The Juicy Truth Behind Kim Cattrall's Return for Season 2

Cynthia Nixon, star of And Just Like That, has opened up about her experience shooting season 1 without Kim Cattrall as Samantha. The highly anticipated sequel series, which premiered on Max in December 2021, brought back the beloved characters Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte. However, Cattrall did not reprise her role as Samantha, reportedly due to tensions between her and Sarah Jessica Parker.

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Nixon discussed her time on set without Cattrall. She highlighted the noticeable difference of being in an environment where one doesn't have to constantly tiptoe around. Here is her full statement:

Yes, it did feel very different. It felt different because we have these incredible new characters and we are older now, with our fictional children mostly grown. Many things felt different, but the most important thing was that everyone present genuinely wanted to be there. That's the bottom line. We all have love and passion for each other and for our show, and we were eager to continue working on it. The fact that everyone wanted to be there made a huge difference because it meant there was no tension or uneasiness with someone who might be unhappy for unclear reasons.

Although the specific details of the backstage tension involving Cattrall have never been fully addressed, she declined to join the cast of And Just Like That. Additionally, she had previously decided not to participate in the planned Sex and the City 3 movie, stating that she had reached a point of completion with her character. In 2018, Cattrall's conflicts with Parker became public when she took to Twitter to criticize her co-star, labeling her as "cruel" and a "hypocrite" after Parker extended her condolences following a tragic event in Cattrall's family.

And Just Like That season 1 revolved around Samantha's absence, with the explanation that she and Carrie had a falling out prior to Samantha relocating to London for work. Despite being frequently mentioned and even appearing through text messages, Samantha never made an onscreen appearance. However, the season 1 finale hinted at a potential reconciliation as Samantha and Carrie made plans to meet for drinks.

In a surprising turn of events, Cattrall is now set to make a cameo appearance in And Just Like That season 2. However, her scene, which involves a phone call with Carrie, was filmed separately from the rest of the cast and showrunner Michael Patrick King. The details surrounding this situation are still unclear, but Nixon's statement and the nature of Samantha's cameo suggest that the unresolved tension between the characters may be significant enough to prevent Samantha from returning for a full scene in the foreseeable future.

Source: Vanity Fair