Sarah Jessica Parker has been acting since she was a child, starting with The Innocents on Broadway. She transitioned from stage to screen and has won six Golden Globe Awards and two Primetime Emmys and has also started her own production company, Pretty Matches Prods. She is best known for her role as sex columnist Carrie Bradshaw in the HBO series Sex and the City for six seasons, as well as two films and the reboot, And Just Like That..., where she also serves as executive producer.
And although Bradshaw is her most recognizable character, Parker has also appeared in a number of other movies and television shows. From supporting roles to starring, she has played a variety of characters across genres and has even provided her voice for documentary narration. Some of her more recent roles in particular have earned her critical acclaim, while some of her well-known roles, like '80s classic Footloose, Halloween cult favorite Hocus Pocus and even the Sex and the City movies, didn't quite make the cut.
10 'Honeymoon in Vegas' (1992)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 64%
Parker starred alongside Nicolas Cage and James Caan in 1992’s Honeymoon in Vegas. In order to pay off his debts, a broke private investigator loans his fiancée to con man for a trip to Hawaii—but she starts to fall for her captor. It was later turned into a stage musical.
Honeymoon in Vegas is a funny movie, if somewhat predictable and a little absurd—but that’s part of both the fun and the charm. There are also plenty of Elvis Presley references, naturally, including a young Bruno Mars as a child Elvis impersonator.
9 'Hocus Pocus 2' (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 64%
Years after the first Hocus Pocus film, the Sanderson sisters returned for a sequel, where three young women accidentally summoned the sister to modern-day Salem and once again had to stop them in their quest for devouring children. Both films also starred Bette Midler and Kathy Najimi, and a third is currently in development.
Part of the fun of both Hocus Pocus films and the Sanderson sisters overall is how little they understand of the modern world they’ve been thrust into. Parker’s character in particular, Sarah, is ditzy and a bit childlike herself, although her sisters aren’t much better.
8 'Sex and the City' (1998-2004)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 70%
Sex and the City follows the life of sex columnist Carrie Bradshaw and her friends—and notably, their relationships—in New York City, also starring Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon. It premiered on HBO in 1998 and ran for six seasons, ending in 2004.
Sex and the City was a huge hit for HBO and earned a number of awards during its run. It is still beloved by fans today, 25 years after it first aired, plus two movies and reboot And Just Like That...
7 'Divorce' (2016-2019)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 78%
Parker starred alongside Thomas Haden Church in the HBO dark comedy series Divorce as a middle-age couple splitting up. It ran for three seasons on HBO, from 2016 through 2019, following the couple from the divorce process through remarrying.
Despite a strong start, Divorce lost some of its momentum as it entered Season 3, when it also shifted to more comedy as opposed to drama. Still, though, Parker gave one of her most enjoyable performances as Frances, as she and ex-husband Robert navigated the messiness of splitting up, co-parenting, and finding love again. Parker was also Divorce’s co-executive producer.
6 'Square Pegs' (1982-1983)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%
Parker starred as awkward teen Patty Greene in ‘80s sitcom Square Pegs, along with Amy Linker as Greene’s best friend, Lauren Hutchinson. The series follows the two friends as they try to fit in at their high school and ran for one season.
Although Square Pegs was short-lived, it was praised by critics for its accurate portrayal of teenagers and is considered a cult classic that helped launch Parker's career in TV and movies. As Patty, Parker captures the spirit and attitude of teenage girls, playing the character as nerdy yet likable with a sharp sense of humor.
5 'Flight of the Navigator' (1986)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%
1986’s Flight of the Navigator is about a boy, David, who is accidentally knocked unconscious near his home. When he awakes, he learns that eight years have passed, and a NASA scientist discovers a UFO nearby. Parker plays Carolyn McAdams, a NASA intern who befriends David. A Disney+ reboot is currently in progress.
Flight of the Navigator is classic ‘80s family-friendly sci-fi, in line with movies like E.T. Parker is warm and endearing in one of her earlier film roles, as she’s sympathetic to and supportive of David, even going so far as to help him escape the hospital where he’s being held.
4 'State and Main' (2000)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%
In the comedy State and Main by David Mamet, a small New England town is the backdrop for a big-budget movie, bringing chaos along with it. Parker plays the movie’s leading lady, and the star-studded cast also includes William H. Macy, Alec Baldwin, Julia Stiles, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Clark Gregg and Patti LuPone.
State and Main is a satire of the film industry, and similar to the fictional film they’re making, a commentary on morals and how much—or how little—it takes for someone to abandon theirs. Parker is entertaining as an actress suddenly refusing to do a nude scene, just one of a number of issues for the film’s director.
3 'LA Story' (1991)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
In L.A. Story, released in 1991, weatherman Harris starts to receive messages from an electronic sign near his house with suggestions on how he can improve his life, leading him to pursue a relationship with a British journalist. Parker plays the interestingly named aspiring spokesmodel, SanDeE*, Harris has a fling with. L.A. Story was written by and stars Steve Martin and also features a number of memorable star cameos.
L.A. Story is a sweet and funny fantasy romance that’s often called a “love letter to Los Angeles.” It’s also considered one of Martin’s best films, and Parker is great as the fun and bubbly SanDeE*, even if she and Harris aren’t meant to be.
2 'Ed Wood' (1994)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
Directed and produced by Tim Burton and filmed in black and white, Ed Wood is the comedic biography of the titular outcast B-movie director often considered the worst of all time. Ed Wood also stars frequent Burton collaborator Johnny Depp and features Martin Landau as horror icon and Wood’s friend Bela Lugosi.
While Ed Wood could have easily made fun of the director and his reputation for making terrible movies, it’s instead an endearing love letter to cinema and creativity. The movie was praised by critics, and the cast delivers entertaining performances.
1 'A Life Apart: Hasidism in America' (1997)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Parker’s highest-ranked role on Rotten Tomatoes is actually the Emmy-nominated documentary A Life Apart: Hasidism in America, about the traditional Jewish Eastern European religious community. Parker serves as one of the film’s narrators, the other being Leonard Nimoy.
A Life Apart was released in 1997 and was the first documentary to take an in-depth look at the Hasidic community. Although Parker’s voice is immediately recognizable, her narration is not the focus but instead offers insight and context. The documentary was critically acclaimed and has a rare rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
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