Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis reminisce ‘Sex and the City’ auditioning days, experiences

Kristin Davis, Sarah Jessica Parker, and, Cynthia Nixon, recently reflected on the origins of their iconic Sex and the City characters. 

In a special 25th-anniversary episode of The Writers Room podcast called, And Just Like That…, hosted by sequel creator Michael Patrick King, the three actresses, opened up about their experiences during the auditions of the show, prior to its debut in 1998. 

Davis, who eventually portrayed gallerist Charlotte York, revealed that Sex and the City creator Darren Star initially asked her to audition for the role of Carrie Bradshaw. 

Davis recalled, "We really wanted Sarah Jessica...[but] we don't know if Sarah's going to do it, so will you read for Carrie?"

However, Davis felt that the original script depicted Carrie as someone who smoked, swore, and was more akin to actress Candice Bergen. 

Davis further added, "I can't possibly [play that character]. And I remember one line in the script it said, 'Carrie has the body of Heather Locklear and the mind of Dorothy Parker.' And I was like, 'That is adorable, but I can't play that part. Like, what [are] you thinking?'"

Davis wasn't the only one initially considered for the role of Carrie. Nixon revealed that she also auditioned but was met with rejection.

Disappointed, she thought, "It's a show that shoots in New York. This never happens. There's got to be one of those women I could play. Couldn't they see me for somebody else?"

Nixon later auditioned for the role of Miranda Hobbes and went through multiple auditions. Her agent advocated for her, urging the show's producers to consider Nixon. 

According to her, the positive, but they hesitated to make a final decision, stating, "We like her. She's the top of the list. We haven't found anyone we like better, but we're just not ready to pull the trigger." Finally, after months of persistence, she was offered the role of Miranda. 

Sarah Jessica Parker, who portrayed Carrie Bradshaw, also joined the cast soon after. Alongside Kim Cattrall's Samantha Jones, the trio went on to star in the New York City-based show for six seasons.