Jada Koren Pinkett Smith (; born
Jada Koren Pinkett; September 18, 1971) is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and businesswoman. She began her career in 1990, when she made a guest appearance in the short-lived
sitcom True Colors. She starred in
A Different World, produced by
Bill Cosby, and she featured opposite
Eddie Murphy in
The Nutty Professor (1996). She starred in
dramatic films such as
Menace II Society (1993) and
Set It Off (1996). She has appeared in more than 20 films in a variety of genres, including
Scream 2,
Ali,
The Matrix Reloaded,
The Matrix Revolutions,
Madagascar, , and
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted.