JADA PINKETT SMITH (Annie) is a versatile young actress whose film career has been on the fast track since her debut in “Menace II Society.” She most recently starred in “The Matrix Reloaded” and “The Matrix Revolutions,” the back-to-back hit sequels to the original blockbuster, “The Matrix.” She earned an Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for her work in the latter sequel.
Pinkett Smith had previously worked with “Collateral” director Michael Mann when she co-starred opposite her real-life husband, Will Smith, in the biopic “Ali.” She received an Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for her performance as the boxing champion’s first wife, Sonji. She had earlier been recognized with an Image Award nomination in the category of Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for her work in “Bamboozled,” for director Spike Lee.
In 1996, she earned dual Image Award nominations: for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for her work in “Set it Off,” in which she starred with Queen Latifah and Vivica A. Fox; and for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie for the acclaimed drama “If These Walls Could Talk.” That same year, she received praise for holding her own against Eddie Murphy when she starred in Tom Shadyac’s smash hit comedy “The Nutty Professor.”
A native of Maryland, Pinkett Smith studied dance and acting at the Baltimore School of Arts and the North Carolina School of the Arts. Her big break came in 1991 when she landed a regular role on the long-running NBC series “A Different World.” After two seasons on the show, she made her feature film debut in 1993’s acclaimed urban drama “Menace II Society,” which also marked the directorial debut of Allen and Albert Hughes.
The following year, Pinkett Smith starred in three feature films: “The Inkwell,” Doug McHenry’s “Jason’s Lyric,” and Keenan Ivory Wayan’s comedy “A Low Down Dirty Shame.” Her additional film credits include the horror film “Demon Night,” Wes Craven’s hit horror film spoof “Scream 2,” the title role in the independent film “Woo,” and the comedy “Kingdom Come,” with LL Cool J and Whoopi Goldberg, which reunited her with Doug McHenry. Pinkett Smith also had a cameo role as a young journalist in the harrowing drama “Return to Paradise,” starring Vince Vaughn, Anne Heche and Joaquin Phoenix.
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