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Marie Claire US

Surprising Things You Never Knew About 'Sex and the City'

Originally published on Marie Claire US

March 4, 2023, 7:00 AM

<p> I couldn't help but wonder, will we ever get tired of Carrie Bradshaw? </p> <p> Sex and the City was one of the most popular shows of the 90s so we decided to honor our nostalgic selves and tap into a behind-the-scenes investigation of the iconic show.  </p> <p> From nudity clauses to rumored feuds, ahead surprising tidbits you never knew about <em>Sex and the City</em>. </p> <p> <em>By Rachel Epstein </em> </p>

<p> In a 2016 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, SJP explains her decision not to film any naked scenes throughout the show's six-season run: "I've always had one, and it's apropos of absolutely nothing. Some people have a perks list and they are legendary. They have to have white candles in their room. I don't have a crazy list like that. I've just always had [a no-nudity clause]." </p>

<p> The show is based off of author Candace Bushnell's life in a collection of essays published as Sex and the City. However, Bushnell admits the show often embellished her storylines.  </p>

<p> Bushnell wrote a sex column for The New York Observer back in the '90s, which was characterized as the fictional New York Star in the show. Star got away with only paying Bushnell $60,000 for the rights to her columns. </p>

<p> In a recent interview with The Guardian, Bushnell admits, "Viewers got so invested in the storyline of Carrie and Big that it became a bit like Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett. They had become an iconic couple and women really related to it; they would say 'I found my Mr Big' or 'I just broke up with my Mr Big.' It became part of the lexicon," she explains. "And when people are making a TV show, it's show business, not show art, so at that point it was for the audience and we weren't thinking about what the impact would be 10 years later." </p>

<p> His name is Ron Galotti, and he's a big-time magazine publisher who inspired Bushnell's columns.  </p>

<p> But producers changed their mind last minute because Bushnell is blonde. </p>

<p> Talk about commitment.  </p>

<p> Parker revealed her agent had to convince her to play Carrie Bradshaw after her concerns about her no-nudity clause and other factors. Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce star Lisa Edelstein would have been the second choice if Parker officially turned it down.  </p>

<p> "I always knew how it was going to end, and it made sense to me because New York is a fifth character in this show," he confessed. "And Carrie needed to end up with New York. Mr. Big is New York. And it always made sense to me." </p>

<p> It took a long time for Sex and the City to introduce a non-white love interest on the show. Back in 2003, Nixon admits her and Parker were the biggest advocates of wanting to improve the cast's diversity, stating it's "irresponsible." Nixon explains, "I'm a huge fan of the show, but if we had an area in which we really could use improvement, it's certainly this one." </p>

<p> She turned down the role twice before being persuaded to take it.  </p>

<p> It only cost $5.  </p>

<p> SATC creator Darren Star revealed to MTV that "sitting in the vault somewhere, there is an alternate opening-credit sequence where Sarah is wearing a blue dress. And she doesn't get splashed by the bus, but instead she trips when she sees the bus." </p>

<p> Matthew McConaughey's role in the season 3 episode "Escape From New York" was originally written for Alec Baldwin. After Baldwin turned it down, it was then offered to George Clooney. After Clooney turned it down, it was then offered to Warren Beatty, who also rejected it. Only then was it offered to Matthew McConaughey. </p>

<p> SJP admits the cosmos never had any alcohol in them. Instead, they had water, food coloring, or cranberry juice. However, the brunch food was ~definitely~ real.   </p>

<p> Executive producer Amy B. Harris subtly reveals that in the original SATC script, the characters looked into the camera and talked straight to the viewers. It's unclear why they decided to drop this route, but we couldn't imagine it any other way.  </p>

<p> You may have glazed past the shoe salesman in the "All That Glitters" episode. If you take a closer look, it's none other than Andy Cohen, who made a cameo appearance back in the fourth season. SJP and the star of Bravo's Watch What Happens Live have been great friends ever since—even accompanying each other to The Met Gala throughout the years.  </p>

<p> Talk about cutting it close.  </p>

<p> And also wrote the handwritten note shown in the film.  </p>

<p> The red-haired boy who plays Brady (Joseph Pupo) in the film is the same actor who played baby Brady in the TV series.   </p>

<p> That breakup via Post-it note? Totally based off of a true story from one of the show's writers.  </p>

<p> Carrie's address is 245 East 73rd Street, Samantha's is 300 Gansevoort Street, Charlotte's is 700 Park Avenue, and Miranda's is 331 West 78th Street. None of these addresses exist in real life. </p>

<p> Available daily in NYC, the guided Sex and the City Hotspots Tour gives you a peek at over 40 locations from the show.  </p>

<p> SATC has always been controversial though SJP admits the show was never truly about empowerment—it was about love. "I don't think that empowerment was a word that was ever used once on our set, in a writer's room, among the female actors," Parker told Variety.  </p>

