Sarah Jessica Parker Took The Role Of Carrie Bradshaw On One Very Specific Condition
Sarah Jessica Parker has played many iconic roles in her prolific career, but it’s safe to say she will forever be associated with Carrie Bradshaw — and to think she almost passed on the role is wild.
Her longtime agent and friend Kevin Huvane is the one fans should thank if they got to see Parker bringing Carrie to life in the iconic Sex and the City. Inspired by Candace Bushnell’s column in The New York Observer, the HBO show followed Carrie and her three friends Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), Charlotte (Kristin Davis), and Samantha (Kim Cattrall) as they navigate love, career, and relationships in New York City.
The show was praised for exploring the most intimate aspects of dating life in a frank, hilarious manner, though Parker wasn’t immediately on board with this element.
How Sarah Jessica Parker Said Yes To Playing Carrie Bradshaw
Parker has revealed she was initially hesitant to play relationship writer Carrie Bradshaw for a number of reasons, including not wanting to commit to a TV show and not wanting to shoot explicit intimate scenes.
« [Huvane] called me up and said, ‘Darren Star reached out to me. He’s written this pilot [Sex and the City] and tells me he wrote it with you in mind — you were in his head when he was writing it. I’m going to send it to you. I’ve read it. I think it’s really good. You should meet with him.’ And I said, ‘Really? I feel like I’ve got it all right now. I can do a play, then do a movie, then do a play, then do a movie. There’s a lot of flexibility. What could be better?' » Parker recalled in an excerpt from James Andrew Miller’s new book Powerhouse: The Untold Story of Hollywood’s Creative Artists published by The Hollywood Reporter in July 2016.
Created by Star, Sex and the City was always going to feature challenging intimate scenes with which the actress wasn’t comfortable. Luckily, the production found a way around those and Parker could be a part of the project, with a little help from her agent Huvane.
« I met with Darren, and there were a couple of concerns that I had — like I really wasn’t keen on doing [exposed intimate scenes] and language issues — but Kevin continued to say to me, ‘This is different. You have never done anything like this before. No one’s ever done a part like this. Do this.' »
Huvane saw the revolutionary potential of Sex and the City, convincing Parker to take on the role of Carrie on her own terms. While her co-stars were all involved in explicit bedroom scenes, Parker could keep her clothes on throughout the series and the two movies, as well as the show’s revival And Just Like That…, premiered in 2021 and now returning for a second season at HBO Max.
Sarah Jessica Parker Has A Special Clause In Her Contract
Parker has often spoken up about her decision not to film explicit scenes and to never shed her clothes for a film or series.
« I’ve always had one, and it’s apropos of absolutely nothing, » Parker told The Hollywood Reporter in November 2016.
« 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 [this clause]. »
The Hocus Pocus star explained she doesn’t judge other actors and actresses who wear their birthday suits for a project. It is simply something she doesn’t feel like doing.
« It’s not a value thing, or like I’m judging anyone else. I just never dug it, » she told People in 2018, adding: « I think it’s great when women feel comfortable doing it, and that’s their choice. »
Here’s Why Sarah Jessica Parker Doesn’t Have Body Doubles
The clause in Parker’s contract also states that no body doubles can be used in intimate sequences involving the actress.
This means that the Mars Attacks! star’s face won’t be edited on a different actor actually leaving their clothes behind for a scene. The reason for this is likely to be the fact that, once a body double is used for a scene, is virtually impossible to tell the difference between their bodies and the actual actors’ they’re standing in, hence giving the illusion of seeing those actors with no clothes on.
« You couldn’t pay me enough to have someone pretend they were me doing a nude scene. No body doubles — that’s part of my contract, » she told The Sun in 2021.
Sarah Jessica Parker’s Clause Became An Issue On One Set
While Parker has often met respectful producers, showrunners, and directors during her career, the clause became an issue on the set of a movie she refused to name.
The film included an intimate scene, explained Parker, « and the actor said, ‘I’m gonna be out of my clothing.’ I said, ‘Fantastic. That’s wonderful you feel comfortable doing it.' »
Still, Parker refused to cave to the pressure and held her ground. While Carrie wouldn’t always stay true to her decisions, we feel she would be proud of Parker’s resolution.
