Sex and the City author Candace Bushnell ‘happy and surprised’ Kim Cattrall returning
Sex And The City fans rejoiced when they learned that Kim Cattrall would be returning to her role of Samantha Jones for And Just Like That, despite her feud with Sarah Jessica Parker.
Now the mastermind behind the iconic series, author Candace Bushnell, has weighed in on Kim’s return.
Speak with Page sixBushnell, author of the book on which the hit HBO series is based, said having Kim back “is probably the best thing for the show.”
“When I heard the news I was happy and surprised. The fans love Kim and I think it will be great for the show. A piece was missing. She was an important part of that circle of friends,” Bushnell, 64, told Page Six.
Bushnell predicted the next season would be a “great one,” adding, “I’m glad Kim is moving on from there. I think it’s probably best for the show. A lot of people miss Samantha.’
‘There was a piece missing’: Candace Bushnell, author of Sex And The City, has endorsed Kim Cattrall’s return in And Just Like That; pictured last month
She is back! Kim, pictured on Sex And The City, reprises her role of Samantha Jones for the HBO spinoff
Samantha Jones isn’t the only fan favorite returning to the show – Carrie Bradshaw’s ex-boyfriend Aiden Shaw, played by John Corbett, 62, also appears in the spin-off.
“It’s so real to me,” Bushnell said. “It’s like having an ex-boyfriend come back into your life. It’s the one that escaped, so I think that’s interesting.”
Cattrall, 66, returns for just one “cliffhanger” scene, which she shot in New York City on March 22, without seeing or speaking to stars SJP, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis. The scene was also shot without AJLT showrunner Michael Patrick King, Variety reported last month.
In the scene, Samantha, who has moved to London, will have a phone conversation with Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw.
The New York Post also revealed that Cattrall’s cameo was so secretive that her name didn’t even appear on the call sheet for the day, leaving people stunned by her presence.
An insider said the show’s staffers were “absolutely shocked, very intrigued about how they’re going to write this — and very excited. She said she would never! She said she’d never come back!’
It was alleged that her scene was filmed in a city car in a parking garage near Silvercup Studios in Queens.
Sex And The City designer Patricia Field, who is not the costume designer for AJLT, returned to dress Cattrall for the scene. The second season of AJLT premieres June 22 on Max.
‘The one who got away’: Candace also weighed in on Carrie’s ex-boyfriend Aiden Shawn, played by John Corbett, who returned
Samantha did star in season one of AJLT – but only via text, as Carrie repeatedly messaged her to try and mend their friendship. AJLT saw Carrie claim that Samantha cut her off and moved to London – due to anger at the writer who fired her as a publicist – in a storyline that criticized Cattrall for not being authentic to the character.
The explosive reveal will both delight and shock fans of SATC, as Cattrall has previously refused to ever reprise her favorite role as the man-hungry publicist – having last played the character in the much-derided 2010 film, Sex and the city 2.
Even SJP has claimed she doesn’t want Kim back – when Variety asked in a 2022 interview if she’d be ‘OK’ if Cattrall, 65, could come back to the show if a ‘miracle happened’, after their very public feud exploded in 2018.
Parker responded, “I don’t think I would because I think there’s just too much public history of feelings on her part that she’s shared.”
Hit series: The original group consisted of actors Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, Kim and Sarah Jessica Parker
Big Screen: The group depicted in their movie, Sex And The City: The Movie
Addition: “I have not participated in or read any articles, although people tend to let me know.”
“We didn’t go to Kim for this, you know,” Parker said. “After we didn’t make the movie and the studio couldn’t fulfill what she wanted to do, we need to hear her and listen to her and what was important to her.”
‘It didn’t fit in with what was important or necessary for us. There’s a very clear line between Samantha and Kim,” Parker continued.
‘Samantha’s not gone. Samantha’s present, and I think it was treated with such respect and elegance. She was not villainous. She was a human being who had feelings about a relationship, so I think we found a way to handle it, which was necessary and important for people who loved her.”