<p> When Big's name was revealed in the show's finale, everyone wondered where the producers came up with the name "John." However, executive producer Michael Patrick King revealed it was totally on the whim when writing the finale. "It was just one of those things where it's like, 'Oh, it's happening right now' and you didn't plan it," he told Entertainment Weekly."I just went, 'John,' while pretending to type on a keyboard. 'I told all the writers and they were like, What the hell? And I was like, 'Yeah, we have to say his name, because now he's real.'" </p>

<p> But she had to turn it down due to scheduling conflicts with Spice Girls tour rehearsals. </p>

<p> Sex and the City won seven of its 54 Emmy Award nominations, eight of its 24 Golden Globe Award nominations, and three of its 11 Screen Actors Guild Award nominations in addition to awards in directing, producing, costumes, and more.  </p>

<p> Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, and Cynthia Nixon all won individual awards for their roles. The only actress who failed to win a solo award for her character was Kristen Davis, who played Charlotte York.  </p>

<p> There are only eight episodes in the fifth season because Sarah Jessica Parker was pregnant with son James Wilkie Broderick.  </p>

<p> Trey proposed to Charlotte in front of Tiffany's in season three. However, a fake window was used because it wouldn't allow the real store to be filmed due to security reasons.  </p>

<p> It's been rumored SJP and Kim Cattrall didn't get along on set, but Parker has confirmed the rumors are completely false. "It used to really confound me and really upset me, because we were part of a family [with fellow HBO hit] The Sopranos, and nobody ever questioned the relationships of the men on that show, and nobody ever said to them, 'Did you hang out this weekend with each other?' or, 'Did you give each other Christmas presents?'" Parker tells Entertainment Tonight. "...It really upset me for a very long time." </p>

<p> Darren Starr originally wanted to cast Alec Baldwin for the role.  </p>

<p> ...That is until the final episode where Carrie wears a fur coat from the first season. Costume Designer Patricia Field continues to work with Darren Star today on his most recent series, Younger.   </p>

<p> Mikhail Baryshnikov, who plays Aleksandr Petrovsky, is dubbed one of the greatest ballet dancers in history. Carrie meets Petrovsky in the final season and he swoops her away to Paris.  </p>

<p> "I think the show ultimately betrayed what it was about, which was that women don't ultimately find happiness from marriage," Star admits. "Not that they can't. But the show initially was going off script from the romantic comedies that had come before it. That's what had made women so attached." </p>

<p> Creator Darren Star told MTV, "For me, it was important that the hair color, body types and everything was different," he recalls. "When Cynthia Nixon came in to read for the first time, she was blonde. I saw Miranda as a redhead. Thankfully, I took that leap of faith that she would look good as a redhead." </p>

<p> After airing the scene with Carrie and Miranda in season 3, episode 5 the bakery had to hire a bouncer because the spot became so popular.  </p>

<p> Until season 4, episode 12 the opening sequence was set in front of the Twin Towers. However, after the 9/11 attacks the creators moved the credits to appear in front of the Empire State Building.  </p>

<p> But it didn't last long. The show was cancelled after the second season. Even SJP herself wasn't a fan, publicly stating "it's odd."  </p>

<p> According to E!, Carrie, Miranda, and Samantha's clothing were mostly borrowed samples, whereas Miranda's clothing had been purchased. Nixon explains, "The other women wore a lot of samples. Miranda's not quite that cutting-edge, so they actually purchased a lot of the clothes." </p>

<p> Cattrall reveals she often struggled finding ways to make the sex scenes realistic.  </p>

<p> In season 3, episode 18 Carrie and Big fall into the Central Park boating pond. In Sex and the City: Kiss and Tell, Parker reveals they did the fall in one take. She also cut her foot while filming the scene —  having to get a tetanus shot right after they finished.  </p>

<p> The ladies shot the second film back in 2010, six years after the series went off the air. Abu Dhabi authorities denied permission for the crew to film in the city after reading the script, which made them move the filming location to Morocco.  </p>

<p> Need we say more?  </p>

<p> We couldn't help but wonder, how could Carrie not question herself in the final episode? Instead, her final question is actually asked in the episode before she moves to Paris when she writes, "Is it time to stop questioning?"  </p>

SJP almost wasn't Carrie Bradshaw

I couldn't help but wonder, will we ever get tired of Carrie Bradshaw?

Sex and the City was one of the most popular shows of the 90s so we decided to honor our nostalgic selves and tap into a behind-the-scenes investigation of the iconic show.

From nudity clauses to rumored feuds, ahead surprising tidbits you never knew about Sex and the City.

By Rachel Epstein

Everett

SJP almost wasn't Carrie Bradshaw

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