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Hamilton Spectator
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Carrie's voice is back. So is the show's soul as ‘And Just Like That…' grows up
PARIS (AP) — 'She's messy. It can be messy. But it's real.' So says Cynthia Nixon — not just of Miranda Hobbes, the character she's embodied for almost three decades, but of the show itself. 'And Just Like That...,' HBO's 'Sex and the City' revival, has come into its own in Season 3: less preoccupied with pleasing everyone, and more interested in telling the truth. Truth, in this case, looks like complexity. Women in their 50s with evolving identities. Not frozen in time, but changing, reckoning, reliving. Queerness that's joyful but not polished. Grief without melodrama. A pirate shirt with a bleach hole that somehow becomes a talisman of power. At its glittering European premiere this week, Nixon and co-star Sarah Jessica Parker, flanked by Kristin Davis and Sarita Choudhury, spoke candidly with The Associated Press about how the show has evolved into something deeper, rawer and more reflective of who they are now. A voice returns Season 3 marks the return of Carrie Bradshaw's iconic internal monologue that once defined 'Sex and the City.' The series has always followed Carrie's rhythm, but now it brings back something deeper: her voice. Literally. 'We've always loved the voiceover,' Parker said. 'It's a rhythm — it's part of the DNA.' The decision to restore it, producers say, was deliberate. The voiceovers return just as Carrie rediscovers her direction — offering viewers a renewed sense of intimacy and connection. That growth is echoed in her rekindled relationship with Aidan and her acceptance to step back for him to focus on his troubled son. The character who in 1998 first stopped a cab in Manolo Blahniks — and once floated through Manhattan chasing shoes and column deadlines — is now grounded in reinvention, the wounds of loss and cautious hope. The word is: grown up. 'She doesn't burst into tears or stomp out of the room anymore,' Parker said. 'She asks smart, patient questions. That's not effort — that's just her nature now.' 'People seem surprised that she is mature,' Parker added. 'But that's just basic developmental stuff — hopefully, simply by living, we get better at things. It's not surprising. It's just real.' Warts and all If Carrie is the compass, Miranda is the seismic shift. Miranda's arc — which now includes a late-in-life queer awakening — may be the show's most radical contribution to television. And for Nixon, who publicly came out as queer while still playing straight in the original 'Sex and the City,' that evolution is deeply personal. 'There's never a 'too late' moment. Miranda comes to queerness at 55,' Nixon said. 'That doesn't mean everything that came before was wrong. It just means this is her now. And it's messy. It can be messy. But it's real.' That embrace of imperfection lies at the core of Nixon's philosophy — and the show's power. On television, where characters linger in our lives for years, there's a unique intimacy and empathy that develops. 'Television puts someone in your living room, week after week. They're imperfect, they make you laugh, and eventually you say, 'I know that person. They're my friend.'' she said. 'That's more powerful than one mythic, perfect film. That's where the change happens.' That change includes how queerness is portrayed. Nixon recalled how earlier generations of LGBTQ+ characters were forced to be flawless, or two-dimensional, to justify their screen time. 'There was a time when gay people on screen had to be saints or martyrs,' she said. 'Now, we can be characters like Miranda — who've had rich, fulfilling heterosexual lives and now stumble upon queerness, and not in a tidy way. There's collateral damage. That's important.' That depth, Nixon said, comes not just from character, but from the format. Unlike film, which requires resolution in two hours, television lets people grow — and falter — in real time. 'The writers are smart' And Miranda's transformation isn't just personal. It's political. In Season 3, she's seen retraining in human rights law, joining protest movements, and wrestling with systemic questions — mirroring Nixon's own off-screen life. In 2018, the actor ran for governor of New York on a progressive platform, bringing her activism directly into the public arena. That convergence isn't accidental, she says. 'On long-running shows, if the writers are smart, they start to weave in the actor,' Nixon said. 'When I started, Miranda and I were very different. But now we've grown closer. We're almost the same person — in temperament, in values.' Season 3 narrows its scope, pulling focus back to the emotional cores of Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte. Several side characters are gone, including Che Diaz, and what remains is a cleaner, more character-driven story. 'I think one of the great things about our show is we show women in their 50s whose lives are very dramatic and dynamic,' Nixon said. 'You get to this age and there's a lot going on — if you choose to keep moving forward.' Friends, friction, and freedom Kristin Davis, who plays Charlotte, noted that those life shifts come fast and often overlap. 'She really starts to unravel,' Davis said. 'But the joy is her friends are there.' Sarita Choudhury, who plays real estate powerhouse Seema, echoed that sense of late-blooming autonomy. 'She's feeling that, if you have your own business, your own apartment, your own way, you get to say what you want,' Choudhury said. 'There's power in that.' It's a subtle rebuke to the long-held media narrative that midlife is a decline. Not just fashion — declaration Fashion, as ever, is present — but now it feels more personal than aspirational. Parker described insisting on wearing a ripped vintage Vivienne Westwood shirt with a bleach hole. 'It had to be in an important scene. It meant something,' she said. Even the show's iconic heels, still clacking through New York's brownstone-lined streets, feel louder this season. And yes, Carrie is writing again — not her usual musings, but a 'historical romance' that lets the show wink at its own pretensions. Taxis become carriages. Voiceovers drift into period drama. Her beloved blouse — vintage, shredded, almost costume — fits the mood perfectly: century-leaping fashion for a century-leaping Carrie. The protagonist, as ever, walks the line between costume and character. 'And Just Like That...' is a show that's learned to walk — loudly — into its next chapter. 'You're better today than you were 10 years ago,' Parker said. 'That's not just Carrie — that's everyone.' ___ Season 3 of 'And Just Like That…' premiered on Thursday on HBO Max
