Born: January 13, 1956
Age: 68
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Janet Louise Hubert (born January 13, 1956) is an American film and television actress. She is best known for playing the role of the original Vivian Banks on the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from its first season 1990 until the end of its third season in 1993. Hubert was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in 1991.
Hubert was born in Chicago, Illinois. She spent her early days growing up on Chicago's South Side. At the age of nine she moved with her family to Momence, Illinois. She won a scholarship to the Juilliard School in New York City but did not complete her studies.
Hubert has been married twice; James Whitten from 1990 until 1994 with whom she has a son, named Elijah Isaac Whitten. She has been married to Larry Kraft since 2005. She suffers from osteoporosis and is the ambassador of the National Osteoporosis Foundation.
Hubert was the original Tantomile in the first Broadway run of Cats. Hubert reportedly was fired from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air due to a violation of contract that resulted when she became pregnant; the pregnancy and birth of her character Vivian's child, Nicky Banks, was worked into the plot to accommodate the situation. After she was fired from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Hubert's character was played by Daphne Reid for the remainder of the show's run. According to Will Smith, the show's star, he and Hubert had difficulties working together long before her pregnancy.
She was featured in a 2002 episode of Friends as Chandler's boss. In 2005 she began playing the recurring role of Lisa Williamson, mother of attorney Evangeline Williamson, on One Life to Live. Her character has made occasional appearances since then. She was featured as Michel Gerard's mother in an episode of the CW show Gilmore Girls. She has made appearances on episodes of All My Children, Friends, NYPD Blue, The Bernie Mac Show, and Tyler Perry's House of Payne, among others.