Kim Cattrall Reveals Why She Refused To Do ‘And Just Like That’: ‘It’s Powerful To Say No’

Kim Cattrall, who played fan-favorite Samantha on the original run of Sex and The City and its two subsequent films, is opening up about her decision to not return to the character for the reboot series And Just Like That.

Her first mention of her old character came when she discussed doing a love scene for her new series Queer As Folk, and remembered being shocked to see an intimacy coach on set. “I never had an intimacy coach,” Cattrall told Variety, who had some of the most frequent sex scenes on Sex And The City. She said having an intimacy coach on set made her feel “protected,” and it felt like “a much safer place to be” than past experiences.

She also spoke more about her character’s sexuality later on by saying, “I felt like I was now cast as a cougar. People say, ‘You coined it.’ I didn’t feel that was part of my character. There was never a desperation, it was always on her terms, which I loved.”

When asked about And Just Like That… which was reportedly made largely from material written for a third SATC film, Cattrall said firmly, “I was never going to be a part of the reboot. I made my feelings clear after the possible third movie, so I found out about it like everybody else–on social media.” She also worked in a dig that she knew all the parts of the series because “the series is basically the third movie. That’s how creative it was.”

Samantha’s storyline would have apparently involved her receiving an unsolicited dick pic from Miranda’s teenage son Brady, and Cattrall referred to the alleged plot point as “heartbreaking.” She said she would have preferred to see the business-minded Samantha going through “financial woes,” or anything other significant growth besides what may have been planned for her.

The actress also said that she hasn’t watched any of the new shows, but noted that they still refer to her iconic character in text conversations and said, “the greatest compliment I could have as an actor is to be missed.” She added, “I’ve left behind something that I’m so proud of. I loved [Samantha], I loved her so, so much.”

Cattrall mused that she had an undeniable feeling that she would never go back to that character. “And you can’t go against that feeling. I don’t ever want to be on a set and not want to be there,” Cattrall said. The actress, who can already be seen in How I Met Your Father and Queer As Folk, wrapped up by proclaiming, “It’s powerful to say no.”