‘There’s Just Too Much Public History’: Sarah Jessica Parker Doesn’t Want Kim Cattrall on ‘And Just Like That’
As the first season of the critically maligned “Sex and the City” revival, “And Just Like That,” wraps its first season on HBO Max, the cast and crew are eagerly awaiting news on a potential renewal. Both Sarah Jessica Parker and showrunner Michael Patrick King have expressed interest in making a second season. But regardless of HBO’s decision, one person who will not appear in any subsequent “Sex and the City” content is Kim Cattrall.
Cattrall’s tumultuous relationship with the HBO franchise has been well-documented. A third “Sex and the City” movie had to be scrapped due to the actress’ refusal to reprise her role as Samantha Jones. Catrall insists she simply had no interest in playing the character again, while others have claimed that she backed out because the studio would not meet her financial demands. She later complained about fans bullying her about her absence in both the film and the recent television revival. The actress has been adamant that she will never return to “Sex and the City,” and according to Sarah Jessica Parker the feeling appears to be mutual.
Speaking to Variety, Parker said that the tense negotiation over the third film had left a bad taste in her mouth, to the point where Cattrall was not even offered a role in “And Just Like That.” “We didn’t go to Kim for this, you know,” Parker said. “After we didn’t do the movie and the studio couldn’t meet what she wanted to do, we have to hear her and listen to her and what was important to her. It didn’t fit into what was important or needed for us.”
However, Parker emphasized that her personal relationship with Cattrall does not diminish the importance of Samantha Jones to the “Sex and the City” franchise. The character is frequently mentioned in “And Just Like That,” and characters are seen texting her at various moments. “Samantha’s not gone. Samantha’s present, and I think was handled with such respect and elegance. She wasn’t villainized. She was a human being who had feelings about a relationship, so I think we found a way to address it which was necessary and important for people that loved her.”
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