Jada Pinkett Smith

JADA PINKETT SMITH recently starred as Christina Hawthorne in TNT’s medical drama “Hawthorne.” In the role of Chief Nursing Officer at James River Hospital, Christina is forced to juggle the roles and subsequent relationships that are demanded of her as a professional, mother, friend and love interest. Jada notably served as Executive Producer on the show through Overbrook Entertainment following her initial foray into the role of Executive Producer on the 2008 movie “The Secret Life of Bees” (based on the bestselling novel by author Sue Monk Kidd).

“The Secret Life of Bees” starring Alicia Keys, Queen Latifah and Dakota Fanning captured hearts and went on to win two NAACP Image Awards along with two People’s Choice Awards. Most recently, Jada produced the global blockbuster “The Karate Kid” in 2010 starring her son Jaden Smith. Beyond the mediums of film and TV, Jada together with her husband Will Smith and record industry mogul Jay-Z, produced the 3 time Tony Award winning musical “Fela’” which went on to premiere in London at the National Theatre in November 2010.

As an actress, Jada is perhaps best known for taking-charge in the hugely successful sequels “Matrix Reloaded” and “Matrix Revolutions.” In the past, Jada has played pivotal roles opposite Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx in Michael Mann’s “Collateral,” as well as alongside Meg Ryan and Annette Bening in the remake of “The Women,” from writer-director Diane English. Jada also teamed up with Adam Sandler and Don Cheadle in “Reign Over Me” for Columbia Pictures. Jada’s past film work includes voicing the role of Gloria in “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” and later this year which she will return to record the sequel in which her daughter Willow Smith will also be featured.

Jada is an avid writer and her 2005 children’s book, “Girls Hold Up This World,” became a New York Times bestseller and continues to inspire girls all across the globe. A native of Maryland, Jada studied dance and acting at the Baltimore School of Arts and the North Carolina School of the Arts. Her big break came when she landed a role on the long-running NBC series “A Different World.”