Cynthia Nixon Talks Miranda's 'Lesbianic Qualities' and Why It Had to Be Che Diaz in And Just Like That…

Craig Blankenhorn/HBO Max

Miranda Hobbes entering a queer relationship on the Sex and the City revival And Just Like That... was no surprise to Cynthia Nixon.

In an interview with Variety, Nixon reflected on early discussions she had with showrunner Michael Patrick King about taking Miranda out of her straight relationship with husband Steve Brady (David Eigenberg).

"I was like, 'Sure, why not!'" said Nixon, 56. "If we're trying to do different stuff, and show different worlds, and show different aspects of these characters, why not do that?"

Nixon, who has been openly gay since 2004, wasn't sold on the original idea to have Miranda cheat on Steve with her professor Nya Wallace (Karen Pittman) — but when non-binary comedian Che Diaz (Sara Ramírez) joined the story, Nixon found renewed hope for Miranda's romantic trajectory.

Said the actress, "I know we're crossing a lot of boundaries here that people have a lot of opinions about, but for me a boundary that I don't want to see Miranda cross is dating her professor, you know? That's not OK with me."

Craig Blankenhorn/HBO Max

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For Nixon, Miranda's newfound identity wasn't a total shocker because she believes her character has been queer all along.

"Even though she was only really interested in men, I think that Miranda had many other queer and frankly, lesbianic qualities about her," she began.

"And I think for a lot of gay women, she — we didn't have a gay woman! But she was a stand-in for the gay women we didn't have," she continued. "Miranda has always grappled with power, and female power versus male power, and women getting the short end of the stick — and that's a big issue for women who are queer. I think not having to be under a man's thumb has always been one of the very appealing things that being with another woman has to offer."

Nixon also acknowledged that Miranda wasn't the only woman among Sex and the City's core four to have queer qualities. Recalling how franchise alum Kim Cattrall's character Samantha Jones briefly dated lesbian painter Maria (Sônia Braga), Nixon said: "Samantha we understood was actually semi-queer or a little bit queer. And that was very different."

Throughout And Just Like That's debut season — which wrapped with Miranda moving from New York to Los Angeles to be with Che — many fans were critical of the relationship.

But Nixon has defended the romance. "I think some people are not loving seeing these characters maybe off-kilter," she said on The Drew Barrymore Show in January. "But I love that."

Craig Blankenhorn/HBO Max

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And Just Like That..., which premiered on HBO Max in December 2021, was renewed for a second season in March. Teasing what's to come, King also told Variety there will be much more Che in the upcoming installment.

"One of my burning passions about season 2 is Che," King said. "I want to show the dimension of Che that people didn't see, for whatever reason — because they were blinded, out of fear or terror. I want to show more of Che rather than less of Che. Like, really."