Janet Jackson filmography
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Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
has appeared in various films and television shows. She began her career as a child star in the sitcoms ''
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'', CHiPs'' Diff'rent Strokes'', and '' Fame''. Jackson then starred in her debut film ''
Poetic Justice Poetic justice, also called poetic irony, is a literary device with which ultimately virtue is rewarded and misdeeds are punished. In modern literature, it is often accompanied by an ironic twist of fate related to the character's own action, henc ...
'' (1993), directed by
John Singleton John Daniel Singleton (January 6, 1968 April 28, 2019) was an American director, screenwriter, and producer. He made his feature film debut writing and directing ''Boyz n the Hood'' (1991), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for B ...
. She portrayed Justice, who copes with her mother's suicide and boyfriend's murder through writing poetry. It opened at number one at the box office and has been considered iconic within popular culture. Throughout the decade, Jackson was initially cast in leading roles in several films, including '' Jerry Maguire'' (1996), '' The Matrix'' (1999), '' Scream 3'' (2000), and ''
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'' (2000), but was unable to proceed with filming due to scheduling conflicts while touring. Jackson's first three films have opened at number one, with her following two opening within the top three. She also has a minimum of three films to debut at number one on the
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
and
Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
charts, selling one to two million copies within their first week. Her film performances have garnered numerous accolades, which include MTV Movie Awards and
Image Awards The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...
. Her film compositions have also received recognition, including
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
and
Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
nominations for "Best Original Song from a Motion Picture." Critics have considered Jackson among the few child stars to successfully transition into a credible actress. She is also thought to have one of the most notorious film careers by a musician. Throughout her career, she has also filmed advertisements for
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,
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, Japan Airlines,
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, and
The Trevor Project The Trevor Project is an American nonprofit organization founded in 1998. Focused on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, they offer a toll-free telephone number wher ...
, among others. Jackson began her career as a child star, performing a series of successful television roles before starring in feature films. Jackson stated, "I love acting—it was my first love. I had my first job at seven. I got a recording contract when I was 14, so I thought I was going to be an actress." Joan Morgan ultimately declared Jackson "a veteran thespian who also happened to sell more than 100 million records." DeMarco Williams placed Jackson among the few child stars who successfully transitioned into adult actors, along with Jodie Foster,
Ron Howard Ronald William Howard (born March 1, 1954) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He first came to prominence as a child actor, guest-starring in several television series, including an episode of ''The Twilight Zone''. He ...
, and Drew Barrymore. Ria Nevada observed her acting work to track Jackson’s evolution, "from the “girl next door” to sex-goddess, to the strong, powerful woman she is today." Of her standard acting rates, Phillip McCarthy declared her a "$3-million per-picture screen queen." Jackson has had three consecutive films open at number one, beginning with her debut role in ''
Poetic Justice Poetic justice, also called poetic irony, is a literary device with which ultimately virtue is rewarded and misdeeds are punished. In modern literature, it is often accompanied by an ironic twist of fate related to the character's own action, henc ...
'', and two additional films enter the top three. She also had a minimum of three consecutive films debut at number one on the
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
and
Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
charts, selling over one to two million copies within their first week. Jackson made her film debut in ''
Poetic Justice Poetic justice, also called poetic irony, is a literary device with which ultimately virtue is rewarded and misdeeds are punished. In modern literature, it is often accompanied by an ironic twist of fate related to the character's own action, henc ...
'', directed by
John Singleton John Daniel Singleton (January 6, 1968 April 28, 2019) was an American director, screenwriter, and producer. He made his feature film debut writing and directing ''Boyz n the Hood'' (1991), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for B ...
. Jackson's character, Justice, finds romance after her mother's suicide and boyfriend's murder, writing poetry to cope with her pain. Her love interest, Lucky, is played by
Tupac Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the Li ...
, considered an "unlikely but effective pairing." Although advised to do a musical, Jackson accepted the role to further unveil an edgier and rebellious image, in contrast to her formerly innocent persona. It removed her from her comfort zone, opting for a "harder exterior and a rougher neck." It opened at number one, with its cult significance considered to have "dominated the 90s." Diane E. Picard commended its plot, which "captures the sense of desperation felt by a young woman struggling with strong emotions and nowhere to turn." It was also declared "a surprising movie about coming of age in a time of violence and hatred." Several critics considered it a "classic" and iconic, in addition to one of the most notorious film debuts by a musician. Jackson played Professor Denise Gaines in '' The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps'', opposite
Eddie Murphy Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer. He rose to fame on the sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984. Murphy has als ...
. Brian Grazer stated, "she's a superstar musician who acts. Getting Janet is a huge coup for us because she doesn't have to do movies, but she wants to do this one." Murphy commented, "I've known for years that she's a good actress. ..She's a superstar and a really talented woman... It was like 'Wow, I'm with a superstar on the set.'" It opened at number one and grossed $175 million worldwide, also being the biggest opening week of Murphy's career. Jackson received praise among critics for her portrayal. Melissa Marschheuser of '' The Sentinel'' stated "she plays the role perfectly", while '' Variety'' commended her "improbable persuasiveness." Jackson played Dr. Patricia Agnew in her third film, ''
Why Did I Get Married? ''Why Did I Get Married?'' is a 2007 American comedy-drama film adaptation written, produced, directed, and starring Tyler Perry. It was inspired by Perry's play of the same name. The film also stars Janet Jackson, Jill Scott, Malik Yoba, Shar ...
''. Patrick Huguenin described her role as "a picture-perfect (but emotionally scarred) romance psychologist who corrals her now-married college friends into an annual retreat." '' Variety'' considered Jackson's presence to ensure its success. It opened at number one, grossing nearly $60 million worldwide. She also starred in '' Why Did I Get Married Too?'', reprising her role as a "demurely clothed, deeply sentient, highly respected psychologist." It opened at number two, grossing over $60 million. A third sequel, ''Why Did I Get Married Again?'', would have Jackson play the love interest of
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Dwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972), also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American actor and former professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he was integral to the developm ...
. Jackson then co-starred in the drama '' For Colored Girls'', an adaption of the stage play ''For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf''. She portrayed Joanna, an abrasive fashion editor. It debuted at number three, with an intake of nearly $40 million. In 2011, Jackson entered a production deal with Lionsgate, in collaboration with her company ''JDJ Entertainment''. Michael Paseornek stated, "She is a powerful on-screen presence, with a vast audience, and we believe she will be an equally powerful presence behind the scenes." Jackson desires to pursue films with "a lot of energy," saying, "I love
action film Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include life ...
s, I love Sci-Fi."


Filmography


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Commercials and advertisements


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Janet Actress filmographies Filmography American filmographies