When it was announced that Kim Cattrall wouldn't be reprising her role as Samantha Jones in the upcoming Sex and the City revival, many fans were disappointed. Samantha's candor, no-judgment attitude, and pursuit of pleasure had a huge part in shaping the show's impact and trajectory, and the revival entitled And Just Like That... seems to be trying out a trio format focusing on remaining core characters Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte.
But another option to account for Samantha's absence would be to introduce a new, fourth girlfriend. Fortunately, the contemporary film and TV landscape has no shortage of actresses who could honor Samantha's humor and glamour by embodying an original character. Many of today's funniest women possess the comedic - and dramatic - chops necessary to flourish in the world of Sex and the City.
Debra Messing
Since her starring turn on the beloved sitcom Will & Grace began in 1998 - the same year as Sex and the City - Debra Messing has maintained her status as an iconic TV comedy actress. Besides roles on Smash and The Mysteries of Laura, Messing recently participated in a revival of her own, with the acclaimed Will & Grace revival having come to an end in 2019 after three seasons.
In a nod to her famous role as interior decorator Grace Adler, Messing could perhaps play a home designer whom one of the girls hires and befriends. Given her TV credits, she'd have no trouble fitting in with a kooky group of New York City friends.
Sofía Vergara
Sofia Vergara starred on Modern Family for more than a decade as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett, a standout and always-hilarious character from the family sitcom. On the big screen, Vergara has flexed her comedic skills alongside Reese Witherspoon in the action-comedy Hot Pursuit and in the beloved food dramedy Chef alongside Jon Favreau.
With a wicked sense of humor and no shortage of glamor, Vergara could easily embody the qualities that made Samantha so popular with fans.
Maya Rudolph
Since her memorable run on SNL in the aughts (and her many reappearances, as well as collaborations with fellow SNL alums), Maya Rudolph has kept countless audiences doubled over in laughter. This is most recently the case with Netflix's Big Mouth, for which she famously provides multiple voices.
Rudolph's most similar project to Sex and the City has perhaps been playing bride-to-be Lillian in Bridesmaids, in which a ragtag group of female friends disastrously prepares for a wedding. The Emmy winner is a proven expert at spoofing the trappings of sex and marriage, and she could bring a lighthearted touch to the upcoming revival.
Ali Wong
This renowned comedian came to many people's attention with her 2016 stand-up special Baby Cobra on Netflix and its 2018 follow-up Hard Knock Wife. Besides her hugely successful stand-up career, Wong co-wrote and starred in 2019's Always Be Your Maybe and DCEU's 2020 action flick Birds of Prey.
TV fans may recognize Wong from American Housewife or for her voice role in Tuca & Bertie opposite Tiffany Haddish. Although she's a bit younger than her potential co-stars, the girls of Sex and the City could easily take on a quasi-mentor role for Wong's character in a similar way as Samantha sometimes did for them.
Rashida Jones
Since her breakout comedy role as Karen Filipelli on NBC's The Office, Rashida Jones has starred on the Steve Carell-created TBS series Angie Tribeca and on fellow mockumentary series Parks and Recreation. She's also appeared in comedy films such as I Love You, Man and Our Idiot Brother, and also has numerous drama roles to her name.
Beginning in 2020, Jones starred alongside Kenya Barris in his Netflix family sitcom #blackAF, of which fans are currently awaiting a second season. With a variety of comedy TV experience under her belt, Jones could bring the kind of awkward humor she perfected a decade ago to the Sex and the City revival.
Salma Hayek
Since coming to many film fans' attention with her Oscar-nominated performance in the 2002 biopic Frida, this well-known dramatic actress nabbed acclaimed guest-starring roles in TV comedies like Ugly Betty and 30 Rock. Hayek's fans can look forward to two new projects in 2021: the Amazon Studios drama series Bliss, in which she will star opposite Owen Wilson, and the MCU's Eternals, where Hayek will be playing the leader of the titular alien race known as Ajak.
With acclaimed comedy roles and serious dramatic chops, Hayek would have no trouble playing opposing counsel to Miranda, a new client of Harry's, or any other role And Just Like That... could throw at her.
Niecy Nash
With her role leading a cast of nail technicians who get involved with the mob in Claws coming to an end in 2021, Niecy Nash could easily land a starring role in And Just Like That... Nash boasts a diverse set of film and movie credits, with previous comedy roles in Comedy Central's Reno 911! and HBO's Getting On. In recent years, she had a starring turn in the Ava DuVernay-directed miniseries When They See Us.
Whether as a new partner at Miranda's law firm or an entertainment executive introduced to the girls by Smith, Nash could surely nail the role.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
This comedy veteran is renowned for her starring role as Elaine Benes in '90s favorite Seinfeld. Since that legendary role, Louis-Dreyfus has enjoyed continued success on The New Adventures of Old Christine and most recently the award-winning Veep, in which she stars as bumbling vice-president Selina Meyer.
Seeing as she's no stranger to playing one-quarter of a drama-filled New York City friend group, Louis-Dreyfus would excel in the revival as, for instance, an eccentric lawyer or member of the fashion elite whom Carrie or Miranda introduces to their friends.
Taraji P. Henson
In her roughly 20 years in the acting game, Taraji P. Henson has achieved monumental success. Although she first came onto many viewers' radars in 2005's Hustle & Flow, she would enjoy an expansive TV career in the next fifteen years culminating in her renowned role as Cookie Lyon, the matriarch of a family in the music business, on Empire.
Although Henson has been lauded as a dramatic actress in films such as 2016's Hidden Figures, her comedy credits are extensive and include Think Like A Man and What Men Want, the latter opposite Tracy Jordan. And Just Like That... would be lucky to nab the award-winning star, who would have no trouble keeping up with the ladies' signature wit and humor.
Tracee Ellis Ross
This TV mainstay is beloved for her eight-year starring run on Girlfriends, another show about four friends navigating sex, dating, and complicated work lives. More recently, the superstar has played Dr. Rainbow Johnson on Black-ish and co-created its spin-off Mixed-ish, which she also narrates. The multitalented actor appeared in her first film role in more than a decade in 2020's The High Note, for which she also recorded an original soundtrack.
If Ross could make time in her busy schedule for an appearance on And Just Like That..., it would be a win for Girlfriends fans and SATC diehards alike.