Sarah Jessica Parker, Candace Bushnell and more have all weighed in on their suggestions to cut or replace Samantha.
By now you’ve probably heard that Carrie Bradshaw’s Manolo Blahniks will be clicking around the streets of New York City once more as HBO Max has a new Sex and the City installment called And Just Like That… coming. And while stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristin Davis are all set to return as Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte, respectively, Kim Cattrall has made it clear that she will not be back as Samantha Jones.
The riff between Cattrall and the rest of the cast, particularly Parker, has been documented for some time now. But after this month’s announcement, talk has turned to how the new installment of the popular franchise will handle Cattrall’s absence. While no definitive plan has been announced as to how the show will explain the lack of Samantha, the cast and creatives behind Sex and the City have discussed the topic for years.
Here’s everything they’ve said about how the franchise could approach the situation:
The Leaked Script
In a November 2018 episode of the Origins podcast, host James Andrew Miller said he spoke with the Sex and the City cast about the plot for the proposed third film. They revealed that Carrie's husband, Mr. Big, played by Chris Noth, died of a heart attack in the script. He also claimed Big's death being a focus of the third film was a big reason behind Cattrall's decision to avoid a new installment of the franchise.
Candace Bushnell
The author of the book that inspired the Sex and the City series and subsequent movies, spoke of Cattrall's absence in a January 2021 interview with Page Six.
"You know what, I think it’s fine," Bushnell said at the time. "Kim is a grown woman. She is 64 and she’s made a decision that I’m sure she has 10 very good reasons for and I respect her for that."
She added it "will be interesting" to see how the writers and producers explain Cattrall's absence.
Darren Star
In 2018, the show's creator told ET of recasting Samantha, "It's nothing I've thought about right now seriously."
Sarah Jessica Parker
The majority of the tension between Cattrall and the rest of the cast lies with star SJP. Though Parker has previously said that the situation has left her "heartbroken," she added in April 2018 that "there is no catfight." As for potential options for Samantha replacements, she has joked with both Ellen DeGeneres and Stephen Colbert that they could take over the role. After it was officially announced that Sex and the City was coming back, Parker took the time to personally respond to multiple commenters highlighting Cattrall's absence.
When one said they'd miss the actress, Parker replied, "We will too. We loved her so. X"
To another she wrote, "She will always be there."
Shutting down someone who claimed the two actresses disliked one another, Parker wrote, "Samantha isn't part of this story. But she will always be part of us. No matter where we are or what we do. X"
The show's star and executive producer later seemed to confirm that they would not be replacing Samantha on the show.
“We’re not looking to create a fourth character,” she told Page Six. “We have New York City as a great character. There will be lots of interesting new characters that we’re excited about.”
Kim Cattrall
Though she's been very vocal about her decision to leave the franchise, Cattrall told ET in 2019, "What I think people love about shows like Sex in the City and Filthy Rich is strong characters. You know, real strong characters. And this is a new chapter, this is another strong character. So I'm really enjoying that."
Cattrall seems open to recasting her roll, offering up some suggestions on Twitter in 2018.
"I am partial to @TheEllenShow but @Oprah was always my 1st ❤️," she tweeted. "But then there are the goddesses @TiffanyHaddish or @SofiaVergara. So many fabulous actresses to choose from that will make Samantha their own!"
Cynthia Nixon
Co-star Nixon agreed with Cattrall during a 2020 appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen. The actress responded to a fan's suggestion that Sharon Stone take over the role of Samantha.
"I think Sharon would be, of course, totally amazing. Kim was incredibly great as Samantha, I think Sharon would totally make it her own," Nixon said. "But I've also heard many people say, including Kim Cattrall herself, that if we were to have a different fourth woman that maybe it would be a woman of color this time and I think that would be amazing as well."
Kristin Davis
In true Charlotte form, Davis has been relatively tight-lipped about the Cattrall/Samantha controversy, but she has always supported more Sex and the City. In 2013 she told ET, "I feel like it's the gift that keeps on giving. Our fans are beautiful and loyal and talk to me wherever I go, and in whatever country I'm in, and that means a lot to all of us. So if the situation arose where we had a script and everyone loved it, and the studio wanted to make it, I think that it would be fantastic and I hope it happens but I have no idea if it will happen."
After the fallout between Cattrall and Parker, Davis said of a potential reboot or third film, "I always have hope!"
For more from the upcoming project, watch the clip below:
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