Sex And The City author Candace Bushnell, who inspired the HBO show’s lead actress Carrie Bradshaw, makes some honest confessions about her dating history.
And it turns out that some of her experiences in the dating scene can be just as entertaining as her fictional sex columnist, who’s been played by actress Sarah Jessica Parker.
Bushnell admitted that she had come to a “you never know dating attitude” when it comes to making a good match in the romance department, admitting that she dated some guys who had a 60-year difference between the two had.
“You know, I have so many crazy dating adventures. I mean, one week I dated a guy who was 21 and a guy who was 91,” the 64-year-old Glastonbury, Connecticut, told me. Us weekly.
She added, “No one is telling you this is going to happen. Like that the age group will be 60 years old.’
Dating confession: Sex And The City author Candace Bushnell, 64, revealed her ‘you never know’ cop dating resulted in her dating a 21-year-old and a 91-year-old in the same week
Bushnell’s New York Observer column was adapted into the Sex And The City series that ran on HBO for six seasons from 1998 to 2004.
The show followed Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and her BFFs Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), Samantha (Kim Cattrall) and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) through their dating lives in New York City.
it would also spawn two feature films: Sex and the City: The Movie (2008) and Sex And The City 2 (2010), as well as its sequel series And Just Like That… (2021–present).
While discussing the show’s history, Bushnell revealed that there was a time when the creators and producers considered hiring her to play Carrie after Parker expressed doubts about whether or not to take the role.
“She (Parker) wasn’t sure she wanted to do it,” Bushnell explained. “So I think there was a point where they thought, ‘Well, maybe (Candace) could do it.’ And I was like, “No, I wouldn’t even know how to do it.” So I’ve actually always been really happy that (Sarah) is Carrie Bradshaw. I mean she’s great.’
Bushnell went on to say that she doesn’t think any of the four main female characters in Sex And The City are a complete representation of her life or character.
When asked if she agrees that dating is easier in your 50s and 60s because you know exactly what you want and exactly who you are, Bushnell noted that it’s the thrill of the unknown that can make dating interesting .
Legendary: Bushnell’s New York Observer column was adapted into the Sex And The City series that ran for six seasons on HBO from 1998 to 2004
“It’s not necessary that you know what you want,” she shared, adding, “I have more of a dating attitude of, ‘You never know.'” That’s why I’m dating a 21-year-old and a 91 year old. I’m like, “I don’t know.” Nobody knows.’
Older and wiser with age, the author revealed that she has followed a “tell them the truth” policy when deciding if she and a prospective date are a good match.
“I’ve been on dates with guys and I’ve said, ‘You know what, this isn’t going to work. You now, you’re very nice, this and that, but you’re not the right person for me.’ ,” she said. “I mean, that’s definitely something you think you can do when you’re older and dating.”
She went on to talk about how that truth policy isn’t so easy when you’re younger because “you don’t want to hurt their feelings.”
“So that’s my motto: yes, you can tell them the truth,” she repeated.
Carrie in doubt: While discussing the history of the HBO show, Bushnell revealed that there was a time when the creators and producers considered hiring her to play Carrie after Parker expressed doubts about whether or not to take on the roll
Her attitude: “I have more of a dating attitude of, ‘You never know.'” Like, that’s why I’m dating a 21-year-old and a 91-year-old. I’m like, “I don’t know.” Like, no one knows’; the SATC author is pictured in The Hamptons in July 2023
Aside from being back on the dating scene, Bushnell is also focused on her work and her one-woman show, True Tales Of Sex, Success And Sex And The City.
The idea for the show came from the COVID-19 pandemic and features a range of personal stories about fashion, literature and of course sex, as well as a healthy dose of SATC stories.
“I’m telling the story of how I came to New York and crazy things that happened to me,” she shared as a teaser. “And how I made Sex in the City, how hard I worked to get there, why I invented Carrie Bradshaw, and what happened to me afterwards.”
True Stories of Sex, Success, and Sex and the City take place at Canoe Place in Hampton Bays, New York, on Thursday, August 17 at 8:00 PM ET.