Business Recorder
19 hours ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
European shares end May higher as trade uncertainty persists
FRANKFURT: European shares closed higher on Friday, rounding off the month with gains in a still uncertain trade environment as investors assessed the latest developments in US President Donald Trump's tariff plan. The continent-wide STOXX 600 index ended 0.1%higher, brushing off a temporary reinstatement of the most sweeping Trump's tariffs on Thursday, a day after another court ordered an immediate block on them. However, the benchmark index pared most gains after Trump said on Friday that China had violated an agreement on tariffs and issued a new threat to get tougher with Beijing, without revealing details. 'It is a whole different situation that we are going to be in... it's longer and slower and more complicated,' said Jochen Stanzl, chief market analyst at CMC Markets, pointing to the developments on the tariff front. The index still posted its first monthly advance in three, rising about 4%, while also ending the week higher, as investors capitalised on Trump's decision to postpone tariffs on the EU, opening the door for Brussels to produce a trade deal with Washington and recent US fiscal concerns that sent investors flocking to assets outside the US On the day, most sectors were higher, with utilities and healthcare shares up 0.8% each Construction and materials stocks were at the bottom, down 1%. 'This is very much driven by momentum and some fear of missing out... investors over the past few months have been trained to buy the dip to some extent,' said Stanzl. Europe's aerospace and defence index was the top winning sector for the month, up about 14%, as dimming hopes of a truce between Russia and Ukraine persuaded investors to buy ammunition stocks. Germany's DAX 40 ended 0.3% higher. Data showed German inflation eased further in May, bringing it closer to the European Central Bank's 2% target and bolstering the case for an interest rate cut next week. Another dataset showed German retail sales fell by 1.1% in April compared with the previous month. M&G gained 5.5% after it said Japanese life insurer Dai-Ichi Life Holdings will take a 15% stake in the British insurer and asset manager as part of a strategic deal.
CNN
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Rosie O'Donnell is back on the small screen as a nun having the time of her life in ‘And Just Like That…'
Rosie O'Donnell has moved an ocean away from Hollywood, but she's still entertaining audiences. The actress and former talk show host shared with Variety how she ended up playing a lesbian nun having a New York City adventure in 'And Just Like That…,' which returned for its third season on HBO Max on Thursday. O'Donnell explained that she has long been friends with Cynthia Nixon, who plays Miranda on the comedy and its prequel, 'Sex and the City.' 'My daughter was actually her assistant on set,' O'Donnell explained. 'She put her on there, and then she said, 'By the way, Michael told me that he has a role for you. Are you up for it?' I said, 'Are you kidding me? In a minute!' I didn't even have to think about it.' O'Donnell has also known the show's creator, Michael Patrick King, for more than 30 years. 'When I was a young comedian, he was in a comedy duo called King and Mindy — Lisa Mindy and Michael King,' she said. 'I used to hang out with them at Catch a Rising Star and at the Improv. It's been pretty amazing to see the people that began together doing so well.' As for being gay in real life and learning that King had created a lesbian nun character for her, O'Donnell said, 'I laughed my a** off. I thought — I know how to play this character.' 'I was very, very happy to be doing all my scenes with Cynthia. It was not acting for me. I don't have to act in love with her, because I've been in love with her for many years,' O'Donnell said. 'I saw her in 'Wit,' on Broadway, and even though I had known her for very many years and was friends with her in a real way, when I went backstage, I was awestruck and couldn't find my words.' O'Donnell, who has also appeared on the HBO comedy 'Hacks' this season, said people like the character she plays, Mary, who discovers her sexuality later in life, are common. 'I know many women who only come to it in their 40s, and how hard it is when they set up a life with a man and children, and then they come to realize this basic thing about themselves,' she sad. 'I understand their struggle. It was a relatable character — somebody who, for all different reasons, wasn't able to be in touch with who they were, and then came to find the beauty that awaits the rest of her life.' She also reflected on having moved to Ireland from the United States. 'Never, for one moment since I arrived here, did I regret my choice,' O'Donnell said. 'People have been so welcoming, so accepting, and they have a different view of celebrity in the culture here,' she added. 'They are not prioritized over other people. People are much more friendly and intimate with each other in a real way.' HBO Max and CNN are both part of Warner Bros. Discovery.
