Janet Hubert

Last updated

Janet Hubert
Born
Janet Louise Hubert

(1956-01-13) January 13, 1956 (age 69)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Education Juilliard School
OccupationActress/Dancer
Years active1980–present
Spouses
James Whitten
(m. 19901994)
Larry Kraft
(m. 2005)
Children1

Janet Louise Hubert (born January 13, 1956) [1] is an American film and television actress and dancer. She is best known for playing the role of the original Vivian Banks on the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from its first season in 1990 until the end of its third season in 1993. Hubert was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in 1991. [2] Her performance as Mignon on the digital series King Ester garnered her first Daytime Emmy Award nomination in 2020. [3]

Contents

Early life

Hubert was born in Chicago, Illinois and spent her early days growing up on Chicago's South Side. [1] At the age of nine she moved with her family to rural Chicago. [1] She won a scholarship to the Juilliard School in New York City, but did not complete her studies. [1]

Career

After performing in the national tour of Dancin' , [4] Hubert made her Broadway debut in 1981, in the ensemble of The First , a short-lived musical about Jackie Robinson. [5] Hubert created the role of Tantomile in the original Broadway production of Cats , and also understudied Grizabella and Demeter. [6] She left Cats in April 1983 to star in the national tour of Sophisticated Ladies , opposite Dee Dee Bridgewater and Gregg Burge. [7] Hubert played Aunt Viv on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air , the role she is most known for. After she was allegedly fired by the makers of The Fresh Prince, Hubert's character was recast and played by Daphne Maxwell Reid for the remainder of the show's run. At the time, Will Smith, the show's star, claimed that Hubert "brought her problems to work." Rumors then speculated that Smith had fired her following her departure. [8] Hubert has since denied this, explaining that she had left the show after being informed that she had two months and a half of remaining on set and that she could not work on another project. Her role as Aunt Viv was subsequently played by actress Daphne Maxwell Reid. [9]

Hubert was featured in a 2002 episode of Friends as Chandler's boss. In 2005, she began playing the recurring role of Lisa Williamson, mother of attorney Evangeline Williamson, on One Life to Live . Her character has made occasional appearances since then. She was featured as Michel Gerard's mother in an episode of the CW show Gilmore Girls . She has made appearances on episodes of All My Children , NYPD Blue , The Bernie Mac Show , and Tyler Perry's House of Payne , among others. In November 2018, it was announced that Hubert had been cast on the daytime soap opera, General Hospital ; she made her debut as Yvonne on December 7, 2018. [10] [11]

Hubert appeared in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion on HBO Max in November 2020. During the special, she and Smith spoke for the first time since her departure from the show. Hubert discussed issues regarding her personal life, which included domestic violence, and revealed she had not been fired from the show as largely believed. Smith admitted that he was neither "sensitive" nor "perceptive" to Hubert's situation and attributed his behavior to being "very young" and "immature" at the time. He has insisted that being a parent has taught him how to understand what she was dealing with and apologized for his actions. Hubert then joined the rest of the guests at the reunion. [12] [13]

Hubert appeared on FX's Pose in season 3 as a family member of Billy Porter's character, Pray Tell, alongside Jackée Harry and Anna Maria Horsford. [14] In 2022, she appeared on The Ms. Pat Show as the title character's mother-in-law, Jewell. [15]

Personal life

In 1990, Hubert married James Whitten, who was verbally and physically abusive towards her until their split in 1994. From this marriage, she gave birth to a boy, Elijah Isaac Whitten. Hubert has been married to Larry Kraft since 2005.

She suffers from osteoporosis and is the ambassador of the National Osteoporosis Foundation. [16]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1985Agent on IceLola
1994New EdenAshtarteTV movie
1995 White Man's Burden Dinner Guest
1999California MythLysistrata
2001 30 Years to Life Joy's Mom
2004 Proud Larry's Mother
Christmas at Water's Edge Mrs. TurnerTV movie
NeuroticaThe Neighbor
2013MomJudy Curtains
2015 No Letting Go Dr. Stacey Slater
2016Not Another Black MovieAunt Gloria
2019Christmas BellesWhitleyTV movie
2020JG and the BC KidsNarrator/Blackbird/Stanley Leroy
2022 Single Black Female DeniseTV movie
FeverGraceShort
Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story Aunt Duke
2023 The Perfect Find Monica
2024SnatchedCarolyn

