In just a few weeks, viewers will have to live without the adventures of Manhattan scribe Carrie Bradshaw and her merry band of “Sex and the City” gal pals. HBO’s hit show is going out on a high note after six seasons on Feb. 22–and that’s apparently the way leading lady Sarah Jessica Parker wanted it.
Now she uneasily contemplates the idea of giving up “Sex.”
Was this a sudden decision to leave the show?
Soon after I got pregnant, I seriously started thinking about the future of Carrie. I began talking to [executive producer] Michael [Patrick King] about it, and we always thought that it would be nice to quit while we were at the top.
Do you have any doubts about walking away?
I know deep in my heart that this is the time to pull the plug. My brain tells me that while “Sex and the City” is comfortable, lucrative, thrilling and extremely satisfying, we have to do new things. It’s scary, but it’s the only way to go.
How will you cope with wardrobe withdrawal?
For someone who has loved clothing for as long as I can remember, it’s been thrilling. I’ve had the opportunity to wear extraordinary, one-of-a-kind, magnificently built dresses that I would never have had an opportunity to wear. I’m a far more modest dresser than Carrie, but I’ve inherited some fantastic things.
It never sounded like Carrie was just another acting gig for you.
It was never a 9-to-5 job. This show has changed my life personally and professionally. I can’t begin to know the great sadness that will envelop me when I leave these people.
How do fans react to you on the show?
Many women come up to me and tell me things that I don’t want to hear, things that sometimes make me blush. But I’m so thrilled that the show has been so resonant for so many women. Carrie provides a fresh voice and a forthright and candid way of communicating with people.
Could “Sex” return as a big-screen movie?
No, we’re not going to go “The Lord of the Rings” route.
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Edited by Cara DiPasquale (cdipasquale@tribune.com) and Joe Knowles (jknowles@tribune.com)
