Jada Pinkett Smith

Jada Pinkett Smith has had a career that has spanned over 15 years. From her role as Lena James on the sitcom “A Different World” to her role as Niobe in the “Matrix”

series, it is clear that Jada is one of the most diverse actresses of our time. Born in Baltimore, one of the toughest cities in America, it is no surprise that Jada has been able to survive in a tough business and has always been able to hold her own next to her mega star husband Will Smith. Jada graces the cover of "Capitol File" magazine and took time out to interview with correspondent Lisa Ling. The following is an excerpt from that interview.

LL: You definitely seem evolved in your level of security.

JPS: Well, you know, when you’re dealing with actresses, and just people in this industry as a whole, we’re constantly inundated with rejection, people telling us what we’re doing wrong. You start to second-guess yourself.

LL: What are your biggest insecurities?

JPS: Oh, my body. I hate my legs. Hate ’em.

LL: You’re kidding. You’ve got great legs.

JPS: But that’s the thing, you need other women around you to be a mirror, because sometimes we can’t see ourselves. We’ve been given a certain language, situations that basically form who we are— and the media, which is a whole other thing.... As women we look for this thing and that thing; we fill those voids with men, or with food, sugar, whatever, instead of really dealing with the core issues, the issues we don’t want to look at. But that’s the jewel. That’s where happiness lies.

LL: As an actress and a public person, how much responsibility do you feel?

JPS: I feel every individual, and every artist, has to figure out their own responsibility level. For me, when it comes to women, I am extremely sensitive to the roles I take and how I’m portrayed physically. I try really hard to stay away from stereotypes.

LL: I watched the BET show Hip-Hop vs. America last night and it was amazing. Five African-American men were talking about how women are portrayed in hip-hop videos. These Harvard professors were saying, “Stop blaming the white man for raping the black woman.”

JPS: We can’t do that anymore. You know, it wasn’t right or correct when the whole Imus situation happened, but a part of me thought, We really have the nerve to have this uproar, when you look closely at what goes on within our own family. I’m telling you: That whole situation is so layered and so deep, how we got to that place… just the dynamics of the black family, the black man, and the black woman.

To read the entire interview, visit http://www.capitolfile-magazine.com/.