The world quite literally stopped when it heard that Sex And The City would be getting the reboot treatment, with And Just Like That hitting our screens earlier this month. The iconic 90s show was a cultural reset for women all over the world, representing love, sex and friendship in a way that TV simply hadn’t done before.
And, while eager viewers were all too excited for the reboot, it seems that a few key cast members had their reservations. Among them, Cynthia Nixon, who was known for her role as the ambitious, quick-witted, redheaded lawyer, Miranda Hobbes.
Yes, in an alternate universe, the reboot wouldn’t have had Nixon in its lineup, with the actress expressing her initial reservations to bring the show back.
“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, [writer-creator] Michael Patrick King, 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,” Nixon told News Corp in a recent interview.
Cynthia went on to explain how receptive the writers were to her concerns, working hard to ensure the reboot was as diverse as possible.
“I was floored by how hard everybody listened, and how collaboratively we worked together to, not just redecorate the house, but to build a whole new house — that had us in it but new characters, too,” she said.
Along with introducing brand new characters, the show has introduced its first queer, non-binary character Che Diaz whom Miranda is rumoured to strike up a romance with. Fans are full of praise for Miranda’s sexual awakening, and the show’s representation of both sexuality and gender fluidity.
Nixon praised the reboot for showcasing “the spectrum of sexual identities” and viewed it as a good opportunity to “go back and [undo] the things we really got wrong].”
While her hesitations to join the reboot might come as a shock, this isn’t the first time that Nixon has publicly spoken about the original show’s shortcomings, particularly the over-representation of wealthy New-Yorkers.
In an interview with Grazia in 2020, the actress spoke candidly about her issues with the show’s depiction of wealth.
“I was always troubled by how un-diverse it was,” she told the publication. “Certainly racially, but also how the slice of New York city it was showing was so incredibly affluent. Miranda’s husband was the only representation of anybody who didn’t have money for days. I guess Carrie didn’t have money for days, but you would never know it by the way she spent!”
Despite her criticism of the original show, Nixon still credits it for her career today, and is grateful for the opportunities it brought.
“I’m very proud of the original series — despite it being occasionally tone deaf on race and gender — and being Miranda has opened up so many amazing roles for me over the years, but the further I get away from Miranda, the better they get, because people have stopped thinking of me as just that one character,” Nixon said. “But Sex and the City gave me an adult career. And I’ll always be grateful for that,” she continued.
And Just Like That is streaming now on BINGE.
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