Editing Janet Hubert

{{short description|American film and television actress}}
{{pp-blp|small=yes}}
{{Unreliable sources|date=January 2012}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Janet Hubert
| image              = 
| birth_name         = Janet Louise Hubert
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1956|1|13}}
| birth_place        = [[Chicago]], Illinois, U.S.
| death_date         = 
| education          = [[Juilliard School]]
| death_place        = 
| yearsactive        = 1980–present
| spouse             = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|James Whitten|1990|1994}}
* {{marriage|Larry Kraft|2005}}
}}
| children           = 1
| occupation         = Actress/Dancer
}}

'''Janet Louise Hubert''' (born January 13, 1956)<ref name="biography">{{cite web|title=Janet Hubert Biography|url=http://www.biography.com/people/janet-hubert-222403|website=Biography|access-date=30 March 2017|archive-date=31 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170331024723/http://www.biography.com/people/janet-hubert-222403|url-status=dead}}</ref> is an [[Americans|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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tvtango.com/asc/fresh_prince_of_bel_air/awards/sort/yearAward?filters%5Byearaward%5D=&filters%5Bnomorwin%5D=nominee&filters%5Bperson%5D=&filters%5Bawardname%5D=NAACP+Image+Award&commit=|title=The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - Series - Awards - TV Tango|website=www.tvtango.com}}</ref> Her performance as Mignon on the digital series ''King Ester'' garnered her first [[Daytime Emmy Award]] nomination in 2020.<ref>{{cite web|title=Daytime Emmy Nominations: 'General Hospital', 'Sesame Street', 'The View' Top List; CBS, Amazon Prime Lead Networks|last=Hipes|first=Patrick|url=https://deadline.com/2020/05/daytime-emmy-nominations-2020-list-of-nomineesospital-sesame-street-the-view-top-list-cbs-amazon-prime-lead-networks-1202940564/|website=Deadline|date=21 May 2020 |access-date=29 July 2020}}</ref>

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

==Career==
After performing in the national tour of ''[[Dancin']]'',<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dancin' – Broadway Musical – 1980-1983 Tour {{!}} IBDB|url=https://www.ibdb.com/tour-production/dancin-521450|access-date=2020-11-22|website=www.ibdb.com}}</ref> Hubert made her Broadway debut in 1981, in the ensemble of ''[[The First (musical)|The First]]'', a short-lived musical about [[Jackie Robinson]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=The Broadway League|title=The First – Broadway Musical – Original {{!}} IBDB|url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/the-first-4145|access-date=2020-11-22|website=www.ibdb.com|language=en}}</ref> Hubert created the role of Tantomile in the original [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] production of ''[[Cats (Musical)|Cats]]'', and also understudied Grizabella and Demeter.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?id=79358|title=Cats|publisher=Internet Broadway Database|access-date=2012-11-12}}</ref> She left ''Cats'' in April 1983 to star in the national tour of ''[[Sophisticated Ladies]]'', opposite [[Dee Dee Bridgewater]] and [[Gregg Burge]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sophisticated Ladies – Broadway Musical – 1983-1983 Tour {{!}} IBDB|url=https://www.ibdb.com/tour-production/sophisticated-ladies-529978|access-date=2020-11-22|website=www.ibdb.com}}</ref> 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.<ref name="jet">{{citation|title=Smith, Whitten Feud Over Her 'Fresh Prince' Exit|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OMEDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA59|date=30 August 1993|work=Jet|page=59|publisher = Johnson Publishing Company|issn=0021-5996}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Janet Hubert Revealed She Was Pregnant & In An Abusive Relationship During Her 'Fresh Prince' Exit |url=https://www.hot97.com/news/janet-hubert-revealed-she-was-pregnant-in-an-abusive-relationship-during-her-fresh-prince-exit/ |access-date=2024-12-17 }}</ref>

