Square Pegs actress Sarah Jessica Parker was undecided about her future in acting

Sarah Jessica Parker was only around 17 years old when she took on the role of Patty Greene on the short-lived series Square Pegs. She played a teen onscreen, and she wasn’t far from that age herself. 

At the time, Parker was like most teens. She loved being with friends, enjoyed doing fun things, and—like many young adults—had no idea what her future had in store.

In fact, according to a 1982 interview with the San Angeleno Standard Times, she wasn’t even sure she wanted to be an actress.

"Most kids don’t really know what they want," Parker said. "I don’t know if I want to be an actress."

Despite her uncertainty about the future, her present was very cool. She had just finished her junior year of high school, and was on TV—making more money than she ever had and earning recognition for her role.

See Also

Here's the real reason why Lucille Ball dyed her hair that iconic red color

But Parker still remained undecided through all the perks, autographs and early fame.

"I try to be realistic," Parker said. "As a child performer, you don’t get very serious about acting. You have fun doing it. But as an adult, when you get to be over 20 years old, it gets harder. It becomes a job and you are faced with supporting yourself."

In the series, she played one half of an iconic high school duo: two smart kids trying to navigate cliques, classes and teenage life. They wanted to be accepted but feared they never would—something Parker understood well, being in high school herself at the time.

"High schools are totally cliqued out," Parker said. "I think the series will be very real. What will be appealing is that every character in our show comes from one of those cliques. I suppose what made me different is that I went to school and also worked."

Before Square Pegs, Parker had already made a name for herself on Broadway, starring in the title role of Annie. She was about to begin another play when she got the call to audition for Square Pegs. She left the production to pursue the TV series—and the rest was history.