Acting in and producing HBO’s “And Just Like That” came with a major job perk for Sarah Jessica Parker: working in close proximity to her New York home.
Parker, a working actor since age 11, spent much of her life chasing a specific definition of success: She’d look for opportunities that would challenge her or advance her career, she said at the 2025 New Yorker Festival on Oct. 26. Now, at age 60 — and with two teenagers at home — Parker accepts roles based on how they’ll fit into her schedule, she said.
“I’m making choices differently than I used to,” said Parker, adding, “As a journeyman, you’re trying to find work [where] you keep learning, you get better. Maybe you get to travel. Hopefully you get paid and you get to work with really interesting people … but now … I’m much more thoughtful in smaller ways about how I’ll be spending my time.”
Before taking a role, Parker said, she now asks herself: “What is going to take me away from my daughters right now? How will I be spending my days? How far I be from home? What am I missing? What commitments have I made?”
DON’T MISS: How to change careers and be happier at work
Plenty of people’s definitions of career success change as they age. Perhaps you’re not as fulfilled by the type of work you do as you used to be, or if you’re lucky, you’ve made enough money to no longer solely prioritize chasing wealth. Maybe the dream job you had in your early 20s isn’t attainable anymore, and you need to change your long-term goals accordingly.
Having a flexible definition of career success is good advice for workers in any field, some experts say. Pursuing jobs that make you happy and intellectually fulfilled, regardless of whether they adhere to your current industry’s career ladder, can often make you more long-term successful, leadership expert Simon Sinek said on his “A Bit of Optimism” podcast, in a Sept. 2 episode.
“The whole idea of, ‘I’m going to get behind,’ suggests that you’re in a race towards something, which means there’s a finish line and that’s what you’re looking forward to the most,” said Sinek. “And that is completely wrong.”
For Parker, picking acting jobs close to home is just one factor in balancing her home life, hobbies and career, she said. Beyond acting, Parker has a wine label in partnership with a company called Invivo, is judging the 2025 Booker Prize contest and works with the States Project, an advocacy group focused on advancing Democrat issues and candidates at the state level.
When her children — a 23-year-old and two 16-year-olds — were younger, Parker had enough money to afford childcare that allowed her to work and dedicate time to non-acting projects, she said. Not everyone enjoys such a luxury, she noted.
“I know how I get to [do so many things], because I have the kind of support I need,” said Parker, adding: “The thing that surprises me most is all the women and men and parents who are holding down two and three jobs in our city, across our country, who don’t have the kind of support I have, who are really just managing every single day.”
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