‘Diversity’ promise was key to Cynthia Nixon’s Sex and the City return

Cynthia Nixon only agreed to star only agreed to star in the ‘Sex and the City’ sequel series if show bosses fixed the “lack of diversity” on the show.

The 55-year-old actress has reprised her role as Miranda Hobbes in ‘And Just Like That…’ but has admitted that she was “reluctant” to return to the character unless things were changed from the original show.

Cynthia told Australia’s Herald Sun newspaper: “It was a very hard decision. I really didn’t think I was going to do it – I was very reluctant. But the more I talked to Sarah Jessica (Parker), (writer-creator) Michael Patrick King, and Kristin (Davis), about the things 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.”

Sarah and Kristin have reprised their roles as Carrie Bradshaw and Charlotte York Goldenblatt respectively – although Kim Cattrall’s Samantha Jones does not feature in ‘And Just Like That…’ – and Cynthia has enjoyed exploring the characters as older women and the challenges that go with ageing.

She said: “The characters are 55 so they’re in menopause. And menopause is the punchline of a lot of jokes and certainly has its unpleasant aspects. But it’s a time when women have spent decades looking after other people and can again focus on themselves: who am I? Who do I want to be?”

Cynthia added that she is “very proud” of the original ‘Sex and the City’ series – which aired between 1998 and 2004 – but admits that she wants to known for more than her role as Miranda.

The ‘Ratched’ actress 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, but the further I get away from Miranda, the better they get, because people have stopped thinking of me as just that one character.

“But ‘Sex and the City’ gave me an adult career. And I’ll always be grateful for that.”