Jada Koren Pinkett Smith (/ˈdʒeɪdə ˈpɪŋkɪt/) (née Pinkett; born September 18, 1971) is an American actress, screenwriter, producer, talk show host, businesswoman, and an occasional singer-songwriter.
She began her acting career in 1990, with a guest appearance on the short-lived sitcom True Colors, and subsequently starred in the television series A Different World (1991–1993). She made her feature film debut in Menace II Society (1993). Her breakthrough came opposite Eddie Murphy in The Nutty Professor (1996), and she has since starred in more than 20 feature films, including Set It Off (1996), Scream 2 (1997), Ali (2001), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), The Matrix Revolutions (2003), Collateral (2004), the Madagascar films (2005–2012), Magic Mike XXL (2015), Bad Moms (2016), Girls Trip (2017), and Angel Has Fallen (2019). On television, she has starred in Hawthorne (2009–2011) and Gotham (2014–2016).
Pinkett Smith launched her music career in 2002, when she helped create the heavy metal band Wicked Wisdom, for which she was a singer and songwriter. Along with her husband Will Smith, she has a production company, and has had producing credits in films, documentaries, and television series. She also wrote a children's book, Girls Hold Up This World, which was published in 2004.
Jada has been married to Will Smith since 1997, with whom she has two children: son Jaden and daughter Willow. Through their marriage, she is also stepmother to Smith's son from his first marriage, Trey Smith.
Last Updated: June 9, 2021