Hubert was featured in a 2002 episode of ''[[Friends]]'' as [[Chandler Bing|Chandler]]'s boss. In 2005, she began playing the recurring role of [[Lisa Williamson (One Life to Live)|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.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Rice |first=Lynette |title=''General Hospital'' casts ''Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' actress Janet Hubert |url=https://ew.com/tv/2018/11/18/general-hospital-casts-janet-hubert-fresh-prince-of-bel-air/ |access-date=November 18, 2018 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |publisher=[[Time Inc.]] |date=November 18, 2018 |location=United States }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=SOD |author-link=Soap Opera Digest |title=GH Taps ''Fresh Prince'' Alum |url=https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/gh-taps-fresh-prince-alum/ |access-date=November 18, 2018 |work=[[Soap Opera Digest]] |agency=Odyssey Magazine Publishing Group Inc. |publisher=[[American Media, Inc.]] |date=November 18, 2018 |location=United States }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Harris |first1=Aisha |title=Let's Talk About That Reconciliation During The 'Fresh Prince' Reunion Special |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/11/19/936486077/lets-talk-about-that-reconciliation-during-the-fresh-prince-reunion-special |website=National Public Radio |date=19 November 2020 |access-date=November 19, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Neal |first1=Savannah |title=Will Smith 'so happy' to settle decades-long feud with Janet Hubert in 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' reunion |url=https://www.radio.com/wbbm780/news/entertainment-news/will-smith-reconciles-with-aunt-viv-in-fresh-prince-reunion |website=WBBM Newsradio 780 |date=19 November 2020 |access-date=November 19, 2020}}</ref>

Hubert appeared on [[FX (TV channel)|FX]]'s ''[[Pose (TV series)|Pose]]'' in season 3 as a family member of [[Billy Porter (actor)|Billy Porter]]'s character, Pray Tell, alongside [[Jackée Harry]] and [[Anna Maria Horsford]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Jones|first=Monique|title='Pose' Enlists Icons Jackée Harry, Janet Hubert And Anna Maria Horsford As Pray Tell's Family|url=https://shadowandact.com/pose-enlists-icons-jackee-harry-janet-hubert-and-anna-maria-horsford-as-pray-tells-family|access-date=2021-05-18|website=Shadow and Act|language=en}}</ref> In 2022, she appeared on ''[[The Ms. Pat Show]]'' as the title character's mother-in-law, Jewell.<ref>https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15868820/?ref_=ttep_ep5 {{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=August 2022}}</ref>

==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.<ref>{{cite book|last1=McCann|first1=Bob|title=Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television|date=2010|publisher=McFarland & Company|isbn=9780786437900|page=170}}</ref>

==Filmography==

===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1985
| ''Agent on Ice''
| Lola 
|
|-
| 1994
| ''New Eden''
| Ashtarte 
| TV movie
|-
| 1995
| ''[[White Man's Burden (film)|White Man's Burden]]''
| Dinner Guest
|
|-
| 1999
| ''California Myth''
| Lysistrata 
|
|-
| 2001
| ''[[30 Years to Life (2001 film)|30 Years to Life]]''
| Joy's Mom
|
|-
|rowspan=3| 2004
| ''[[Proud (film)|Proud]]''
| Larry's Mother 
|
|-
| ''[[Christmas at Water's Edge]]''
| Mrs. Turner
| TV movie
|-
| ''Neurotica''
| The Neighbor
|
|-
| 2013
| ''Mom''
| Judy Curtains
|
|-
| 2015
| ''[[No Letting Go (film)|No Letting Go]]''
| Dr. Stacey Slater 
| 
|-
| 2016
| ''Not Another Black Movie''
| Aunt Gloria
| 
|-
| 2019
| ''Christmas Belles''
| Whitley
| TV movie
|-
| 2020
| ''JG and the BC Kids''
| Narrator/Blackbird/Stanley Leroy
| 
|-
|rowspan=3| 2022
| ''[[Single Black Female]]''
| Denise
| TV movie
|-
| ''Fever''
| Grace
| Short
|-
| ''[[Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story]]''
| Aunt Duke
| 
|-
| 2023
| ''[[The Perfect Find]]''
| Monica
| 
|-
| 2024
| ''Snatched''
| Carolyn
| 
|}

