Throughout Sex and the City, main character Carrie Bradshaw’s (Sarah Jessica Parker) most notable storylines involved a character simply called “Big.” Based on The New York Observer’s “Sex and the City” column by Candace Bushnell, HBO’s Sex and the City began airing in 1998 and ran for six seasons. The series tackled modern social issues focusing on feminist experiences in sexuality, safe sex, and promiscuity.
Of Carrie’s four major boyfriends in Sex and the City, Big (Chris Noth) was arguably her greatest romance. First appearing in the series’ pilot episode in a chance encounter with Carrie, Big (or Mr. Big) was a very wealthy and mysterious man with whom she had an on-and-off relationship with throughout the series. Big was said to be based on former GQ and Talk publisher Ron Galotti, who Bushnell dated for a period of time.
The show simply called him Big throughout the series, largely as a subtle nod to his tycoon-like lifestyle and status, seemingly out of Carrie’s league. Finally, after six seasons of being referred to by his nickname, Big’s real name, John, was revealed in the Sex and the City series finale via caller ID, when Carrie received a call from him on her pink-bedazzled flip phone. In the trailer for the series spin-off Sex and the City: The Movie, Big’s full name was revealed to be John James Preston. This was also the first time Carrie was ever heard saying his name out loud.
Why Mr. Big's Real Name Isn't Revealed Until Sex & The City's Finale & Movies
In Sex and the City’s DVD commentary, co-producer Michael Patrick King revealed Big’s real name was never used during the series largely to maintain his shadowy demeanor. It also aided in affirming the feeling that he was “always slightly out of reach” for the 30-something, middle-class smoker Carrie, regardless of when in her timeline they appeared together. This was further perpetuated by Big’s occupation also never being clearly stated on the show. As to how Big’s name came to be, King shared in 2017 that “[i]n the last episode, in the last moment, I realized [I had] to say Mr. Big’s name and I just [mimes typing on a keyboard] ‘John,’” (via Entertainment Weekly). Funny enough, there was a time when King had no intention of giving Big a name. He went on to share, "In my mind? He had no name. It was just one of those things where it’s like, ‘Oh, it’s happening right now’ and you didn’t plan it.” King also expressed he chose “John” because he wanted to give Big the most generic name possible. Ironically, this contradicts the anonymity and esteem the nickname Big gave the Sex and the City character. While his name reveal wasn’t ultimately necessary, it did help to ground his character and remind the show’s many supporters that at the end of the day, Carrie’s true love was just like any other man.
For its six years on air, Sex and the City racked up various accolades, including seven Emmys, eight Golden Globes and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. The show even earned itself two feature films and the sequel spin-off series And Just Like That… Unfortunately, though he briefly appeared in the sequel series, Sex and the City’s leading man Big had a heart attack in the pilot episode and was shockingly killed off, bringing his and Carrie’s romance to a devastating end.