From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Janet Hubert (born January 13, 1956), also previously known as Janet Hubert-Whitten, is an American film and television actress. She is best known for playing her role of Vivian Banks on the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from 1990 to 1993.

Biography

Hubert was born in Chicago, Illinois. She spent her early days growing up on Chicago's South Side. At the age of nine she moved with her family to Momence, Illinois. She won a scholarship to the Juilliard School in New York City but the transition from small town town to big city proved to be too much for her and she went home for a year.

Her son Elijah Isaac Whitten was born in February 1993. She suffers from osteoporosis and is the ambassador of the National Osteoporosis Foundation. She currently resides in Montclair, New Jersey. She is now credited as "Janet Hubert" due to her divorce from James Whitten.

Career

Hubert reportedly left The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air due to a violation of contract that resulted when she became pregnant; the pregnancy and birth of her character Vivian's child, Nicky Banks, was worked into the plot to accommodate the situation. She also was the original Tantomile in the first Broadway run of Cats.^[1]

After she was fired from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Hubert's character was played by Daphne Reid for the remainder of the show's run.

According to Will Smith, the show's star, he and Hubert had difficulties working together long before her pregnancy.^[2] Hubert has accused Will Smith of being ruthless and ruining it for all actors overshining him.

Hubert was also featured in a 2002 episode of Friends as Chandler's boss. In 2005 she began playing the recurring role of Lisa Williamson, mother of attorney Evangeline Williamson, on the soap opera One Life to Live. Her character has made occasional appearances since then. She was also featured as Michel Gerard's mother in an episode of the CW show Gilmore Girls and also made an appearance in an episode of The Bernie Mac Show, playing Mac's overbearing mother-in-law.

Filmography

• The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-1993) (TV series)
• The Fourth Man (1998)
• Weaver of Hate (1998)
• Friends (2002) (TV series)
• Gilmore Girls (2002) (TV series)
• The Weakest Link (2002) (TV Moms Edition) (4th one voted off)

From Dutch Wikipedia:

• One Life to Live televisieserie - Lisa Williamson (4 afl., 2005)
• Christmas at Water's Edge (televisiefilm, 2004) - Mrs. Turner
• Proud (2004) - Larry's moeder
• The Bernie Mac Show televisieserie - Leora (2 afl., Make Room for Caddy, 2004|Meet the Grandparents, 2003)
• Neurotica (2004) - The Neighbour
• Friends televisieserie - Ms. McKenna (Afl., The One Where Emma Cries, 2002)
• Gilmore Girls televisieserie - Gisele Gerard (Afl., Back in the Saddle Again, 2002)
• The Job televisieserie - Adina Phillips (4 afl., 2 keer 2001, 2 keer 2002)
• 30 Years to Life (2001) - Joy's moeder
• California Myth (1999) - Lysistrata
• All My Children televisieserie - Alice Dawson (Afl. onbekend, 1999)
• NYPD Blue televisieserie - Hiruut Kebede (Afl., Weaver of Hate, 1998)
• Goode Behavior televisieserie - Dr. Pamela Fordham (Afl., Goode Lovin', 1997)
• The Jamie Foxx Show televisieserie - Edwina DuBois (Afl., Act Like You Love Me, 1997)
• The Pretender televisieserie - Madam Director (Afl., The Paper Clock, 1996)
• The Faculty televisieserie - Annette Freeman (Afl., Somewhere There's Music, 1996)
• White Man's Burden (1995) - Dinner Guest
• What About Your Friends (televisiefilm, 1995) - Rol onbekend
• New Eden (televisiefilm, 1994) - Ashtarte
• Coach televisieserie - Karen Williams (Afl., Blue Chip Blues, 1994)
• Dave's World televisieserie - Elise (Afl., Shel in Love, 1994)
• The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air televisieserie - Vivian Banks (66 afl., 1990-1993)
• Reasonable Doubts televisieserie - Judge Mary Sims (Afl., Brother's Keeper, 1992)
• Tales from the Crypt televisieserie - Psyche (Afl., 'Till Death, 1990)
• A Man Called Hawk televisieserie - Serita (Afl., Poison, 1989)
• Hooperman televisieserie - Rol onbekend (Afl., Look Homeward, Dirtbag, 1989)
• 21 Jump Street televisieserie - Councilwoman Travers (Afl., Fun with Animals, 1988)
• Hunter televisieserie - Vanessa Riley (Afl., The Fourth Man, 1988)
• Agent on Ice (1986) - Lola

References

External links

• Janet Hubert-Whitten at the Internet Movie Database
• "Smith, Whitten feud over her 'Fresh Prince' exit". Jet. 1993-08-30. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_n18_v84/ai_14330371.  
• "Ex-Aunt Vivian Has Her Own Studio and a Little Fresh Prince". The Los Angeles Times. 1993-08-23.  
• "Whitten Riled By Recent Firing From NBC-TVs 'Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air'". Jet. 1993-08-09. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_n15_v84/ai_13227647.  
• "'Bel-Air's' Smith sued". Variety. 1993-12-15.  
• Lynn Norment (August, 1996). "Will Smith". Ebony.