Sex and the City followed the romantic and sexual lives of four best friends in the city that never sleeps. The show became an instant hit thanks to its four leading ladies - Carrie, Miranda, Samantha, and Charlotte - who redefined what it meant to be a single woman in New York.
However, the show also featured a large ensemble of supporting characters who added complexity to the girls' lives. From fabulous best friends to boyfriends, husbands, and everything in between, these figures played crucial roles in the show, helping it become the modern classic it is today.
Harry Goldenblatt
Harry arrives in season five and forever changes Charlotte's life. He is her divorce lawyer, a sweet but somewhat unkempt man who is everything Charlotte thought she didn't want. The two begin a strictly sexual affair that quickly becomes a passionate romance. After a brief time apart, they marry in season six and adopt a child in the finale.
Played by Evan Handler, Harry appears in eighteen episodes throughout two seasons. His character quickly became a fan favorite, and his relationship with Charlotte is arguably the best in the show. Handler returned for the two subsequent movies and the current revival.
Aidan Shaw
Carrie meets Aidan in season three, and the two quickly become a couple. He's a sweet, down-to-earth, extremely understanding furniture designer who gives Carrie everything she wanted but never got from Big. Their relationship ends when she cheats with Big, but they later reunite.
Season four features some of Carrie and Aidan's best episodes, as the couple finally seems to reach a comfortable place in their relationship. Alas, it wasn't meant to be, and the two separate for good. American actor John Corbett played Aidan for twenty-two episodes throughout three seasons of the original show. He later returned for the second movie, but the less said about Sex and the City 2, the better.
Trey MacDougal
In season three, Charlotte meets Trey "alrighty" MacDougal, a wealthy heart surgeon from a prominent family and an extremely overbearing mother. Trey and Charlotte get married after only a few weeks of dating, but their marriage ultimately crumbles because they want different things.
Twin Peaks alumn Kyle MacLachlan played Trey in twenty-three episodes during seasons three and four. Because of how their relationship ended, Trey didn't return for any subsequent project and hardly got mentioned again during the show's last two seasons.
Stanford Blatch
Stanford Blatch is one of Carrie Bradshaw's oldest friends; at times, the show even hints that their friendship predates that of Carrie and the three girls. Stanford is a talent agent from an aristocratic family whose fashion style and romantic misadventures are flashy and chaotic enough to rival Carrie's. He ends the show in a committed relationship with a Broadway dancer, Marcus, but marries Anthony Marantino in the second movie.
The late Willie Garson played Stanford in twenty-seven episodes throughout all six seasons of the show. He reprised the role for both movies and made two appearances in And Just Like That... before his untimely death.
Steve Brady
Miranda first meets Steve in season two, at a time when she's at her most cynical. She has trouble making room for him in her life, but the two become a couple and begin a loving and passionate relationship despite their very different backgrounds. They break up, but a one-night stand results in a baby, Brady; the two then co-parent and eventually find their way back to each other, getting married in season six.
American actor David Eigenberg played Steve throughout forty-one episodes of the original series. He later returned for both movies and the revival, although his storylines have received mixed reviews from fans.
Mr. Big
John James Preston, better known as Mr. Big, was Carrie's main love interest throughout the show. He first appears in the Pilot episode and remains a constant in her life, first romantically and then semi-platonically. Big and Carrie have a somewhat toxic relationship, but they clearly love each other, leading to their eventual reunion during the series finale.
Big appears in almost half the series; forty-one episodes, to be precise. He returned for the two movies and appeared in the premiere episode of And Just Like That..., where the character unexpectedly suffered a heart attack and died.
Miranda Hobbes
If cynicism were a person, it would be Miranda Hobbes. By far the most realist of the group, Miranda was a successful lawyer who couldn't stand romance. Like the other characters, Miranda has some awful flings throughout Sex and the City, but gets her happy ending with Steve Brady, a bartender turned bar-owner with whom she has a child, Brady.
American actress Cynthia Nixon brought Miranda to life, appearing in every episode of the original series, plus the two movies and the current revival. For her work on the show, Nixon earned a Primetime Emmy Award out of three nominations and received four Golden Globe nominations.
Charlotte York-Goldenblatt
Park Avenue princess Charlotte York was the most conservative of the show's main characters. She begins the show as a respected art dealer who dreams of getting married and forming a family. In love with the very idea of love, Charlotte marries and eventually divorces wealthy cardiologist Trey MacDougal before falling for Harry Goldenblatt, her divorce lawyer.
Played by Melrose Place alumn Kristin Davis, Charlotte appears in Sex and the City's 94 episodes. Unlike her three co-stars, who received multiple accolades and nominations throughout the show's run, Davis only received one Primetime Emmy and one Golden Globe nomination, both for the show's final season. Davis returned for the two movies and the revival series.
Samantha Jones
Was Samantha Jones the best character in Sex and the City? Arguably, yes; after all, she did put the sex in the city. A successful publicist known for her bold and confident attitude, Samantha was a self-described "try-sexual," always open to new experiences. Samantha was also a great friend to the Sex and the City girls, becoming an unexpected but celebrated role model.
Canadian actress Kim Cattrall brought Samantha to life in each of Sex and the City's 94 episodes. Cattrall received critical acclaim for her performance, winning a Golden Globe out of four nominations and receiving five Primetime Emmy Award nominations. She returned for the two movies but notoriously chose to skip the current revival.
Carrie Bradshaw
Carrie Bradshaw was the all-seeing, all-knowing narrator and protagonist of the show. She narrated the plot and continuously wondered many things about love, romance, sex, friendship, and life in general. Carrie was one of the most relatable characters in Sex and the City, thanks to her many flaws, romantic misadventures, and blatant passion for love and life.
Logically, Carrie appears in every episode and has the most significant storyline; she is the glue that holds everything together, even if she's not necessarily the most interesting character. Her portrayer, Sarah Jessica Parker, received universal acclaim for her performance, earning four Golden Globes and a Primetime Emmy Award.