Non-Binary 'Grey's Anatomy' Star Sara Ramirez To Join 'Sex And The City' Reboot — But They're Not Replacing Kim Cattrall
After Kim Cattrall did not sign on to reprise her role as Samantha Jones in the Sex and the City reboot, titled And Just Like That..., HBO Max has announced that non-binary star Sara Ramirez will join Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis instead.
That said, Ramirez will not be replacing Cattrall's character and will instead play Che Diaz, who is "a non-binary, queer, stand-up comedian that hosts a podcast on which Carrie Bradshaw is regularly featured."
Che will be "a big presence with a big heart whose outrageous sense of humour and progressive, human overview of gender roles has made them and their podcast very popular."
Cattrall reportedly told Piers Morgan in 2017 that she did not want to do anymore SATC projects. "Maybe they could make it an African-American Samantha Jones or a Hispanic Samantha Jones, or bring in another character," she suggested.
The character of Che Diaz will go by they/them pronouns; the former Grey's Anatomy star came out as non-binary in August and uses she/they pronouns.
"Everyone at And Just Like That … is beyond thrilled that a dynamically talented actor such as Sara Ramírez has joined the Sex and the City family," executive producer Michael Patrick King said, according to Deadline. "Sara is a one-of-a-kind talent, equally at home with comedy and drama – and we feel excited and inspired to create this new character for the show."
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The spin-off will follow Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte as they navigate their 50s. The series is slated to begin production in New York in summer.
"Friendships fade, and new friendships start. So I think it is all very indicative of the real stages, the actual stages of life… They’re trying to tell an honest story about being a woman in her 50s in New York. So it should all feel somewhat organic, and the friends that you have when you’re 30, you may not have when you’re 50," HBO Max chief content officer Casey Bloys told TVLine about Cattrall's exit.
It's no surprise that Cattrall is keeping her distance from the show, as she and Parker have been feuding since 2004.
However, when one fan lamented that they would miss Cattrall in the reboot, Parker responded, "We will too ... We loved her so."
"I don't dislike her. I've never said that," she told another fan who referred to their feud. "Never would. Samantha isn't part of this story. But she will always be part of us. No matter where we are or what we do. X."
While the plot is unclear, the three leading ladies will reportedly have a lot of control over it. "Sarah, Kristin and Cynthia are not just the stars of the reboot — they are also the executive producers, which means the three of them are the boss," a source previously told OK!. "They will get to decide if Kim Cattrall’s character literally lives or dies."
