The iconic “Sex and the City” character, portrayed by Kim Cattrall, has been referenced — and even texted — in revival series “And Just Like That…” despite Cattrall leaving the cast. Now, showrunner Michael Patrick King is addressing whether or not fans can expect Cattrall onscreen in possible future seasons. “No,” King told Variety when asked if the door was open for her to return. “Just like there was no thought that Kim would ever participate in ‘And Just Like That’ because she’s said what she had said…You have to look at the reality of something: You can literally not make an actress play a part.” King added, “The only place I participate in magical thinking is in fiction. You take people at their word, and you’re a smart producer — you don’t back yourself into a corner. Magically thinking, it’s great to have Samantha [but] I have no realistic expectation of Kim Cattrall ever appearing again.”
Fans previously speculated the show would kill off Samantha. Yet immediately in the first episode of “And Just Like That…,” audiences discovered that Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Samantha had a falling out, and Samantha moved to London in the aftermath. And because fan favorite Samantha isn’t deceased, the character can still interact with Carrie, Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) by way of text, funeral flowers, and podcast on-air mentions. “It was a big day for me as a writer when I realized that even though Kim Cattrall didn’t want to be in the series, Samantha could be — because of texting,” King said. “I was like, ‘Right! Samantha can be in the show.’ Because she should be: She’s part of the show and people love her. And I wanted to respect the legacy, wanted to respect the fans.” ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection King compared Carrie and Samantha’s decades-long friendship to real-life relationships, saying, “I found it interesting that Carrie would reach out to Samantha in certain specific times. And it’s kind of magical that all of a sudden on a text, Samantha makes a Samantha joke. And you feel like she’s there again. It’s the power of writing. It’s all make believe. It’s all pretend! I love the idea of the dance — the true love being the reach.” But of course, in the world of “Sex and the City,” it seems anything can happen. “Carrie says, ‘Do you want to talk?’ And Samantha goes, ‘Soon.’ Like, they’re getting ready,” King said. “It might as well be Carrie and Aidan.” Cattrall currently can be seen in Hulu’s “How I Met Your Father,” a “How I Met Your Mother” spin-off series. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
