Sarah Jessica Parker wasn’t originally slated to play the iconic lead in Sex and the City; here are the actresses who almost played Carrie Bradshaw. Premiering in 1998, the series ran for six successful seasons. Based on Candace Bushnell’s titular book, Sex and the City largely focused on Bradshaw, her three best friends, and a notable relationship with John Preston, commonly called “Big” (Chris Noth).
While it’s hard to imagine anyone but Parker playing the show’s provocative leading lady, four other actresses were up for the part. Riverdale and Twin Peaks star Mädchen Amick was offered the role as a spinoff for her Central Park West character Carrie Fairchild, as both shows were created by Darren Star (via Live with Kelly and Ryan). She turned down the offer to focus on her children, sharing she has no regrets in light of Parker’s revered casting. Dana Delany, known for China Beach and Desperate Housewives was also offered the role by creator Star, but turned it down. Having recently filmed the projects Live Nude Girls and Exit to Eden, she felt she couldn’t be in yet another project about sex (via Today).
Interestingly, Kristin Davis – who ended up playing Charlotte York in all six seasons of Sex and the City – auditioned to play Carrie. She revealed in the Sex and the City and Us book that she ultimately felt she couldn’t portray the lead, described in the script as having “the body of Heather Locklear and the mind of Dorothy Parker.” Lastly, Parker’s closest competitor for the role of Carrie was Lisa Edelstein, who has worked on House, Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce, and The Good Doctor. Edelstein was so close, there was even a completed contract. She shared she “was either going to do it or not. It all depended on whether [Sarah Jessica Parker] said yes,” (via Access Hollywood Live). Eldstein also revealed it was too painful to watch the show after almost being cast in the role of Carrie.
Why Sarah Jessica Parker Was Cast As Carrie In Sex & The City
In the end, the decision for Parker – who is soon reprising her role as a Sanderson Sister in Hocus Pocus 2 – to play Carrie was left up to the actress herself. After working in theater and Broadway, Parker shared in Sex and the City and Us that she was hesitant to take on a long-term routine required for a potentially monotonous TV show. She felt that starring in a series could monopolize her time and hinder her ability to pursue other opportunities. What's more, Parker didn’t “see herself in Carrie Bradshaw or any of Carrie’s friends.” However, Star was unwavering in his desire to cast Parker in his show. He was willing to accept her input and conditions, like not wanting “Carrie to throw around ‘the F word’ just because the show was on cable,” since she would be “thoughtful about language, given her profession as a writer.” Eventually, Parker accepted the role.
Though several other actresses almost played Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City, Parker has successfully played the Manolo Blahnik-obsessed fashionista for over 20 years. This includes six years during its original run, the 2008 movie Sex and the City: The Movie and a sequel, Sex and the City 2, released in 2010. Now, she reprises the role in the sequel series And Just Like That…, which has been renewed for season 2. It’s no surprise her leading role as Carrie in Sex and the City has somewhat defined Parker’s career and solidified her a place in television history.