How Sarah Jessica Parker Really Felt About Big’s Death in And Just Like That
And just like that, Sarah Jessica Parker had to say goodbye.
Three years after And Just Like Thatpremiered with John "Big" Preston (Chris Noth) dying in her character Carrie Bradshaw's arms, the actress reflected on the pivotal plot point that opened a whole new chapter for the HBO Max revival, now entering its third season.
"Big dying was really, really hard to do both professionally and personally," Parker exclusively shared on The E! News Sitdown With Bruce Bozzi, an E! News segment airing tonight, May 27, at 11 p.m. "That's not just a thread. It's one of the main arteries that you would struggle to do without."
Having worked with Noth throughout Sex and the City's six-season run, as well as its two spinoff movies, the 60-year-old told pal Bruce Bozzi, "It was really sad to say goodbye to that."
"It's not like I needed it for my own health or wellbeing," she continued, "but that was a hugely wonderful story to tell for a lot of years."
And while Parker does agree with some of the online "objections" over the way Carrie and Big ended up together, she can't help but to be in awe over the epic nature of their relationship.
"All of it was a mess, and all of it was wonderful," she explained. "It was romantic, and it was a disaster. It was destructive, and it was healthy."
Parker also found Big death to be especially difficult since it was unclear at the time if John Corbett's Aiden Shaw would appear on And Just Like That. (Corbett reprised his role as Carrie's other longtime love on the show's second season.)
"It just felt really untethered," Parker added. "It was really sad to say goodbye to that."
Besides, Parker has many "joyous" memories of filming Sex and the City, which first premiere almost 27 years ago.
"We were very lucky that we really loved our job," Parker shared of the original cast, which included Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis and Kim Cattrall. "We aren't looking back now and regretful."
She added, "We laughed a lot and we worked really hard."
And Just Like That season three premieres on HBO Max May 29. And to see all of the show's fashion statements, read on...
One of the first pieces Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) rewore in And Just Like That...'s premiere was also one of her most infamous accessories: Her wedding shoes a.k.a. the Manolo Blahnik silk Hangisi royal blue stilettos. Alas, they took on a much more bittersweet meaning after Carrie kicked them off in the shower as she cradled a dying Big (Chris Noth).
"It was something that really played through with the storyline," the show's co-costume designer Danny Santiago previously explained to E! News. "We felt like it brings it full circle as far as the longevity of that shoe and to sort of kiss it goodbye in this way."
In the same somber scene, Carrie wears another something old and blue, which is the flower pin on her jacket. But the wardrobe team made the decision to make a small tweak to the brooch, Santiago revealed, "because of what plays out, we had to dye the petals in the silk. But the one she's wearing in the scene is the actual archive flower that she has."
Carrie's black studded piece became one of the 2008 movie's breakout stars and originally came from Santiago's thrifted collection, though he gifted it to Parker after filming wrapped. And when it came to including archival items in the reboot, the costume department gave credit to their leading lady for holding onto almost all of the clothes she wore throughout the series' run, as well as the two movies. "We were so lucky that Sarah Jessica has an archive of almost everything," Santiago said. "She kept all of these beautiful pieces that people have so much love for. These pieces were so important they played such important roles in the show and the movies. The fans love these things. They are like characters in the movie and the fact that she has them, we thought, what a great way to bring them back out again? That people are going to be able to see and appreciate it and love it and pick out."
The purple sequined number—which first made its debut in Fendi's Fall/Winter 1999-2000 collection and then in the original series when Carrie was mugged in SoHo, famously shouting at the thief, "It's a Baguette!"—made its comeback in episode three. Carrie broke out one of her most notable accessories when she and the girls went to see Che (Sara Ramirez) at their comedy show. She then reuses the bag when she goes out with Seema (Sarita Choudhury) in episode nine.
The Timmy Woods accessory, which made its debut in the first movie, felt like an appropriate item to reuse when Carrie returned to Paris in the And Just Like That... season one finale to scatter Big's ashes.
Carrie wore this stunning Versace "mille feuille" gown in Sex and the City's final season, though, as she wistfully noted in And Just Like That..., she never got the chance to wear it in public.
"Once in Paris and once here, just for fun," she told Seema. "I sat at that window and ate a whole thing of Jiffy Pop." Eating popcorn alone in your NYC apartment while wearing an $80,000 dress? That sounds like our Carrie!
In a picture from the set of the second season that quickly went viral, Parker was seen rewearing Carrie' iconic Vivienne Westwood gown from her failed wedding to Big in the 2008 movie—complete with an homage to the infamous blue bird she wore as a headpiece.
Could this be a dream sequence? A flashback? We can't help but wonder...
Watch E! News weeknights Monday through Thursday at 11 p.m., only on E!.
……Entertainment America Movie International
Comments
Leave a comment in Nestia App