===Television===

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|rowspan=2| 1988
| ''[[Hunter (1984 American TV series)|Hunter]]''
| Vanessa Riley
| Episode: "The Fourth Man"
|-
| ''[[21 Jump Street]]''
| Councilwoman Travers
| Episode: "Fun with Animals"
|-
|rowspan=3| 1989
| ''[[Hooperman]]''
| Loretta Todd
| Episode: "Look Homeward, Dirtbag"
|-
| ''[[A Man Called Hawk]]''
| Serita
| Episode: "Poison"
|-
| ''[[One Life to Live]]''
| Miriam
| Episode: "Episode #1.5370"
|-
| 1990
| ''[[Tales from the Crypt (TV series)|Tales from the Crypt]]''
| Psyche
| Episode: "Till Death"
|-
| 1990–93
| ''[[The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air]]''
| Vivian Banks
| Main Cast: Season 1–3
|-
| 1992
| ''[[Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (game show)|Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?]]''
| Herself
| Episode: "She Took the Notes Right of My Mouth"
|-
| 1992–93
| ''[[Reasonable Doubts]]''
| Judge Mary Sims
| Recurring Cast: Season 2
|-
| 1993
| ''[[An Evening at the Improv]]''
| Herself/Host
| Episode: "Janet Hubert, Glenn Super, Mary Anne Kelly, and more!"
|-
|rowspan=2| 1994
| ''[[Dave's World]]''
| Elise
| Episode: "Shel in Love"
|-
| ''[[Coach (TV series)|Coach]]''
| Karen Williams
| Episode: "Blue Chip Blues"
|-
| 1995
| ''[[CBS Schoolbreak Special]]''
| Elaine Baham
| Episode: "What About Your Friends"
|-
|rowspan=2| 1996
| ''[[The Faculty (TV series)|The Faculty]]''
| Annette Freeman
| Episode: "Somewhere There's Music"
|-
| ''[[The Pretender (TV series)|The Pretender]]''
| Madam Director
| Episode: "The Paper Clock"
|-
|rowspan=3| 1997
| ''[[The Jamie Foxx Show]]''
| Edwina DuBois
| Episode: "Act Like You Love Me"
|-
| ''[[Goode Behavior]]''
| Dr. Pamela Fordham
| Episode: "Goode Lovin'"
|-
| ''[[Lawless (American TV series)|Lawless]]''
| Esther Hayes
| Episode: "Pilot"
|-
| 1998
| ''[[NYPD Blue]]''
| Hiruut Kebede
| Episode: "Weaver of Hate"
|-
| 1999
| ''[[All My Children]]''
| Alice Dawson
| Episode: "20 May 1999"
|-
| 2001–02
| ''[[The Job (2001 TV series)|The Job]]''
| Adina Phillips
| Recurring Cast
|-
|rowspan=3| 2002
| ''[[Weakest Link (American game show)|Weakest Link]]''
| Herself
| Episode: "TV Moms Edition"
|-
| ''[[Gilmore Girls]]''
| Gisele Gerard
| Episode: "Back in the Saddle Again"
|-
| ''[[Friends]]''
| Ms. McKenna
| Episode: "The One Where Emma Cries"
|-
| 2003–04
| ''[[The Bernie Mac Show]]''
| Leora
| Guest Cast: Season 2–3
|-
| 2005–10
| ''[[One Life to Live]]''
| Lisa Williamson
| Regular Cast
|-
| 2007
| ''[[E! True Hollywood Story]]''
| Herself
| Episode: "Will Smith"
|-
| 2010
| ''Life After''
| Herself
| Episode: "Janet Hubert"
|-
| 2011
| ''[[Tyler Perry's House of Payne]]''
| Evelyn
| Episode: "A Mother's Payne"
|-
| 2016–17
| ''[[If Loving You Is Wrong]]''
| Diane
| Recurring Cast: Season 2
|-
| 2018–20
| ''[[General Hospital]]''
| [[List of General Hospital characters#Yvonne Godfrey|Yvonne Godfrey]]
| Regular Cast
|-
| 2020
| ''54 Below Premieres''
| Herself 
| Episode: "Norm Lewis: Christmastime Is Here!"
|-
|rowspan=3| 2021
| ''[[Pose (TV series)|Pose]]''
| Latrice
| Episode: "Take Me to Church"
|-
| ''[[Love Life (American TV series)|Love Life]]''
| Donna Watkins
| Recurring Cast: Season 2
|-
| ''[[The Last O.G.]]''
| Miss May Miller
| Recurring Cast: Season 4
|-
| 2022
| ''[[New Amsterdam (2018 TV series)|New Amsterdam]]''
| Dr. Palpa
| Episode: "Two Doors"
|-
| 2022–24
| ''[[The Ms. Pat Show]]''
| Jewell Carson
| Guest: Season 2, Recurring Cast: Season 4
|-
|rowspan=2| 2023
| ''[[Sweet Magnolias]]''
| Bev Decatur
| Episode: "Someone I'm Longing to See"
|-
| ''[[My Dad the Bounty Hunter]]'' 
| Empress Gurira (voice) 
| Recurring Cast: Season 2
|}

