1. Set It Off (1996)
In this iconic, intense crime drama, four lifelong friends in Los Angeles, including Jada’s character Stony Newsome, are pushed to the limits by poverty, job loss, and blatant injustice. When one of them suffers the death of a loved one and another loses her job, they decide to rob banks as a way out of their circumstances. Their plan attracts the attention of an obsessive detective, forcing them into increasingly dangerous territory.
2. The Nutty Professor (1996)
In this comedic remake starring Eddie Murphy, Jada plays Carla Purty, a graduate student and the love interest of the socially awkward professor Sherman Klump. When Sherman creates an alter-ego Buddy Love to impress her, chaos and identity confusion follow. While the role is lighter than some of Jada’s others, her performance helps balance the film’s humour and heart.
3. The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
In the second film in the Matrix trilogy, Jada stars as Niobe — a skilled pilot and fighter in the human resistance against the machines. Six months after the events of the first movie, Zion faces an existential threat from advancing sentinels. Niobe commands the small hovercraft Logos and plays a critical role in the mission to contact the Oracle and secure humanity’s survival.
4. Girls Trip (2017)
This comedy follows four best friends: Ryan (Regina Hall), Sasha (Queen Latifah), Lisa (Jada Pinkett Smith), and Dina (Tiffany Haddish) on a wild reunion trip to New Orleans for the Essence Festival. While the movie is full of outrageous antics, it also explores themes of friendship, self-discovery, and overcoming personal insecurities.
5. Gotham (2014-2017)
On television, Jada took on the role of Fish Mooney in Gotham; a ruthless crime lord in the early days of the Batman universe. Her performance is chilling, ambitious, and forces the show’s characters (and viewers) to confront power, survival, and betrayal in a gritty cityscape.