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1988 Hunter Vanessa RileyEpisode: "The Fourth Man"
21 Jump Street Councilwoman TraversEpisode: "Fun with Animals"
1989 Hooperman Loretta ToddEpisode: "Look Homeward, Dirtbag"
A Man Called Hawk SeritaEpisode: "Poison"
One Life to Live MiriamEpisode: "Episode #1.5370"
1990 Tales from the Crypt PsycheEpisode: "Till Death"
1990–93 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Vivian BanksMain Cast: Season 1–3
1992 Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? HerselfEpisode: "She Took the Notes Right of My Mouth"
1992–93 Reasonable Doubts Judge Mary SimsRecurring Cast: Season 2
1993 An Evening at the Improv Herself/HostEpisode: "Janet Hubert, Glenn Super, Mary Anne Kelly, and more!"
1994 Dave's World EliseEpisode: "Shel in Love"
Coach Karen WilliamsEpisode: "Blue Chip Blues"
1995 CBS Schoolbreak Special Elaine BahamEpisode: "What About Your Friends"
1996 The Faculty Annette FreemanEpisode: "Somewhere There's Music"
The Pretender Madam DirectorEpisode: "The Paper Clock"
1997 The Jamie Foxx Show Edwina DuBoisEpisode: "Act Like You Love Me"
Goode Behavior Dr. Pamela FordhamEpisode: "Goode Lovin'"
Lawless Esther HayesEpisode: "Pilot"
1998 NYPD Blue Hiruut KebedeEpisode: "Weaver of Hate"
1999 All My Children Alice DawsonEpisode: "20 May 1999"
2001–02 The Job Adina PhillipsRecurring Cast
2002 Weakest Link HerselfEpisode: "TV Moms Edition"
Gilmore Girls Gisele GerardEpisode: "Back in the Saddle Again"
Friends Ms. McKennaEpisode: "The One Where Emma Cries"
2003–04 The Bernie Mac Show LeoraGuest Cast: Season 2–3
2005–10 One Life to Live Lisa WilliamsonRegular Cast
2007 E! True Hollywood Story HerselfEpisode: "Will Smith"
2010Life AfterHerselfEpisode: "Janet Hubert"
2011 Tyler Perry's House of Payne EvelynEpisode: "A Mother's Payne"
2016–17 If Loving You Is Wrong DianeRecurring Cast: Season 2
2018–20 General Hospital Yvonne Godfrey Regular Cast
202054 Below PremieresHerselfEpisode: "Norm Lewis: Christmastime Is Here!"
2021 Pose LatriceEpisode: "Take Me to Church"
Love Life Donna WatkinsRecurring Cast: Season 2
The Last O.G. Miss May MillerRecurring Cast: Season 4
2022 New Amsterdam Dr. PalpaEpisode: "Two Doors"
2022–24 The Ms. Pat Show Jewell CarsonGuest: Season 2, Recurring Cast: Season 4
2023 Sweet Magnolias Bev DecaturEpisode: "Someone I'm Longing to See"
My Dad the Bounty Hunter Empress Gurira (voice)Recurring Cast: Season 2

Music videos

YearArtistSongRole
1986 Sylvester "Someone Like You"Dancer

Stage

Year(s)TitleRole(s)Notes
1980 Dancin' Performer [17]
1981 The First Passenger/Opal/fan [18]
1982 Cats Tantomile [19]
1983 Sophisticated Ladies Performer [20] [21]
1984Sleeping BeautyCarameen [22]
2002CrownsWanda [23]

Video games

YearTitleRoleNotes
2013 Grand Theft Auto V Denise Clinton

Awards

YearNominee/workAwardCategoryResult
1991 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated
2014 Grand Theft Auto V Behind the Voice Actors AwardBest Vocal Ensemble in a Video Game
2020King Ester Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Digital Drama Series

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Janet Hubert Biography". Biography. Archived from the original on 31 March 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  2. "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - Series - Awards - TV Tango". www.tvtango.com.
  3. Hipes, Patrick (21 May 2020). "Daytime Emmy Nominations: 'General Hospital', 'Sesame Street', 'The View' Top List; CBS, Amazon Prime Lead Networks". Deadline. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  4. "Dancin' – Broadway Musical – 1980-1983 Tour | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  5. The Broadway League. "The First – Broadway Musical – Original | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  6. "Cats". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 2012-11-12.
  7. "Sophisticated Ladies – Broadway Musical – 1983-1983 Tour | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  8. "Smith, Whitten Feud Over Her 'Fresh Prince' Exit", Jet, Johnson Publishing Company, p. 59, 30 August 1993, ISSN   0021-5996
  9. "Janet Hubert Revealed She Was Pregnant & In An Abusive Relationship During Her 'Fresh Prince' Exit". 19 November 2020. Retrieved 2024-12-17.
  10. Rice, Lynette (November 18, 2018). "General Hospital casts Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actress Janet Hubert". Entertainment Weekly . United States: Time Inc. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
  11. SOD (November 18, 2018). "GH Taps Fresh Prince Alum". Soap Opera Digest . United States: American Media, Inc. Odyssey Magazine Publishing Group Inc. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
  12. Harris, Aisha (19 November 2020). "Let's Talk About That Reconciliation During The 'Fresh Prince' Reunion Special". National Public Radio. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  13. Neal, Savannah (19 November 2020). "Will Smith 'so happy' to settle decades-long feud with Janet Hubert in 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' reunion". WBBM Newsradio 780. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  14. Jones, Monique. "'Pose' Enlists Icons Jackée Harry, Janet Hubert And Anna Maria Horsford As Pray Tell's Family". Shadow and Act. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  15. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15868820/?ref_=ttep_ep5 [ user-generated source ]
  16. McCann, Bob (2010). Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television. McFarland & Company. p. 170. ISBN   9780786437900.
  17. "Dancin' – Broadway Musical – 1980-1983 Tour | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  18. "The First Broadway @ Martin Beck Theatre - Tickets and Discounts". Playbill. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  19. "Janet Hubert". Playbill. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  20. "Sophisticated Ladies – Broadway Musical – 1983-1983 Tour | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  21. Sophisticated Ladies in Japan - sophisticated lady (1983), 8 March 2020, archived from the original on 2021-12-22, retrieved 2021-02-11
  22. "1984_0815 Yawns in the New Sleeping Beauty". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 1984-08-15. p. 24. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  23. Weber, Bruce (2002-12-04). "THEATER REVIEW; Using Hats Seriously But in Fun (Published 2002)". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-02-11.