SARAH JESSICA PARKER

What a girl-woman she is....

Here she is as "Frances" in her new Home Box Office series, "Divorce."

She looks pensive, as if she's remembering other times, happier times in her life. The reviews for this series have been fairly good -- not great. Critics and audience wonder where "Frances" is heading -- for reconciliation with her husband, or mending her marriage, or love affairs? Since Sarah Jessica is the star and the producer, she will undoubtedly find actions and events that will be poignant, riveting, occasionally even shocking, as well as humorous -- S.J.P has, I think, a  very strong instinct for real drama. 

As "Carrie" in "Sex in the City," she changed the vision and dreams of millions of women as well as men -- brought laughter, reality, and down-to-earth honesty. She amazed us with her truthfulness.

Over the years, I have wondered how playing Carrie affected the real Sarah Jessica in her own life. I sense, from knowing my husband, actor John Cullum, that she was doing  her job -- creating, shaping, finding truth by digging into what was written in the script,  and making it real -- not playing herself, just working.

Just working?  Yes, revealing passions, anger, tenderness, fear, curiosity, as well as lusts of an invented woman -- not Sarah Jessica Parker or Mrs. Matthew Broderick -- just finding how the invented Carrie felt.

What is the difference between Sarah Jessica Parker and the always fascinating Jennifer Aniston?  I think we get a "there's the Star" feeling with Aniston. We feel that what Jennifer conveys is very real, but also, it's always Aniston. (With Meryl Streep, I forget it's Meryl, and am in the moment that's happening happening before my eyes.)

Yes, when Sarah Jessica Parker is playing a role, her name fades and we are focused on the person she's playing. She's a very special, unique, superb actress. With her in the driver's seat, I'm sure that "Divorce" will evolve into a fascinating show.

I still remember the first time I saw Sarah Jessica. I fell in love with her as "SanDeE" in Steve Martin's "La Story" -- at age twenty-five, she was utterly charming, fun, and unpredictably inventive. Searching for a video, and came across these photos.

Here's the only clip I could locate and embed here, so that you can see why I love actress Sarah Jessica Parker.