Let’s be real — we all have those old photos or videos that make us cringe. For Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon, it’s the entire six seasons of the show that put her in her feelings.
In a recent chat with Grazia, Cynthia, who plays Miranda Hobbes, shared that she rewatched the entire original series before jumping back into character for the spinoff And Just Like That. Her honest review? About 90% of it still holds up, but some moments definitely haven’t aged well.
“It was always tough being on a show that was so white,” she said. “I hated that part. When we brought it up back then, we were told, ‘This is Candace Bushnell’s world — and it’s a white world.’ And I was like… okay, really?”
Now 59, Cynthia didn’t just point out the lack of diversity — she also said some of the LGBTQ+ storylines were a little cringe-worthy in hindsight. Still, she stands by the heart of the show. “It’s always been a feminist show,” she said. “That part still means a lot to me.”
If you were around when the show first aired in 1998, you probably remember how groundbreaking it was. Cynthia was 32 when it all started, playing Miranda — a tough, no-nonsense lawyer figuring out love and life with her best friends in NYC.
“We were in our 30s and 40s back then,” she said. “Looking back now, we seem like babies. But being single at that age used to come with a lot of judgment.”
The show helped challenge that stigma. “You could be a woman, have lots of sex, and it didn’t make you a slut,” Cynthia said. “You were having sex because you liked it — not to get something out of it.”
Sex and the City wrapped in 2004 with Miranda settling down with Steve, played by David Eigenberg. But in the 2021 spinoff And Just Like That, fans were shocked when Miranda left Steve for Che (played by Sara Ramirez). Not everyone loved that twist — but Cynthia’s cool with the backlash.
“It doesn’t really bother me,” she said. “This show has always taken risks. If we’re just doing what’s safe and predictable, what’s the point?”
She also stood by the Che character, even though some fans weren’t fans. “I love Che, I love Sara,” Cynthia said. “I think people might’ve felt differently if Che hadn’t been part of Miranda and Steve’s breakup. But I don’t want a show where everyone’s always on their best behavior.”
ICYMI: Season 3 of And Just Like That is dropping Thursday, May 29. At the end of Season 2, Miranda and Steve patched things up enough to be friendly after their divorce. And Miranda even had a decent moment with Che, too.
As showrunner Michael Patrick King said back in 2022, “We took something familiar and made it new — for better or worse.”
And when it comes to online criticism? King doesn’t sweat the noise. “I don’t look at the little stuff,” he said. “I just hear the big-picture reactions — love it, hate it, can’t stop watching it. That’s enough for me.”
