As Carrie Bradshaw's (Sarah Jessica Parker) main love interest throughout Sex and the City, Mr. Big's (Chris Noth) multiple marriages are of particular interest and he is married several times. Right from the pilot, when she bumps into him on a New York City sidewalk, Carrie is drawn to the mysterious, successful Mr. Big. Big's job is never explained, but he is a hugely affluent entrepreneur. While Carrie's writing career, adoration of fashion, and close friendships are explored in every episode, Big isn't as open. At times, he can appear to be cold and distant, which leads to many dramatic storylines.
Mr. Big is his SATC nickname, but his real name is John James Preston, and Big's most memorable character trait is his inability to commit to Carrie. They split up in season 1, reunite in season 2, try to be friends, and have an affair before they finally share their love for each other in the series finale in Paris. While the characters have great chemistry, Carrie's fear that he will never want a committed, serious relationship persists throughout the show's six seasons. Big is a complex character because while he is afraid to be vulnerable with Carrie, he is married more times than anyone else in the series.
Mr. Big & Barbara Were Divorced Before The Events Of Sex And The City
Before the series, Mr. Big was married to his first wife Barbara (Noelle Beck), a children's book publisher. In season 1, episode 8, "Three's A Crowd," Carrie meets the confident Barbara at a party. Carrie's clever SATC voiceovers share her concern that Big will leave her for his ex and she feels inadequate and unintelligent by comparison. To Carrie, Barbara is everything that she is not: a strong, secure career woman with a traditional job and a professional style. Barbara and Big never rekindle their relationship, but it's definite foreshadowing that their marriage fell apart because he cheated on her.
Mr. Big Married Natasha Between Seasons 2&3
Mr. Big's second wife is Natasha Naginsky (Bridget Moynahan), whom he marries between the events of seasons 2 and 3. This relationship exposes Big's confusing approach to marriage. While he is paralyzed about marrying Carrie, he hastily weds Natasha. Carrie's bubbly SATC character couldn't be more different from Natasha, who travels in sophisticated social circles and has more in common with Big than a freelance writer. But even though Natasha has an ideal pedigree, Big never truly loved her, and cheated on her with Carrie. Just like their engagement, their marriage was very brief, lasting barely over a year. By the end of season 3, Big and Natasha split up.
When Carrie and Natasha cross paths in And Just Like That, Natasha says, "I'll never understand why he married me when he was always in love with you." While Carrie has several relationships in SATC, it makes sense that she cannot let go of Big, and though that doesn't excuse the affair, it explains it. Big married Natasha because she fit his life, but he never let her into his heart, which he later realizes he must do with Carrie. Big's second marriage allows him to see that he does have a genuine connection with Carrie, and it's telling that he appreciates her more when they spend time apart.
Mr. Big & Carrie Got Married In The First Sex And The City Movie
Carrie is Big's third and final wife and they decide to get married in the first Sex and the City movie. However, Big calls off their first big, fancy, traditional wedding out of fear. Carrie is left heartbroken, but they eventually reconcile and they marry in a sweet, intimate ceremony. Carrie and Big have a happy marriage that is honest and playful, and they are still husband and wife in And Just Like That, having been married for 11 years. But their fairytale ending takes a tragic turn when Big has a fatal heart attack in the revival's first episode.
Big's death in the Sex and the City revival explores Carrie's grief over losing the love of her life, and she appreciates that they have spent many blissful years together, as Big finally opens his heart and shows vulnerability. Whether in Sex and the City 2 or season 1 of And Just Like That..., Big's growth is clear. He listens to Carrie's concerns that the excitement is gone, makes a grand gesture of removing the TV from their bedroom, and they have a peaceful domestic life in their beautiful apartment. Big becomes a more emotionally available partner and is very different as a husband than as Carrie's commitment-phobic love interest.