No, Samantha Is Not Dead, ‘Sex and the City’ Boss Confirms Ahead of ‘And Just Like That’

Ryan Lattanzio
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Speculation ends here and now as to how the “Sex and the City” team planned to write no-show Kim Cattrall out of the upcoming sequel series “And Just Like That”: No, Samantha Jones is not dead, as confirmed by showrunner and executive producer Michael Patrick King in a recent New York Times interview.

“Nobody’s dead,” King said. “Nobody.” (That also includes Mr. Big, who was once-rumored to not be returning to the show but now most definitely is as evidenced by Chris Noth’s appearance in recent trailers.)

More from IndieWire

While the series will pick up back in New York City with the Girls now in their 50s, one key element missing will be Cattrall, who starred as the outspoken and sex-positive Samantha Jones. The actress has long been vocal about never wanting to return to the beloved franchise, and so she won’t be appearing in the new series. In another recent interview, “Sex and the City” author Candace Bushnell said she didn’t understand the fervor around Samantha’s absence. “Honestly, I really don’t understand that kind of fandom where people are like, ‘Oh my God [Samantha’s gone],’ it’s so anathema to me,” Bushnell said. “I don’t have that personality, so I don’t actually even understand it. I don’t understand why people are even interested in celebrities. It mystifies me.”

In the New York Times interview, King also said that the death of Willie Garson (who played Carrie’s gay bestie Stanford Blatch) will not be written into the show. The actor passed away in September unexpectedly after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

“Because it wasn’t charming,” King said of trying to factor his death into “And Just Like That.” “And I knew that the audience would know.”

Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis will be back for the ride as Miranda and Charlotte. New to the cast, however, are Nicole Ari Parker, Sarita Choudhury, Karen Pittman, and Sara Ramirez, bringing fresh faces to the series and also providing a new set of characters as the girls grapple with life in the city in their 50s. “Each of the episodes, at this point, they’re all around 43 minutes,” King said. “Because there’s seven fully realized people in it.”

As for why the show didn’t have characters of color prominently featured before, star Sarah Jessica Parker said, “It was a show that was based on material that was very much of its time.”

The 10-episode limited series “And Just Like That” bows on HBO Max on December 9.

Best of IndieWire

Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.