Don’t hold your breath for Kim Cattrall to turn up in tomorrow’s And Just Like That… season finale.
In a new interview with Variety, creator Michael Patrick King said that fans won’t see the 65-year-old actress play Samantha Jones, her beloved character on Sex and the City, ever again.
When asked if the door was “open” for Cattrall to potentially return to the world of SATC through the spinoff series, King shot down the idea. (While AJLT has not officially been renewed for a second season, the showrunner and Sarah Jessica Parker both told the outlet they’d be interested in continuing.)
“No. Just like there was no thought that Kim would ever participate in And Just Like That, because she’s said what she had said,” King said, citing Cattrall’s long-held stance that she would never return to the franchise, citing tension with her costars. (Parker, 56, has consistently shot down any suggestion of a feud between herself and Cattrall.)
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Of the creative process, he continued, “The only place I participate in magical thinking is in fiction… Magically thinking, it’s great to have Samantha,” he said, before stressing, “I have no realistic expectation of Kim Cattrall ever appearing again.”
The show must go on, and AJLT explained in the premiere episode that Samantha moved to London for work, later revealing that her “pride got damaged” after Carrie Bradshaw (Parker) had to let her go as a publicist due to the state of the publishing business.
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Though Cattrall is physically absent from the 10-part series, King said he delighted in keeping her character present through the storyline.
“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,” he told Variety.
“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,” he said.
Following the shocking, sudden death of Mr. Big, King said that Carrie took comfort in staying connected to Samantha through the phone, despite the distance between them.
“I feel when someone’s in your heart and in your soul and friendships, how do your friends support you when you’re going through the worst thing that can happen?” he elaborated. “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.”
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Though Cattrall is no longer seen on screen, King added that he didn’t feel pressure when writing the high-powered publicist into the script.
“I’m happy to be Samantha. We use it sparingly and well,” he said of the “exciting” opportunity to work the character in. “I love Samantha! I’m happy when she’s in the show. It was important emotionally for everybody. Me and the fans; me and the viewer.”
The season 1 finale of AJLT drops Thursday on HBO Max
