Have your cosmopolitan ready because "And Just Like That..." — the new chapter of "Sex and the City" — is set to premiere on HBO Max this Thursday. The beloved series starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis welcomes four new actors to the cast after Kim Cattrall’s departure: Karen Pittman, Nicole Ari Parker, Sarita Choudhury and Sara Ramirez.
Parker and Choudhury — who worked together in 1997’s “Subway Stories: Tales from the Underground” — were elated to reunite on “And Just Like That...”
"We still can't get over it," Choudhury gushed to TODAY on Wednesday. "It was a dream come true."
Like Choudhury, Pittman couldn’t believe she was chosen to play a lead role in the "Sex and the City" reboot.
Pittman — known for her work on Apple TV+'s "The Morning Show" or "Luke Cage" on Netflix — told TODAY, “Being on the show is beyond any wild ambition that I could see for myself.”
Choudhury — who has appeared in more than 60 films over the course of her expansive decadeslong career — understood this as well, adding the first time she walked on set she was overcome with so much emotion.
“You’re joining an iconic show,” Choudhury, 55, explained. “So when you’re there, part of your brain is yourself from 20 years ago, just screaming with delight at seeing the front door of Carrie’s building or having a cosmopolitan with the girls. You really feel like you’re part of something... so that was fun.”
"Not only are women of color going to love it. I think all women who watch the show are really going to appreciate it."
KAREN PITTMAN
Choudhury will be portraying real estate broker Seema Patel, who comes across as a "high-class dame" that likes the finer things in life.
"She's so expensive. She's outspoken. She doesn't hold — no thoughts are private," Choudhury said. "Very unlike me ... and she's really funny, but mainly she's just forthright."
Parker will tackle the role of documentarian Lisa Todd Wexley. She joins Carrie Bradshaw's close-knit friend circle with Ramirez — who'll be portraying nonbinary podcaster Che Diaz — and Pittman as Dr. Nya Wallace.
"I love Nya as a character. She's a departure from anything I've ever done," Pittman, 35, said. "I have yet to do a comedy. She's very funny. She's a lot of fun to play. I think she is also super fashionable: braids, brown skin, a Black woman living in Brooklyn and I think it's going to be a lot of fun for women of color."
With all these new characters, fans can expect to see more diverse storylines be told in the show. Pittman and her three new co-stars are creating a more accurate portrayal of New York City, which is home to many different cultures, religions and identities.
"I think a lot of women who watched the show from years ago, I think they felt like, 'Oh, I see myself in this show. Why don't I see myself on this show?'" she explained. "And so I think now they have the opportunity to see that reflected in me, and Sarita and Nicole."
"I was really moved by how much they wanted these four new new characters to come in and fully join them."
SARITA CHOUDHURY
On Wednesday, when asked by Stephen Colbert about the iconic quartet becoming a trio, Nixon extolled the virtues of the new additions to the cast, not only referencing their diversity but also their age.
"I feel like we’re now a septet because there are actually seven of us," she said, before listing the names of her new cast mates. "They’re amazing and I really am so gratified. We knew the show was going to expand and they were going to be more people. It was such an incredibly white show when it was on the first time. So given an opportunity to go back and change that was very welcome. But also, it was amazing to me that they didn’t try and put 25 year olds with us. They brought us people who were very much our peers, and that was amazing."
But even though "And Just Like That..." is welcoming so many fresh faces, Pittman said the series will still have all the flair and exuberance of the original.
"It's the same great storytelling. It's about love, and sisterhood, and women. We just expanded the conversation, and not only are women of color going to love it. I think all women who watch the show are really going to appreciate it."
“Change is good,” she added. "Changes can be a challenge. No matter if it’s a good change or bad change, but it is genuinely a great way to elevate your life and your own personal story.”
Having some nerves joining such an iconic show, Choudhury said the original three cast members couldn't have been more welcoming.
"I was really moved by how much they wanted these four new characters to come in and fully join them without feeling like newcomers because they probably knew we felt that," she said. "So my favorite thing was just laughing and hanging out with them."
The first two episodes of “And Just Like That...” hit HBO Max Dec. 9. New episodes will premiere each Thursday following the premiere.