Jada Pinkett Smith

Infobox Actor
name = Jada Pinkett Smith


caption = Jada Pinkett Smith in 2001.
birthname = Jada Koren Pinkett
birthdate = birth date and age|1971|9|18
birthplace = Baltimore, Maryland
United States
othername = Jada Koren
occupation = Film actor, singer-songwriter
yearsactive = Film actor: 1990–present
Musician: 2003–present
spouse = Will Smith (1997–present)
website = http://www.jadapinkettsmith.com

Jada Koren Pinkett Smith (born Jada Koren Pinkett on September 18, 1971cite web|title=Jada Pinkett Smith - Biography|url=http://tv.msn.com/celebs/celeb.aspx?c=161371&mp=b|accessdate=2008-10-02 "MSN"] ) is an American actor, probably best known for her roles in films such as "Ali", "The Matrix Reloaded" and "The Matrix Revolutions". She is also a hard rock/metal singer-songwriter, known for her work with the band Wicked Wisdom and has been married to actor/rapper Will Smith since 1997.

Biography

Early life

Pinkett Smith was born in Baltimore, Maryland to Adrienne Banfield-Jones (née Banfield), the head nurse of an inner-city clinic in Baltimore, and Robsol Pinkett, Jr., who runs a construction company. Banfield-Jones became pregnant with Pinkett Smith when she was in high school.cite web|title=Jada Pinkett Smith bio: Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa Actor|url=http://www.tribute.ca/people/Jada+Pinkett+Smith/5843/15431|accessdate=2008-10-03 "Tribute.ca"] Her parents divorced after only a few months of marriage and her mother has since re-married.

Pinkett Smith majored in theatre at the Baltimore School for the Arts, graduating in 1989.cite web|last=Concepcion|first=Mariel|title=Jada Pinkett Smith Donates $1 Million to Arts School|date=2006-12-12|url=http://www.vibe.com/news/news_headlines/2006/12/jada_pinkett_smith_donates_1million_to_arts_school/|accessdate=2008-10-03 "VIBE"] She then attended the North Carolina School of the Arts, but dropped out after a year to move to Los Angeles and pursue her career in acting.cite web|title=Jada Pinkett-Smith Biography|url=http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800347522/bio|accessdate=2008-10-03 "Yahoo!"] Pinkett Smith is an honorary member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority,cite web|title=Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc. - Membership|url=http://www.aka1908.com/present/membership/|accessdate=2008-10-03 "Alpha Kappa Alpha"] the first Greek-lettered sorority established and incorporated by African American women.

Acting career

Shortly after arriving in Los Angeles, Pinkett Smith's first step toward furthering her acting career was applying for the choreographer position for the television series "In Living Color", a show created by actor Keenan Ivory Wayans. Although she failed to get the job, Wayans helped her find an acting agent and the two became close friends.

Pinkett Smith began her acting career in 1991 when she was cast as college freshman Lena James on the NBC television sitcom "A Different World". She made her feature film debut two years later in the drama film "Menace II Society" and was cast in Wayans' 1994 action/comedy "A Low Down Dirty Shame".

It wasn't until 1996 that Pinkett Smith's career began to flourish, with starring roles in the drama "Set It Off" and the remake of "The Nutty Professor". The following year, she possessed a minor part in the opening scene of the horror film "Scream 2". She continued her career, starring in films such as "Ali", "The Matrix Reloaded", "The Matrix Revolutions", and "Collateral", and provided her voice for the animated film "Madagascar" and its sequel, "".

Pinkett Smith has recently completed her directorial debut, "The Human Contract", which she also wrote. The film stars Paz Vega and Idris Elba and debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2008.cite web|last=Swart|first=Sharon|title='Contract' players play Cannes|date=2008-05-18|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117986025.html?categoryid=38&cs=1&query=the+human+contract|accessdate=2008-10-04 "Variety"] She has also completed the film "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa", which will be released on November 7, 2008.

Music career

In addition to being in front of the camera, she has spent time behind it; directing music videos.

Pinkett Smith is the vocalist for the metal band Wicked Wisdom, which released a self-titled debut album on February 21, 2006. The band also toured Ozzfest in the summer of 2005 as part of the second stage lineup. In 2006 the band played the Download Festival in Castle Donington, UK as one of the first bands on the Friday. [ [http://2006.downloadfestival.co.uk/lineup/index.asp Download Festival 2006 lineup] ]

In 2004, Pinkett Smith appeared in a video for Britney Spears' The Onyx Hotel Tour. She appears mysteriously from nowhere and Britney starts to follow her. Her only words were: "Wanna Join Me?" Said to Spears when she blows a brick wall away, looks back and reaches out for Britney. She (Britney) then grabs her hand and a bright light shoots out from the doors of the club.

Personal life

Pinkett Smith married rapper/actor Will Smith on December 31, 1997, and together they have a son, Jaden Christopher Syre Smith (b. July 8, 1998); and a daughter, Willow Camille Reign Smith (b. October 31, 2000). The two met when Pinkett auditioned for Lisa Wilkes in the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. She is also a stepmother to Smith's son from a former marriage with Sheree Zampino, named Willard Christopher Smith III. Jada Pinkett Smith co-founded the Will and Jada Foundation with her husband Will Smith. The foundation gives money towards youth educational projects and helps deprived children from inner cities and their families.

During her attendance at the Baltimore School for the Arts, Pinkett Smith met classmate Tupac Shakur with whom she developed a close friendship. In the documentary "", Shakur says, "Jada is my heart and soul. She will be my friend for my whole life." Also in this documentary, Pinkett Smith calls Shakur "one of my best friends. He was like a brother. It was beyond friendship for us. The type of relationship we had, you only get that once in a lifetime." The two remained close friends until Shakur's death in 1996. In December 2006, Jada donated $1 million to the Baltimore School for the Arts, in memory of Shakur.

She has also created "Maja," a line of women's T-shirts and dresses that are mostly sold through small catalogs, and is a major investor in the black female-owned cosmetics business, Carol's Daughter.

Awards and nominations

*Black Reel Awards
**2005, Best Supporting Actress: Collateral (Nominated)
**2001, Best Actress: Bamboozled (Nominated)

*Image Awards
**2005, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Collateral (Nominated)
**2004, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: (Nominated)
**2002, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Ali (Nominated)
**2001, Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: Bamboozled (Nominated)
**1997, Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: Set It Off (Nominated)
**1997, Outstanding Actress in a Mini-Series/Television Movie: If These Walls Could Talk (Nominated)

Filmography

Films

Television appearances

*"Time Heals" (TV 2008) also serves as executive producer

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0000586|name=Jada Pinkett Smith
* [http://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/81-jada-pinkett-smith Jada Pinkett Smith's charity work]
* [http://www.jadapinkettsmith.com/ Official Website of Jada Pinkett Smith]