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Eagle-eyed ‘Sex and the City’ fans spot actor’s return to reboot in a different role

"Good eye!" said Cynthia Nixon.
Sarah Jessica Parker is seen filming "And Just Like That..." the follow up series to "Sex and the City" on July 17, 2021 in New York City.
Sarah Jessica Parker is seen filming "And Just Like That..." the follow up series to "Sex and the City" on July 17, 2021 in New York City.Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin / GC Images
/ Source: TODAY

Eagle-eyed "Sex and the City" super fans this week noticed that an actor from the original series made an appearance in the reboot.

In season two, episode four, of "Sex and the City," Kim Cattrall's character Samantha Jones gets propositioned by a busboy after she is feeling especially vulnerable. The actor who played that character — Ajay Mehta — was featured in episode six of "And Just Like That ..." on Thursday, this time cast as the father of Seema Patel — played by Sarita Choudhury.

Featured in two scenes, Mehta talks to his daughter about a Diwali party their family is hosting, and also her dating life. Mehta seems to be around the age of 83, so being the father of a woman in her 50s totally makes sense.

Super fan account "Every Outfit on SATC" noticed Mehta's return. They wrote: "And just like that… I realized that the busboy that Samantha kissed in S2/EP4 is now Seema’s dad 🤯."

Cynthia Nixon, who directed the episode, even commented, "Good eye!"

The casting decision may also serve a greater purpose than just utilizing the great acting chops of Mehta more than once. Casting minority actors in stereotypical roles is outdated, and something that is very representative of the times when "Sex and the City" first aired. Likely, an Indian actor like Mehta was pigeonholed to roles like busboys and taxi drivers because of his ethnicity. Times have changed, and now roles are being written that portray fuller and broader characters who belong to marginalized or minority groups.

"Sex and the City" is a series that has been loudly criticized for its lack of diversity since it first aired in 1998. Producers, writers and showrunner Michael Patrick King are trying to change that perception with this reboot.

“It was a very hard decision. I really didn’t think I was going to do it—I was very reluctant,” Nixon told News Corp in an interview published by the Herald Sun. “But the more I talked to Sarah Jessica (Parker), Michael Patrick King, and Kristin (Davis), about the things that I couldn’t go back without — a real sea change in terms of the lack of diversity in the original series — they were on board.”

“I was floored by how hard everybody listened, and how collaboratively we worked together to, not just redecorate the house, but to build a whole new house — that had us in it but new characters, too," she said. “I’m very proud of the original series —despite it being occasionally tone deaf on race and gender — and being Miranda has opened up so many amazing roles for me over the years."