Sarah Jessica Parker: Playing the Edge

Sarah Jessica Parker, best known for her role as Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the City, was born in Ohio and grew-up with her mother and stepfather and seven siblings. She is the fourth born and second daughter.

Although the family is claimed to have struggled financially, Parker was trained in singing and ballet as a youngster and began acting by age eight . . . a feat not easily accomplished without some resource. Nevertheless, the more intriguing “deficiency” in Parker’s life relates to her reputation. Remarkably, Sarah Jessica Parker has remained scandal-free for over 35 years!

And how has she achieved such a satisfying outcome? As one might imagine, Parker’s earliest memories give us the inside story.

In memory #1, Parker recalls a time when she tries to be someone else (a man), and she gets hurt. She remembers attempting to use a straight razor (a manly man’s cutting edge), thinking the idea of shaving is “cool.” Perhaps she is imitating her father or her step-father-to-be, but regrettably, she “slit[s]" her face open.

“I was always in trouble,” she laments. In other words, when I forget my place as a woman and start imagining I am above it all (a man: someone I am not), I lose face.

In memory #2, we find Parker needing a rescue, lest she be “snowed” by her own circumstances. How often do we see young actors mesmerized by their own celebrity? Likewise, Parker remembers being “disoriented while in a snow tunnel built by my brothers and sister (her contemporaries; i.e., the modern world).” Her mother pulls her out, thereby bringing her back to reality.

And today isn’t it apparent that Parker is not easily “snowed” by rave reviews or others’ opinions of who she is or what she “should “do? She seems to keep her own wise counsel.

And via memory #3, Parker imagines a straightforward warning. Just as her mother is taking a knife away from her, Parker utters her first word: dangerous . . . as if to say: “Watch out! At any moment, I can get cut up or cut out!”

And furthermore. . . “I best not make a wrong move or say the wrong thing, lest I be excised out of my own life, or my career, as I want it to be.”

You may notice that Parker’s self-induced caution is evidenced during on-camera interviews. She often seems to be mentally rehearsing every word before answering, as if fearing she will misspeak.

In fact, in all three memories, Parker recalls a near miss and some degree of pain or disappointment. And to what end? The answer is clear: To make and keep life good, Parker plays the edge – as remembered by the razor’s edge lest she lose face; nature’s edge lest she “get snowed;” and the knife’s edge, lest she find herself cut up in the press or cut out of a career or the next best deal.

And finally, when it comes to entertainment, we know that talent is time-sensitive and fragile, a precious commodity that must be well managed to stay electrifying and in demand. In Parker’s case, this is particularly true. Unlike certain actors and entertainers said to have a “deep bench” – meaning broad talent and innumerable "assets," promising a long and varied career . . . such is not the guarantee for Parker.

Although sexy, classy, and clever, Parker is not a Nicole Kidman or Merle Streep, for example. She is, as some would say, “thin on the bench,” and thus her unique and most nuanced skills must be carefully and cleverly considered.

Simply stated . . . if not for playing the edge, Sarah Jessica Parker becomes just another actor; but by playing the edge, Parker at 43 is able to produce and star in one of the most anticipated and, ultimately, successful movies of the year, while other more beautiful and more gifted actors are still looking for work.

So. . . you bet Parker takes chances, but she's smart about it. She accepted the role as Carrie, but demanded a no-nudity clause. She knows she is a respected fashion icon but chose to wear a really unflattering hat to the London premier of Sex and the City.

Paradoxically, Parker’s edgy hat lifted her above the other actors at the premiere, proving once again she knows how to use her head. Although the shortest performer appearing on the red carpet that evening, she seemed the tallest and over time will remain the brand's most memorable.