Cynthia Nixon Says That Miranda Was Always Queer

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In 2021, when Miranda Hobbes came out as queer in And Just Like That ..., audiences saw one of their favorite characters (or most-hated, depending on whether viewers saw themselves as a Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, or Miranda) find new love with non-binary character Che Diaz. That development would become one of the show's — love it or hate it —  biggest takeaways from its premiere season, and actress Cynthia Nixon spoke about how she believes that Miranda was queer all along, even in Sex and the City's initial run. She explained that the character had "lesbianic qualities" and that for the time (SATC ran from 1998-2004), Miranda was a "stand-in" for gay women.

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

RELATED: Kim Cattrall Subtly Responded to Samantha's Absence on And Just Like That ...

"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," she continued. "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."

As Nixon signed on for the show's reboot, she and series creator Michael Patrick King spoke about how Miranda would be queer — King calls Miranda an "anarchy character" — and together, they decided it was where they character needed to go.

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

Nixon addressed fans' reactions to Miranda breaking up with Steve during an appearance with Andy Cohen, saying that sometimes, breakups have to happen so people can grow.

"That's the thing about breakups: Oftentimes there is one person that is making the breakup happen and the other person who is reluctant," she said on Watch What Happens Live in January. "I have to say, that person who is reluctant is pretty miserable too, and they're just not admitting it."