One of eight children who grew up outside Cincinnati, Sarah Jessica Parker began acting at age eight in local productions and eventually found her way to Broadway. By age 12, she was starring in Annie as everyone’s favorite orphan. She then found steady work as a character actress in films while appearing on Broadway in shows like How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying.
That musical brought her together with the man who would become her husband, actor Matthew Broderick. The two stars wed in 1997 and have carved out a cozy home life in New York City’s chic Greenwich Village neighborhood, with their three-year-old son, James Wilkie.
Sarah Jessica, 41, relishes her role as a mum and lights up when she speaks of her little boy. Since Sex And The City ended its run in 2004, Sarah Jessica has made a successful return to the big screen. She got strong reviews for her performance as an uptight businesswoman in last winter’s The Family Stone, then charmed audiences as the woman pushing Matthew McConaughey out of home in the hit romantic comedy Failure to Launch. She has also created her own signature fragrance. Sarah Jessica’s perfume, which is a best seller, bears a name that easily sums her up ? Lovely.
Your marriage to Matthew came under intense scrutiny after you won a Golden Globe award a few years ago and you forgot to thank him in your acceptance speech.
And just like that, according to the tabloids, our marriage was over. Meanwhile, Matthew couldn’t have cared less. Never mind the fact that he didn’t even know about it, because he was working … or that Matthew, by the way, had won some awards in the past and hadn’t mentioned me. For some reason, that was acceptable. But for me to not thank him! Well, clearly, that made me a bitch, and also, clearly, a woman can’t achieve anything without a man. And when Matthew was confronted outside our home by photographers shouting, “Is your marriage over?” he actually said, “Why would Sarah Jessica thank me for work she did with 200 other people?” Of course, nobody ever printed that, and the controversy just carried on. But here’s what I say about it today: “Come back and check with me in 25 years and see who I’m married to. It will still be him.”
During your courtship, you didn’t hide the fact that you’d hoped Matthew would ask you to marry him.
Okay, here’s what happened: I went on David Letterman’s show and Dave said, “So you’re dating Matthew Broderick. What’s he like?” I said, “He’s fantastic. He’d be perfect if he’d ask me to marry him.” I was joking! But then, after that, I was seen as this wanton, desperate woman who was plotting and planning. I must have seemed like an old maid.
How did you ultimately get him to commit?
I gave him an ultimatum. No! I’m kidding! He did it in his own time, in his own way. And it was wonderful.
Having gown up without much money are you frugal now? How does your wealth affect you?
Well, I rarely splurge. But last year at Christmas time, I went shopping for myself. I can’t remember the last time I did that. When I was doing Sex and the City, I just lived off the leftovers. But now I find myself actually needing clothes. So I went shopping, and it was fantastic! So much fun.
You don’t feel guilty about that little spree, do you?
No. But it’s funny because in the old days, like ten years ago when I would go shopping, I used to get a stomachache afterward. I would have such intense guilt. I would tell the salesperson beforehand, “Listen, I’ll probably see you tomorrow because I’m going to bring all this back.” They never believed me, but sure enough I would go back the next day and say “I couldn’t sleep.” After this recent spree, though, I slept fine. I guess that proves I really believe I’ve made it.
How do you make sure your son James doesn’t turn out to be spoiled?
We’re very sensitive to anything that would make him feel like a child of affluence. We remind him of certain things, and we don’t want him to make assumptions. I don’t want him to assume he can have everything he wants or treat people a certain way and get away with it.
You’ve worked so much since James was born. Do you feel you get to spend enough time with him?
No. I mean, he’s with me all the time ? he’s been with me every day on the set of the last two films I’ve done ? and I think he feels very loved and safe. He knows how deeply we feel about him. But it’s time for me to take a break. I would like not to work for at least four months. And I realise how lucky I am to have that option.
Any naughty foods that you ought to avoid but can’t?
Oh, I love to eat. I think about food all the time. Matthew and I will lie in bed at night, and we’ll say to each other, ‘What are we going to eat for breakfast? If you get up before me, are you going to make bacon? Will you make the eggs over easy? Will you put cheese in them? Should we have whole toast?’ It’s very sexy.
You do have a very enviable figure.
I want to say something about that, which is that no real woman should look to any woman in this industry as an example. It’s simply not applicable because of the enormous number of advantages we have. Women in this country should be reminded to be healthy rather than to be a size zero. I’m not going to kid you: money changes everything. I’m fortunate enough to have things like a personal trainer and yoga classes. I realise that.
Although Sex And The City is known for raciness, you never did any nudity on the show.
And I basically never cursed either. I don’t curse. And no, I never did nudity. I was always too afraid to take my clothes off! It’s just not something I’m comfortable with.
So clearly you aren’t the party girl that you portrayed on Sex And The City!
No, no! People always assume that I’m some sort of party girl, and that’s such a misconception because I like staying home. People think my husband, Matthew, is this quiet, retiring type, and it’s actually the reverse. I’m at home, and Matthew loves going out to town. I understand why people identify me with Carrie so much ? I was in their homes as Carrie for so long. But while I have great affection for her, I’m not her.
So now that you’re officially a movie star, would you ever return to Broadway, which you love?
I will return to Broadway whenever they will have me. I’ve just finished three movies back-to-back and they were all great. And I will work hard to be worthy of more such opportunities. The past 20 years have been like a dream and I’ll do whatever I can to make sure it doesn’t end.
For more of this interview, see this week’s issue of Woman’s Day ? Sarah Jessica Parker reveals the truth about her beauty ideals, marriage and her rules for raising her son.
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