Sarah Jessica Parker will forever be known to millions as columnist Carrie Bradshaw on the iconic series Sex and the City.
But away from the glitz and glamour of her most famous role, she’s also a proud mom to her 23-year-old son, James.
Sarah Jessica Parker has been acting professionally since she was just eight years old and has also enjoyed a successful career on Broadway, appearing in productions including Annie, Once Upon a Mattress, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
Away from the spotlight, Parker has also built a lasting family life.
She has been married to fellow actor Matthew Broderick since 1997, and in 2002, the couple welcomed their first child, son James Wilkie Broderick.
James’s arrival was big news at the time. When Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick left a Manhattan hospital with their newborn son the day after his birth, they were greeted by around 100 reporters and photographers eager to catch a glimpse of the new family.
Parker appeared in good spirits as she cradled little James in her arms.
“I’m very well,” she told the waiting crowd.
Then, showing a little of her trademark humor, she added, “Thanks for caring. It must be a slow news week.”
The newborn weighed 6 pounds, 8 ounces and was given a name with special meaning to the family. James was named after Broderick’s late father, James Broderick, an actor who starred in the 1970s television series Family.
A rare night out with Mom and Dad
Today, James is 23 years old, and a recent appearance alongside his famous parents quickly got people talking.
On October 18, 2026, Parker, 61, and her husband, actor Matthew Broderick, 64, attended the opening night of the Broadway revival Other Desert Cities at New York’s Hudson Theatre.
Broadway is familiar territory for the longtime couple, but this time, there was someone else beside them.
Their 23-year-old son, James.
Dressed in a dark navy suit and patterned tie, James stood between his parents as the family posed together for photographers.
For fans who don’t see the couple’s grown son very often, the appearance offered a rare glimpse at just how much he has changed.
And almost immediately, people started debating which famous parent he resembles most.
“Son looks like Jessica,” one person wrote.
Another viewer noticed something entirely different in the photographs — what appeared to be a sweet moment between James and his father.
“Is he holding hands with his father?? ❤️” they asked.
”Well, their son looks like an absolutely gorgeous young man,” another shared.
Someone else seemed equally touched by the family interaction, writing:
“Looks just like his mom. Sweet how he looks over to his dad.”
It was particularly fitting considering something Parker once said about her eldest child years ago. She described James as “the most like me,” although at the time she was referring to his personality and perfectionism rather than his appearance.
Not all the reactions were kind
As often happens when celebrity family photos make their way online, some people began picking apart James’s appearance.
Rather than focusing on the family enjoying a night together, several commenters zeroed in on his height.
“He’s very short,” one person bluntly wrote.
Another commented, “He looks very short.Usually kids are taller than their parents. He is not.”
But James appears to have plenty going on beyond what strangers might think about his appearance.
In 2025, he graduated from Brown University with a bachelor’s degree in Classics — something that also fulfilled a wish his mother had expressed when he was still a child.
When James was just eight and already showing an interest in acting, Parker admitted she hoped he would wait.
“I don’t want him to do it until after he goes to college,” she told Parade.
And that’s exactly what he did.
James has since begun exploring acting himself, even getting the unusual opportunity to work alongside his father on the CBS series Elsbeth.
Matthew couldn’t hide how much the experience meant to him.
“I was so proud and happy to work with my son James,” he said.
James returned the affection, calling Matthew “my favorite actor!”
Family still comes first
Despite growing up with two famous parents, James has generally lived a far more private life than his mother’s Sex and the City character ever did.
And perhaps that’s why seeing the three of them together attracted so much attention.
As mentioned, Parker and Broderick have been married since 1997, and James was born five years later. They later welcomed twin daughters Tabitha and Marion in 2009.
Now their eldest is an adult, a college graduate, and beginning to build a career of his own.
But judging by the reaction to their latest outing, people still see plenty of Mom and Dad in him.
And Parker herself has made it clear that, despite all her professional success, being together as a family remains incredibly important to her.
“We are happiest when we know we can be together,” she once said.
After all the comments about his looks, his height, and which parent he resembles most, perhaps that’s the detail that matters most.
At 23, James is all grown up — but he can still enjoy a night out on Broadway with Mom and Dad.
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