she only makes matters worse.” For her stellar performance, Parker was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress.
Sarah Jessica Parker and Thomas Haden Church star as a middle-aged couple caught up in a long and drawn-out separation in the HBO comedy-drama seriesDivorce,in which they portray Frances and Robert Dufresne, partners who had been married for over 10 years and raised two children together before Frances begins to reevaluate the direction of her life and her marriage. Parker both starred in and executive produced the show, having been initially drawn to the complexity of the character while acknowledging her lack of likability.
In an interview withIndieWire, the actress expressed, “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.“Divorceran for three lauded seasons, with Parker earning a Golden Globe nomination for her work in 2017.
2Hocus Pocus
The beloved 1993 fantasy horror comedyHocus Pocuschronicles the evil acts of the Sanderson sisters, a trio of wicked witches who are mistakenly brought back to life on Halloween night three centuries after being hanged for murder in Salem, Massachusetts. Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy are delightfully devilish as the notorious witches who prey upon children in order to remain young and immortal, captivating audiences in the cherished Halloween classic.
Related:These Are Some of the Best 20th Century Movies About Witches
Parker serves up a knockout performance as the beautiful but dim-witted Sarah Sanderson, who uses her siren-esque voice to lure the children to their impending doom.Hocus Pocushad a lukewarm response before gaining a passionate cult following in subsequent years, primarily due to showings of the film during the Halloween season;a highly-anticipated sequelis set for release this upcoming fall.
1Sex and the City
Undoubtedly Sarah Jessica Parker’s most famous and buzzed about role to date is as New York City fashionista and columnist Carrie Bradshaw in the landmark HBO romantic dramedySex and the City,which follows Carrie and her close-knit group of friends as they navigate the dating world in their 30s and 40s. Lauded for its exploration of social issues like femininity, sexuality and promiscuity, the fan-favorite series is credited with helping establish HBO as a highly-buzzed about network and launching Parker to further superstardom.
For her role as Carrie, the actress won two Emmy Awards and four Golden Globes, andThe Guardiancalled the character an icon of the decade, proclaiming: “Carrie Bradshaw did as much to shift the culture around certain women’s issues as real-life female groundbreakers.”
