Actress Sarah Jessica Parker was announced as Northwestern’s Class of 2026 commencement speaker, according to a Tuesday University news release. She will address the graduating class June 14 at the United Center in Chicago.
Parker is best known for her role as Carrie Bradshaw in the television series “Sex and the City.” Throughout the franchise’s 27-year run, including six seasons, two movies and three spin-off seasons, she won four Golden Globe Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Emmy Awards. Her role in the show “cemented her presence as a fashion and pop culture icon,” according to the release.
Parker is also known for titles such as the films “Hocus Pocus” and “Hocus Pocus 2,” as well as her work on television and Broadway. An entrepreneur and producer, Parker launched her production company, Pretty Matches Productions, in 2005 and founded her own literary imprint, SJP Lit, in 2023.
“I’m truly honored to have been invited to serve as this year’s commencement speaker,” Parker said in the release. “It’s a privilege to celebrate the graduating class whose years of hard work, dedication to their studies, commitment to one another, their community and the larger world deserve recognition.”
Parker will also receive an honorary degree of Doctor of Arts at the ceremony, according to the release. She was also honored for her contributions to television with the Golden Globe Foundation’s Carol Burnett Award in 2026.
The actress currently serves on the New York City Ballet Board of Directors as a vice chair. In 2009, she was selected by the Obama administration to be a member of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.
“Sarah Jessica Parker has been a strong supporter of the arts and humanities for many years, and I am thrilled she will be our commencement speaker,” interim University President Henry Bienen said in the release. “From starring in and producing film, television and theatre productions to her successful business ventures, Sarah’s iconic and versatile career speaks to the interdisciplinary approach we value and champion at Northwestern.”
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