Chris Noth is opening up about Kim Cattrall’s absence in the “Sex and the City” reboot and the alleged feud between her and former co-star Sarah Jessica Parker.
During an interview with The Guardian released Monday, the actor, who will reprise his character of Mr. Big in the reboot, addressed Cattrall not appearing in the HBO Max limited series “And Just Like That…”
“I have to tell you, I have absolutely no idea what her thinking is, or her emotions. I do know that I’m very close with SJ and (Cattrall’s) descriptions of her don’t even come close,” he said, defending his on-screen love interest.
He added that he liked Cattrall and “thought she was marvellous in the show.” The actor then explained that “some people move on for their own reasons. I don’t know what hers were.”
Noth concluded, “I just wish that whole thing had never happened because it was sad and uncomfortable.”
When asked about the cast’s response to the situation, he replied, “I just don’t like to see anyone talking down about SJ because she’s a target and people can be nasty.”
Seeming to hint at the rumors that Carrie (Parker) and Samantha (Cattrall) do not get along off-screen, he continued, “I feel very protective of her and I was not happy about that. That’s all I’ll say about that.”
When “And Just Like That…” hits HBO Max on Dec. 9, fans will see best friends Carrie, Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) reunite, but Samantha will be noticeably absent.
Chatter about a rift in Parker and Cattrall’s relationship picked up after they filmed the original HBO series. However, all four ladies returned for the feature films “Sex and the City” and its sequel.
In 2019, Cattrall spoke to The Guardian and said being a part of “Sex and the City” was “a blessing in so many ways,” but after the second movie she was ready to leave the franchise behind.
After HBO Max confirmed the upcoming release of “And Just Like That…” in January 2021, Parker, Nixon and Davis all posted about the reunion on their social media accounts. One fan commented on Parker’s post and wrote, “Happy to see you back but will miss Kim/ Samantha.”
Parker responded, “We will too. We loved her so.”
The trailers for the reboot have not mentioned Samantha’s name, so fans will have to wait until the new series premieres to learn about the future of Cattrall’s character on the show.