One of the most recognizable and respected actresses in Hollywood turns 53 years old today! To celebrate the legacy of Jada Pinkett-Smith, check out a gallery of some of her most beautiful photos over the years.

Jada Koren Pickett was born in Baltimore, Maryland. She was raised by her mother and grandmother, who noticed her granddaughter’s passion for the performing arts and enrolled her in piano, tap dance and ballet lessons. Pinkett attended the Blatimore School for the Arts, where she majored in dance and theatre. After graduating in 1989, she spent a year at the North Carolina School of the Arts.

Her acting career begin the next year in 1990. After appearing in True Colors, Doogie House, M.D. and 21 Jump Street, Pinkett earned a role on Bill Cosby’s television sitcom A Different World in 1991 as freshman Lena James. In 1993, she appeared in Menace II Society, her first film ever. She played a single mother named Ronnie. The gig was recommended to her by her close friend Tupac Shakur prior to him being fired from the film. Over the next couple years, Pinkett became more and more of a household name after garnering postitive reviews for her roles in the action comedy A Low Down Dirty Shame and Doug McHenry’s romantic drama Jason’s Lyric. Pinkett began directing music videos in 1995. She directed videos for the likes of Gerald Levert, MC Lyte and Xscape. Jada even came up with the concept for Tupac’s ‘California Love’ video.

Pinkett took the leap to absolute superstar status in 1996. She starred alongside in the remake of The Nutty Professor, where she portrayed the love interest of a kindhearted university professor who is morbidly obese. She followed that up by starring in Set It Off with Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox and Kimberly Elise. The crime drama is about four women who rob banks to escape from poverty. Since that time, she has starred in countless films including Kingdom Come, Ali, The Matrix series, Collateral, the Madagascar series and Girls Trip just to name a few. Pinkett owns production companies,  Overbrook Entertainment and Westbrook Inc. with her husband Will Smith. They release films under their umbrella. She also is the co-host of Facebook Watch talk show Red Table Talk. She received a Daytime Emmy Award for her work on the show. In 2021, Pinkett was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine, going to show that she is still a huge force in the industry. Jada Pinkett-Smith is a great example of brains, business savvy and beauty all in one. To celebrate all that she’s done and everything that she’s still doing, check out a gallery of her most beautiful photos over the years. HAPPY 53RD BIRTHDAY TO JADA PINKETT SMITH!!!