Kim Cattrall returns as Samantha: her ups and downs with 'Sex & the City'

Few people in the entertainment industry had expected this news: Kim Cattrall is returning to the cast of 'Sex & the City' as it releases its second season of '...And Just Like That' in June 2023. There, she will once again play the famous character Samantha Jones.

The Canadian-American actress had left the cast of the series and films after alleged hostilities with lead actress Sarah Jessica Parker and disagreements about her salary. Her reappearance in the story suggests they reconciled their differences.

Image: HBO

Her return to the cast does not necessarily mean that she's 'all-in,' though. 'Variety' reports that she will only appear in the last episode of the show and in one scene. It is unclear whether this scene will lead to more appearances of Samantha Jones in subsequent seasons of '...And Just Like That.'

What's more, Cattrall didn't even meet with the others for her scene! According to 'Variety's sources, the actress "shot her dialogue on March 22 in New York City, without seeing or speaking with the stars of the series, including Sarah Jessica Parker, or with 'And Just Like That' showrunner Michael Patrick King."

For decades, since she joined the cast of 'Sex and the City' in 1998, Kim Cattrall has been all over the news. The spiciest of the four women in the series, she was also considered the most independent of the cast - and, at some point, she literally became an outsider.

While raking in millions for her role as Samantha, Kim Cattrall was reported to rub the lead actress, Sarah Jessica Parker, the wrong way. By the time 'Sex and the City' continued with 'And Just Like That,' Samantha Jones had vanished. Read how the story played out and what she's doing now.

While some media called 'Sex and the City' Kim Cattrall's breakthrough, nothing is further from the truth. She was a known actress and a central figure on film sets and red carpets since the 70s.

She first came to New York at age 16 to play in 'Rosebud' in 1975, and she also starred in 80s classics like 'Mannequin' (1987) and 'Police Academy' (1986).

The series 'Sex and the City' was based on Candace Bushnell's New York Times column of the same name, which she later turned into a book. Bushnell's alter ego in the series was played by Sarah Jessica Parker.

SJP was a star by the time she started 'Sex and the City' too. It's good to know for the context of this story that she was already quite well-known by the time she began her lead role in the series. But then again, Sarah Jessica Parker is younger than Kim Cattrall: she was born in 1965, and Cattrall in 1956.

Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker, along with Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon, played a group of inseparable friends who shared their dating experiences with each other and dealt with issues such as relationships, femininity, promiscuity, and much more.

Kim Cattrall's character, Samantha Jones, was the oldest of the friend group. She was unmarried and obviously the most sexually active of all. As a confident, independent, and successful businesswoman, she was tired of relationships and decided that one-night stands, without emotions or attachments, were best for her.

Image: 'Sex and the City,' HBO

In fact, the role of Samantha was empowering for women watching her, because it showed that it could be perfectly normal for a woman not to pursue a family life and depend on a man for happiness. What's more, she defined herself as a "try-sexual," meaning she'd try anything once.

The series 'Sex and the City' had six seasons and 94 episodes. They were only half an hour long and would have plenty of reruns after the last season was done in 2004. It was, and has been since, difficult not to know the show.

Besides millions of dollars for the six seasons, Cattrall won several awards for her role as Samantha. She got a Golden Globe in 2003 and a SAG Award in 2002 and 2004. As a whole, the show was awarded with big prizes like three Golden Globes - in 2000, 2001, and 2002 - for Best Television Series and the 2001 Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series.

Although in the show they were best friends, the superstar actresses Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker did not appear to get along on set. It began with subtle hints picked up by the yellow press, and it ended with a crystal clear message from Cattrall to Parker: "We are not friends."

According to a 2017 article in the New York Post, titled 'Inside the mean-girl culture that destroyed SATC,' Sarah Jessica Parker excluded Kim Cattrall from an inner circle of cast and crew from the very beginning. She bonded with the other two co-stars and with producer and friend Michael Patrick King, leaving Cattrall isolated.

After three seasons, Sara Jessica Parker was given the position of Executive Producer, increasing her salary to about $3 million per episode, US Weekly claims. The other three actresses were stuck with $350,000 per episode, a little more than 10% of what SJP was making.

Kim Cattrall tried to negotiate a raise but it was denied. The atmosphere on set became increasingly sour, The New York Post would later hear from insiders.

The actress herself explained on 'Friday Night With Jonathan Ross' why a seventh season never came: "I felt after six years it was time for all of us to participate in the financial windfall of Sex and the City. When they didn't seem keen on that I thought it was time to move on."

After the success of the series, a logical next step was to try and turn it into a box-office hit. Kim Cattrall was convinced to play Samantha Jones in two films (2008 and 2010), but in 2017, she had had enough. The actress firmly rejected the script for the third film.

In Variety she stated: "It’s a great wisdom to know when enough is enough. I also didn’t want to compromise what the show was to me. The way forward seemed clear."

As an experienced actress recognized by several generations of film and TV viewers, Kim Cattrall had no problem finding other major projects to work on. However, she did have some difficulties in her private life.

In February 2018, her younger brother Christopher went missing from his home in Canada. Hours after his disappearance was announced, Christopher turned up dead. He had taken his own life. 

Photo: @kimcattrall / Instagram

"No one can prepare you," Kim Cattrall says about the horrible event in Harpers Bazaar. "He was suffering from depression but depression is a curious thing and it can be impossible to detect if someone does not want you to know."

Picture: @kimcattrall / Instagram

The feud with Sarah Jessica Parker was far from over, as it turned out in the aftermath of Cattrall's brother's death. After Cattrall posted on Instagram asking for privacy during this difficult time, Sarah Jessica Parker responded with a message of condolence.

Cattrall immediately responded to Parker: "You are not my family. You are not my friend. So I'm writing to tell you one last time to stop exploiting our tragedy in order to restore your 'nice girl' persona." The actress made it very clear that they were definitely not on friendly terms.

Photo: @kimcattrall / Instagram

In December 2022, Cattrall announced another sad family loss on her Instagram account. Her mother had died at the age of 93. "Rest in peace Mum," she wrote with a red heart. 

Picture: @kimcattrall / Instagram

Having been married three times, Kim Cattrall is currently happy together with her boyfriend Russell Thomas. They met in 2016. 

And then there are the professional highlights of past and future years. Kim Cattrall played in series like 'Sensitive Skin' (2014-16), 'Tell Me a Story' (2018-20), and 'Filthy Rich' (2020, image).

In 'How I Met Your Father,' Cattrall plays the role of Sophie, the future version of the series' main character (played by Hilary Duff). In the reboot of 'Queer as Folk,' she plays the mother of two queer boys who struggles to connect with them.

When the creator of the Netflix series 'Emily in Paris' mentioned Kim Cattrall's name to People magazine, speculation started about her showing up in Paris. "I would love to work with Kim," he said, "and it's just about finding a role that's worthy of Kim."

Adding to the rumors, we could see Kim on the red carpet for the premiere of 'Emily in Paris' third season. She also posted a photo of the evening on Instagram, thanking Darren Star and Netflix for the invite.

Photo: @kimcattrall / Instagram

In any case, Cattrall appears in the 2023 comedy 'About My Father' with Robert De Niro, and she also has the upcoming project 'Glamorous' in which she plays make-up mogul Madolyn Addison.