Janet Hubert Biography, Life, Interesting Facts

Janet Hubert is an American television, film, and stage actress.

Early Life

Janet Louise Hubert was born on January 13, 1956, in the city of Chicago, Illinois. She spent most of her childhood in Momence, a small town south of Chicago.

Education

In 1974, Janet Hubert graduated from Momence High School. She then won a scholarship to Julliard and moved to New York City. She eventually dropped out of Julliard and took acting classes from renowned teachers such as David Howard and Alvin Ailey.

Career

Janet Hubert started her career on Broadway. She starred in productions of Dancing, The First, and Joseph and the Amazing Dreamcoat. She played the role of Tantomile in the first production of the famous musical Cats. In the late 1980s, she made her television debut in the police drama series 21 Jump Street and the action drama series A Man Called Hawk. She also appeared in the horror series Tales from the Crypt and the police drama Reasonable Doubts.

In 1990, Janet Hubert landed a role in the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. She played the role of Vivian Banks, the wealthy aunt of the main character. The show achieved massive success, making this the most popular role of her career. However, after the third season, the producers fired her from the show and replaced her with another actress.

On several occasions, Janet Hubert spoke to the media and claimed that she was disrespected by Will Smith, the main star of the show. However, Smith and several of the other actors stated that she had been aggressive and impossible to work with. Ever since then, Hubert has refused to reunite with her former co-stars.

After leaving The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Hubert appeared in the sitcoms Dave’s World and The Jamie Foxx Show. She had small roles in the sci-fi film The Faculty and the comedy film 30 Years to Life. In 2001, she had a recurring role in the sitcom The Job. The following year, she took part in the celebrity edition of the game show The Weakest Link. After that, she appeared in the famous TV series Friends and Gilmore Girls. In 2004, she starred in the war film Proud and the TV film Christmas at Water’s Edge. From 2005 to 2010, she had a recurring role in the soap opera One Life to Live.

After that, Hubert starred in the sitcom Tyler Perry’s House of Payne. In 2013, she voiced the character of Denise Clinton in the popular video game Grand Theft Auto V. In 2015, she starred in the series Life Twirls On. She then starred in several films, including No Letting Go, Marcus Garvey Biopic, Not Another Black Movie, and Ward of the State. In 2018, she landed the role of Yvonne Godfrey in the soap opera General Hospital.

Personal Life

In 1990, Janet Hubert married the actor James Whitten. In 1993, they had a son, named Elijah Whitten. Less than a year after his birth, they got a divorce. In 2005, she married a man named Larry Kraft.

Activism

 Janet Hubert suffered osteoporosis for many years. She is an active and high-ranking member of the National Osteoporosis Foundation.