Sarah Jessica Parker has recalled the moment she knew Carrie Bradshaw was an icon within the LGBTQIA+ community.
The Emmy-winning actress returns as the iconic character in the third season of the Sex and the City spin-off And Just Like That…, alongside franchise mainstays Cynthia Nixon as Miranda Hobbes and Kristin Davis as Charlotte York Goldenblatt.
Speaking with GAY TIMES ahead of the premiere, Parker took a moment to reflect on Carrie’s enduring popularity with rainbow people, recalling the season three finale of Sex and the City, which saw Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall) clash with a group of trans women sex workers outside her apartment.
Ultimately, the episode concludes on a celebratory note, with the women sharing Flirtinis and dancing together at a rooftop party.
Although it has since drawn criticism for its portrayal of trans women and reliance on outdated stereotypes, Parker says there was “something about that moment” that made her realise how much of a connection she, and the series, had with their LGBTQIA+ audience.
“I can’t describe it, because it’s rather elusive to try and suggest a connection with a community that you know is meaningful,” she explains. “Whenever that season aired, it felt as if we had been integrated into that community — that those fictional characters were now making connections in the gay community that were consequential and meaningful to me, and not without importance.”
Over the course of And Just Like That…’s three seasons, the series has made a conscious effort to deliver more authentic depictions of the LGBTQIA+ experience — from Miranda coming to terms with her queerness to Charlotte learning how to be the best parent to her non-binary child, Rock (Alexa Swinton).
Grey’s Anatomy icon Sara Ramirez also starred in the first two seasons as non-binary comic and podcaster Che Diaz.
It’s important for Parker to highlight Mario Cantone’s gay event planner, Anthony Marentino, and the late Willie Garson, who memorably played Carrie’s best friend outside of the OG quartet, Stanford Blatch. She credits these “steady characters” with paving the way for the show’s increased queer visibility.
“I’m really glad that they have been such an important part of these stories,” says Parker, before explaining that the inclusion of queer people is necessary as it’s “the way we all really live our lives”: “I don’t think there’s a person on set that doesn’t know somebody with a non-binary child who has declared that feeling, that emotional connection in which they see themselves and hope the way the world sees them.
“There isn’t anybody in our lives who doesn’t have a gay family member, partner, colleague at work. All of it exists in our lives, so it feels very right and easy and not effortful to include those stories. They exist all around us, so it’s just nice that they’re a part of it. I’m glad they are so easily part of what we get to shoot.”
The third season of And Just Like That also sees the return of David Eigenberg as Steve Brady, Evan Handler as Harry Goldenblatt, Sarita Choudhury as Seema Patel, Nicole Ari Parker as Lisa Todd Wexley, Cathy Ang as Lily Goldenblatt, John Corbett as Aidan Shaw, Niall Cunningham as Brady Hobbes, Chris Jackson as Herbert Wexley, Sebastiano Pigazzi as Giuseppe and Dolly Wells as Joy.
New stars include Logan Marshall-Green, Mehcad Brooks, Jonathan Cake and Rosie O’Donnell.
With season three focusing on Carrie as she diverts from her memoir to write fiction, Parker tells GAY TIMES that fans can expect a “big, wonderful, juicy, complicated and surprising season.” After Aidan memorably told Carrie that he wanted to spend more time with his sons — asking for a five-year moratorium on their relationship — a “really rich storyline” is also in store for their relationship.
“[There’s] great scenes with Seema, unexpected events with other people,” she says. “She’s writing fiction for the first time, and that story that she tells via narration has a really interesting way of penetrating into the entire season and asking really interesting questions about, once again, women and societal expectations and conventions about what is appropriate. It’s a big, big season. It’s fun, it’s beautiful, it’s summer in the city — sexy and moves quickly. It’s deeply felt, and it was wonderful to shoot.”
The season three premiere of And Just Like That… is now available in the UK on Sky or NOWTV.
You can watch our interview with Sarah Jessica Parker here.
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