Sex and the City's Cynthia Nixon says she was reluctant to return to the revamped series, And Just Like That... Nixon played Miranda Hobbes in the original Sex and the City on HBO, which lasted for six seasons and spawned into two spinoff films. The revival series, And Just Like That..., debuted in 2021, which reunites most of the original cast, including Nixon, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kristin Davis, focusing on the famous New York socialites' lives in their 50s.
Nixon won an Emmy in 2004 for her performance in Sex and the City, and has starred in a variety of projects since it ended, both on stage and screen. The actress later starred in the HBO original movie, Warm Springs, as well as the indie hit, Igby Goes Down, and won a Tony Award for her performances in the stage play of Rabbit Hole, as well as for her performance in Birdie. Nixon also won an Emmy for her guest role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 2008.
When the revival of Sex and the City was announced, Nixon says she was "reluctant" to return. Nixon told the Herald Sun that it was a "hard decision" to return to the role that made her famous, but that discussions with Parker, Davis, and showrunner Michael Patrick King helped to "build a whole new house" out of the series that would address the "sea of change" she felt was needed in terms of addressing the lack of diversity in the original series. Nixon said she was "floored" by how "collaboratively" everyone listened in rebuilding the show. Here's her full quote:
It was a very hard decision. I really didn’t think I was going to do it – I was very reluctant. But the more I talked to Sarah Jessica [Parker], Michael Patrick King [the show’s writer-creator], and Kristin [Davis], about the things that I couldn’t go back without – a real sea change in terms of the lack of diversity in the original series — they were on board.
And Just Like That features many new cast members of varying races, including Sara Ramirez, Karen Pittman, Cathy Ang, and Sarita Choudhury, but maintains its focus on the three main leads of Nixon, Parker, and Davis. Kim Cattrall's Samantha, one of the most popular characters in the Sex and the City foursome, opted out of the revival series, reportedly due to a real-life feud with Parker. Some have criticized the last-in-the-game diversity move as too-little-too-late or disingenuous, while others have championed it as a step forward.
Returning to any show after a long hiatus can be a worrisome venture, and the longer that actors are away and busy with other ventures, the more they bring their changed lives, perspectives, and causes with them, even if returning to an old role like Miranda. Nixon had a successful run in theater and TV after Sex and the City, but failed to launch as a politician when she ran for Governor of New York (losing to the recently-resigned Andrew Cuomo). However, she continues to be a progressive activist, which is likely a factor in her push to change things up on And Just Like That... Whether the changes were needed or not is left up to the audience of the show, who will certainly judge the new characters on how well they fit into the world of Sex and the City above all else.
Source: Herald Sun