===Music videos===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Artist
! Song
! Role
|-
| 1986
| [[Sylvester (singer)|Sylvester]]
| "[[Someone like You (Sylvester song)|Someone Like You]]"
| Dancer
|}

===Stage===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
! Year(s)
! Title
! Role(s)
! Notes
|-
| 1980
| ''[[Dancin']]''
| Performer
| <ref>{{Cite web|title=Dancin' – Broadway Musical – 1980-1983 Tour {{!}} IBDB|url=https://www.ibdb.com/tour-production/dancin-521450#People|access-date=2021-02-11|website=www.ibdb.com}}</ref>
|-
| 1981
| ''[[The First (musical)|The First]]''
| Passenger/Opal/fan
| <ref>{{Cite web|title=The First Broadway @ Martin Beck Theatre - Tickets and Discounts|url=http://www.playbill.com/production/the-first-martin-beck-theatre-vault-0000008226|access-date=2021-02-11|website=Playbill|language=en}}</ref>
|-
| 1982
| ''[[Cats (musical)|Cats]]''
| Tantomile 
| <ref>{{Cite web|title=Janet Hubert|url=http://www.playbill.com/person/janet-hubert-vault-0000060621|access-date=2021-02-11|website=Playbill|language=en}}</ref>
|-
| 1983
| ''[[Sophisticated Ladies]]''
| Performer
| <ref>{{Cite web|title=Sophisticated Ladies – Broadway Musical – 1983-1983 Tour {{!}} IBDB|url=https://www.ibdb.com/tour-production/sophisticated-ladies-529978#OpeningNightCast|access-date=2021-02-11|website=www.ibdb.com}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|title=Sophisticated Ladies in Japan - sophisticated lady (1983)| date=8 March 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsS_Xy0t6Og |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/SsS_Xy0t6Og |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|language=en|access-date=2021-02-11}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
|-
| 1984
| ''Sleeping Beauty''
| Carameen
| <ref>{{Cite news|date=1984-08-15|title=1984_0815 Yawns in the New Sleeping Beauty|pages=24|work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17032969/19840815-yawns-in-the-new-sleeping/|access-date=2021-02-11}}</ref>
|-
| 2002
| ''Crowns''
| Wanda 
| <ref>{{Cite news|last=Weber|first=Bruce|date=2002-12-04|title=THEATER REVIEW; Using Hats Seriously But in Fun (Published 2002)|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/04/theater/theater-review-using-hats-seriously-but-in-fun.html|access-date=2021-02-11|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
|}

===Video games===
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 2013
| ''[[Grand Theft Auto V]]''
| Denise Clinton
|
|-
|}

==Awards==
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
!Year
!Nominee/work
!Award
!Category
!Result
|-
| 1991
|''[[The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air]]''
|[[NAACP Image Awards]]
|[[NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series|Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series]]
|rowspan=3 {{nom}}
|-
| 2014
|''[[Grand Theft Auto V]]''
|Behind the Voice Actors Award
|Best Vocal Ensemble in a Video Game
|-
| 2020
|''King Ester''
|[[Daytime Emmy Award]]s
|Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Digital Drama Series
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|0399494}}
*{{Cite news| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=OMEDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA59 | title = Smith, Whitten feud over her 'Fresh Prince' exit | work = [[Jet (magazine)|Jet]] | date = 1993-08-30 | publisher = Johnson Publishing Company }}
*{{Cite news| title = Ex-Aunt Vivian Has Her Own Studio and a Little Fresh Prince | work = [[The Los Angeles Times]] | date = 1993-08-23}}
*{{Cite news| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=HcEDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA17 | title = Whitten Riled By Recent Firing From NBC-TVs 'Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air' | work = [[Jet (magazine)|Jet]] | date = 1993-08-09| publisher = Johnson Publishing Company }}
*{{Cite news | url = https://www.variety.com/article/VR116533 | title = 'Bel-Air's' Smith sued | work = [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date = 1993-12-15}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hubert, Janet}}
[[Category:1956 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American actresses]]
[[Category:20th-century American actresses]]
[[Category:21st-century American actresses]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American women singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American women singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:Actresses from Chicago]]
[[Category:Juilliard School alumni]]
[[Category:American television actresses]]
[[Category:American film actresses]]
[[Category:American musical theatre actresses]]
[[Category:American soap opera actresses]]
[[Category:People from Momence, Illinois]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American actresses]]