Sarah Jessica Parker on taking on new roles despite making less money
Sarah Jessica Parker could be the perfect person to receive the Carol Burnett Award from the Golden Globes, despite feeling “unworthy” of the honor.
“My mother and my father met at a local production of ‘Once Upon a Mattress’ in Athens, Ohio. He walked into the audition theater where they were auditioning, and she was standing on stage, and he told us he thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen,” says Parker. “And that’s what we grew up with.”
Burnett made her Broadway debut in “Once Upon a Mattress,” portraying Princess Winnifred, which earned her a Tony nomination.
But the connection doesn’t stop there; in 1996, when the Broadway show was revived, Parker took on the role of Princess Winnifred – the role of Burnett. And the legendary comedian came to the show.
“She was so kind and friendly,” Parker recalls. “She has played a significant role in my life, so it is a sincere, great honor to try to do the right thing by receiving this recognition.”
Parker, best known for her roles as Carrie Bradshaw in “Sex and the City” and “And Just Like That…”, feels “privileged” for every role she’s ever played — especially the ones that allow her to flex several muscles.
“’Square Pegs’ was a very special experience, and obviously a wonderfully different character than Carrie Bradshaw,” she says of the 1982 CBS sitcom, which she co-led with Amy Linker. “I’ve made a lot of films that feel like they’re part of me, learning and trying to be better and keep up with people around me who I thought were spectacular artists and craftsmen in many ways. Working with Steve Martin taught me a lot about physical comedy, and making a few films with Bette Midler taught me to be absurd, broad and wonderfully ridiculous – to tackle things with enthusiasm.”
Like many who receive honors, Parker credits most of her success to those around her, enjoying all that others have to offer and always giving 100% effort.
“It’s a wonderful thing: always actively wanting to be good,” she says. “It’s about how after so many years you still care, even though it’s exhausting and sometimes frustrating, that you still feel so affected by what you think wasn’t good enough. For me, this has probably been the best way for me to function as a professional.”
HBO
At this point in her career, she is focused on taking on a new challenge.
“What doesn’t feel like I’ve already said those lines, or been that person, or been in that city, or worn that pair of shoes. It’s easiest to do what’s most familiar; it’s often the most lucrative to do. But it’s increasingly the case, the thing that’s the least satisfying and certainly doesn’t ask enough of me,” she says. “I think at this point in my life and career it is my duty to try to always be afraid, to always feel that it is very possible that I won’t be able to do it, and that it is very possible that I will be fired.”
While she admits it’s not fun to have these kinds of anxious feelings, it’s not exciting to take on the same roles repeatedly — “and I say I’ve played someone for a long time, but she always had new experiences,” Parker says of Carrie, which she played in two HBO series and two theatrical films. “There was always so much that was unexpected and surprising, and it was much more like a human life with a good pulse.”
