There's only one Samantha Jones, which is why we were pretty surprised when it was announced that the Sex and the City reboot And Just Like That would not feature the sex positive New York publicist played by the inimitable Kim Cattrall. We're not sure if we can get on board with the show to the same extent as we did previously, and keep wondering how the writers will explain her absence. But we are, at least, reassured to discover that the series will introduce a whole host of new female characters who may not be able to replace Samantha's place in our hearts, but can certainly go some way toward distracting us from the loss. One of those additions? Nicole Ari Parker, who has been photographed shooting scenes from the show in Manhattan, New York. So who is she?
Nicole, 50, is an actress and model who is perhaps best known in the US for her roles in Empire - the music industry drama - and Chicago PD. She starred in Soul Food, hit films Remember The Titans and Brown Sugar, and appeared in the acclaimed film Boogie Nights, alongside Julianne Moore and Mark Wahlberg. A member of the Democratic Party, Nicole is married to actor Boris Kodjoe, with whom she has two children, Sophie and a son whose name has not been made public.
So, what do we know about her character? HBO Max has announced that Nicole will play Lisa Todd Wexley, a mother of three local to the super swish Park Avenue. Further details are scarce, but the scenes Nicole was spotted filming also featured Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis - Miranda and Charlotte respectively - so she is clearly involved in the friendship group's lives rather than playing someone peripheral, or an acquaintance of only one of the SATC trio. The only other thing we can say with any certainty is that she has an amazing style, thanks to the costume design of Molly Rogers, who has replaced Patricia Field as the show's costume designer.
While it is natural to describe any newcomer to the show as 'the new Samantha Jones' simply because she is a new female friend and there is a gap at the brunch tables of New York, it's worth pointing out that no one will actually be playing that specific character. Samantha will not feature, unless the writers refer to her indirectly. That is despite Kim herself saying that she would be more than happy to see someone else take up Samantha's mantle.
'It’s a great part,' she said in 2017. 'I played it past the finish line and then some, and I loved it. Another actress should play it: maybe they could make it an African-American Samantha Jones or a Hispanic Samantha Jones.' That suggestion seems to have been disregarded - it probably would have been a little weird to see someone else, of any ethnicity, play Samantha. But HBO's Casey Bloys has made it clear that they are trying to portray a New York City that is more diverse and accurate to real life compared to the very white city presented in the original show. He said that the producers didn't want to 'tell a story with all-white writers or an all-white cast,' adding that they are 'being very, very conscious about understanding that [the show's] New York has to reflect the way New York looks today.'
Good to hear it. So, while we're reserving judgement on a Samantha-free city, we are at least excited to see what Nicole and her fellow new cast mates have in store for us.
READ MORE: We Regret To Inform You That Elizabeth Taylor Is Dead
READ MORE: 9 Times Carrie Bradshaw Was The Actual Worst