Sarah Jessica Parker
As Carrie Bradshaw, she turned a column about sex and the city into a global cultural phenomenon, defining an era of fashion, friendship, and female ambition.
Born 1965 (age 61)·American actress·Birthday: March 25·Generation X
Biography
Long before she became synonymous with Manolo Blahniks and cosmopolitans, Sarah Jessica Parker was a working actress with roots in poverty and ballet. Born in Ohio and raised in New York City, she trained as a dancer and landed her first major role as the lead in the Broadway musical 'Annie.' Her early film career was a study in eclectic choices, from the romantic fantasy 'L.A. Story' to the cult comedy 'Honeymoon in Vegas.' But it was her role as the introspective, fashion-obsessed columnist Carrie Bradshaw on HBO's 'Sex and the City' that catapulted her to another level of fame. For six seasons and two feature films, Parker didn't just play Carrie; she became the curious, vulnerable heart of a show that reshaped television's portrayal of women's lives. Off-screen, she built a fashion empire and continued to produce and star in projects that reflected her nuanced tastes. Her career is a story of transforming a specific, quirky point of view into enduring influence.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Sarah was born in 1965, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Sarah Was Born
The biggest hits of 1965
#1 Movie
The Sound of Music
Best Picture
The Sound of Music
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Sarah's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1965Born
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1970Started school
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1978Became a teenager
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Could drive
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1983Could vote
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Turned 21
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1995Turned 30
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 40
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 50
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 60
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 61 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won two Primetime Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards for her role as Carrie Bradshaw on 'Sex and the City.'
- Successfully produced and starred in the HBO series, which became a defining cultural touchstone of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
- Launched a globally successful fashion brand, SJP, featuring a signature line of footwear and accessories.
- Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2000 for her contributions to television.
Did You Know?
She was a trained ballet dancer and performed with the American Ballet Theatre and the Cincinnati Ballet as a child.
She is married to actor Matthew Broderick, whom she met in 1991 while performing in the play 'The Substance of Fire.'
She and her siblings were raised in poverty by their mother after their parents' divorce; she has described wearing clothes from garbage bags as a child.
She named her production company 'Pretty Matches.'
“I like my money right where I can see it: hanging in my closet.”
