Kim Cattrall Says Her Internalized Ageism Made Her Turn Down <i>SATC</i> Role 4 Times

In a new interview, Kim Cattrall shared how Sex and the City fan favorite Samantha Jones wasn’t an immediate “yes” for her when she was cast. The star admitted she turned down the role four times because of “self-inflicted ageism.” The actress was 41-years-old when she became Samantha, which she at first felt was too old for such a confidently sexual character.

“Well, that changed—40 became sexy. It became, ‘Man, let’s have more of that,” she told The Times. “She wasn’t a nymphomaniac—well, some people might have thought she was—but she was just enjoying the main course. Everyone else was nibbling on the appetizers when she was going for the steak. And it was always on her terms—that I always insisted on. But I’m the antithesis of her [Samantha] in many ways. I’m a serial monogamist, and then some.”

Cattrall added, “I created a fantastic character that I loved, and I put a lot of love in it. And if I’m remembered only for that, then that’s really okay.”

The original Sex and the City had six seasons on HBO before ending in 2004. The sequel series And Just Like That… premiered in 2021, starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis. Cattrall declined to return as Samantha until season 2, when she made a brief cameo in one episode.

In May, Parker was asked by ELLE UK if there might be another Samantha cameo, and the actress replied, “No, no, I don’t think so. Not that we [Parker and showrunner Michael Patrick King] have ever discussed.”

In July 2024, a source told Life & Style, “Since they’ve paved the way for Samantha to come back, it’s assumed that they’ve done a deal with Kim and they’re just waiting for the right time to announce it. The word is that she’ll get to do all her scenes in London.”