Some actors simply become their characters in the minds of the public, even when they’re as talented as Sarah Jessica Parker. If the character in question is also a creation like Carrie Bradshaw, it can be hard to remind viewers that you have taken on other roles, and done a brilliant job in them too.
SJP was already an acclaimed actor before she took on the lead in the hit 1998 romantic comedy-drama Sex and the City, having been in some well-regarded films, taken on leading roles in television, and even treaded the Broadway boards. So, there is no mystery here as to why she landed the iconic part in the first place.
In honor of a brilliant performer, here’s a list of the 10 best Sarah Jessica Parker movies and TV shows, ranked!
10. Girls Just Want to Have Fun
Parker was just out of her teen years when she took on the starring role in this romcom about a pair of girls who bond over their love of a show called Dance TV and the act of dancing itself. She plays Janey, the daughter of a strict ex-serviceman who wants his daughter to focus on school instead of tapping her feet.
However, at her new school she meets Lynne (Helen Hunt), and after a rocky start to the friendship they bond and end up auditioning for their favorite show, with Janey finding love along the way in her talented but reluctant partner Jeff. While this has all the cheese of a classic 80s comedy, it’s lacking anything to make it stand out in a packed genre, but Hunt and Parker’s on-screen chemistry is a real highlight.
9. Hocus Pocus
Despite a stellar cast alongside Parker (Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy are her co-leads), this movie often slips into “so bad it’s good” territory, but remains a fun watch with plenty of nostalgia to boost its quality, and has even earned a reputation as a bit of a cult Halloween classic. The film follows three witches who are accidentally resurrected by a teen on Halloween and their attempts to suck the life force from a child before sunrise, thus ensuring their place on earth again. The plot is a bit wild, but the acting is surprisingly solid, and if you’re looking for something silly to chase the creeps away on Halloween, you could do worse than Hocus Pocus.
8. Square Pegs
Parker was a teen when she landed a main role on this CBS high school sitcom. She plays Patty, a smart, seemingly happy kid who doesn’t love socializing but does want to make her status-obsessed friend Lauren (Amy Linker) happy, so often ends up attempting to hang around with the popular crowd. Although it only lasted one season, Square Pegs had some great moments and a few memorable characters, as well as a pretty good performance from its young lead in Parker.
However, despite having a rare female-majority writing room, there was nothing that set it apart from many shows at the time, so it was canceled after just one season. Nowadays there are lots of rumors that the set was a bit of a party haven, with alleged drug use and actors hooking up, but on the surface, it looks like a wholesome series.
7. Mars Attacks!
Parker isn’t exactly known for taking on sci-fi projects, but she is hilarious in this Tim Burton comic take on an alien invasion, based on a trading card game. She plays Nathalie, a news reader whose exclusive interview with the president’s scientific advisor is cut short by a Martian broadcast, before being abducted by the invading aliens. Is this an all-time classic that will leave you wondering about the depths of the universe and the nature of humanity itself? No. Is it a spoof that sometimes falls too far into its own jokes, and ends up repeating the same mistakes that it’s trying to lampoon? A little, but you’ll have a great time watching it, and SJP’s take on a ludicrous role is one of the main reasons why.
6. Footloose
Was Sarah Jessica Parker denied dance lessons as a child? The second movie on this list that involves dancing being prohibited as a plot point, Footloose follows Ren (Kevin Bacon), a young man who moves to a small town and fights against the ultra-conservative, religious forces that have banned dancing and rock music within town limits, finding love along the way. SJP plays Rusty, the best friend of Ren’s love interest and the love interest of Ren’s new best friend (it’s funny how that worked out so well).
Although at the time Footloose was a bit of a critical flop, it’s now a deeply ingrained part of Western pop culture and is constantly referenced in other films and television shows. Parker particularly stands out among all the noise.
5. The First Wives Club
This ensemble comedy had some serious Hollywood royalty in it. Goldie Hawn, Bette Middler, and Diane Keaton star as the titular first wives, who get together in an attempt to gain revenge on their philandering ex-husbands, who left them for younger women (played by Parker, Marcia Gay Harden, and Elizabeth Berkley). A few biting lines and a generally decent plot allow the brilliant cast to shine, and although more could have been done by director Hugh Wilson with the tools at his disposal, this is a fun watch with a lot of heart. Parker is brilliant as the dim-witted social climber who is at loggerheads with Middler’s character.
4. Ed Wood
Parker worked with Tim Burton again in this wonderful biographical film about the eponymous maker of campy, low-budget horror and sci-films, which later became cult classics. The movie, shot in black and white, was a box office failure but won two Academy Awards and was beloved by critics, and rightly so. Wood was a real character and, like many of the most famous people in the world, a consummate fabulist who created his own mythos, and Burton does an excellent job of delving into the character while giving the audience some of the comedy that Wood was most famous for. SJP plays his girlfriend, Dolores Fuller, at the beginning of the film and is an excellent foil to Johnny Depp’s Wood.
3. L.A. Story
Parker only has a few scenes in this weird and wonderful Steve Martin film but she nails them, really putting her stamp on what’s already a unique and bold film. L.A. Story is a satirical comedy about a weatherman who is trying to find love and meaning in the superficial West Coast city, and it zooms along in a blur of wonderful feelings and plenty of laughs until the sweet and well-earned ending. SJP plays the role of SanDeE*, a scatterbrained love interest of Martin’s who aspires to be a spokesmodel. In many ways, her character embodies the film’s take on L.A., and she does a standout job in a vital part.
2. Honeymoon in Vegas
This sublime, ridiculous rom-com wears its heart on its sleeve, and a ridiculous plot is made charming and even believable by brilliant performances from Parker and Nicolas Cage, who play a loved-up couple that gets ensnared in an Indecent Proposal type situation by a bereaved millionaire. The story follows Jack (Cage) and Betsy (Parker), a couple who go to Vegas for a quick wedding, only for the wealthy Tommy (James Caan) to take a liking to Betsy as she resembles his dead wife. The movie just escalates from there, sending the characters across the Pacific and back, and even has a scene with skydiving Elvis impersonators — it is a Nic Cage film, after all.
1. Sex and the City
No matter how many plays, films, or other television shows she’s in, the character Carrie Bradshaw will almost certainly be at the center of Parker’s acting legacy. Sex and the City (and its movies and sequel show) are about as successful and influential as you get, and she is the star of the series, embodying the fashionista dating columnist so much that she was launched into being a fashion icon herself. The show was groundbreaking for a number of reasons, notably, its frank takes on female sexuality and friendship, and most importantly because it is a great watch (we don’t talk about the second movie, though). A legendary show and a performance to match from SJP.