CNN
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Rosie O'Donnell is back on the small screen as a nun having the time of her life in ‘And Just Like That…'
Rosie O'Donnell has moved an ocean away from Hollywood, but she's still entertaining audiences. The actress and former talk show host shared with Variety how she ended up playing a lesbian nun having a New York City adventure in 'And Just Like That…,' which returned for its third season on HBO Max on Thursday. O'Donnell explained that she has long been friends with Cynthia Nixon, who plays Miranda on the comedy and its prequel, 'Sex and the City.' 'My daughter was actually her assistant on set,' O'Donnell explained. 'She put her on there, and then she said, 'By the way, Michael told me that he has a role for you. Are you up for it?' I said, 'Are you kidding me? In a minute!' I didn't even have to think about it.' O'Donnell has also known the show's creator, Michael Patrick King, for more than 30 years. 'When I was a young comedian, he was in a comedy duo called King and Mindy — Lisa Mindy and Michael King,' she said. 'I used to hang out with them at Catch a Rising Star and at the Improv. It's been pretty amazing to see the people that began together doing so well.' As for being gay in real life and learning that King had created a lesbian nun character for her, O'Donnell said, 'I laughed my a** off. I thought — I know how to play this character.' 'I was very, very happy to be doing all my scenes with Cynthia. It was not acting for me. I don't have to act in love with her, because I've been in love with her for many years,' O'Donnell said. 'I saw her in 'Wit,' on Broadway, and even though I had known her for very many years and was friends with her in a real way, when I went backstage, I was awestruck and couldn't find my words.' O'Donnell, who has also appeared on the HBO comedy 'Hacks' this season, said people like the character she plays, Mary, who discovers her sexuality later in life, are common. 'I know many women who only come to it in their 40s, and how hard it is when they set up a life with a man and children, and then they come to realize this basic thing about themselves,' she sad. 'I understand their struggle. It was a relatable character — somebody who, for all different reasons, wasn't able to be in touch with who they were, and then came to find the beauty that awaits the rest of her life.' She also reflected on having moved to Ireland from the United States. 'Never, for one moment since I arrived here, did I regret my choice,' O'Donnell said. 'People have been so welcoming, so accepting, and they have a different view of celebrity in the culture here,' she added. 'They are not prioritized over other people. People are much more friendly and intimate with each other in a real way.' HBO Max and CNN are both part of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Business Wire
a day ago
- Automotive
- Business Wire
Mitsubishi Electric's FLEXConnect™ Joins the Safety Cloud® Network
CHICAGO & NORTHVILLE, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HAAS Alert, a company with the largest commercially deployed vehicle-to-everything (V2X) safety network powered by its Safety Cloud digital alerting platform, and Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America, Inc. ('MEAA'), a consistently dependable supplier that creates high-quality in-car systems for major OEMs around the world, are thrilled to announce their collaboration on a strategic partnership that will lead the way in the next generation of in-vehicle experience. MEAA announced its latest in-cabin monitoring system, FLEXConnect™, at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), showcasing its ability to leverage real-time vehicle data to enhance driver safety and personalization. FLEXConnect™ now integrates with Safety Cloud to provide an extra level of protection for drivers using MEAA in-vehicle monitoring systems. 'Safety is at the core of FLEXConnect™,' said Mohammad Horani, Director of Advanced Development at MEAA. 'That makes Safety Cloud digital alerting a natural fit to the FLEXConnect™ experience.' Safety Cloud delivers real-time safety notifications from emergency vehicles, work zones, tow trucks, and other active road hazards to millions of drivers every day. This technology, which is embedded in compatible Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, and Volkswagen vehicles, as well as Apple Maps and Waze navigation apps, improves roadway safety by instantly alerting drivers to approaching and nearby emergency and public works vehicles, making it easier and safer to perform public and emergency services. The integration between Safety Cloud and FLEXConnect™ will allow drivers to receive alerts through an in-vehicle information system of nearby roadway hazards. This joint solution will even go a step beyond digital alerting. When the vehicle is alerted that the driver is in an emergency situation, FLEXConnect™ will notify and inform other nearby drivers via Safety Cloud that there is a disabled vehicle ahead. 'HAAS Alert is thrilled to enter into this partnership with Mitsubishi Electric,' said Hussein Zaarour, Vice President of Business Development - Connected Vehicles at HAAS Alert. 'Mitsubishi Electric's focus on automotive innovation and safety is in perfect lockstep with HAAS Alert's mission to make vehicles and roads safer and smarter.' About HAAS Alert HAAS Alert's mission is to build lifesaving mobility solutions that make vehicles and roads safer and smarter. Their vision is a connected, collision-free world where everyone gets home safely. HAAS Alert makes roads and communities safer by delivering digital alerts from emergency response, municipal and private fleets, work zones, and connected infrastructure to nearby drivers through its vehicle communication platform. For more information, visit About Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America MEAA is a consistently dependable supplier that creates high-quality in-car systems for major OEMs around the world. Known for our innovative components, we leverage our deep technology expertise to deliver autonomous-ready and ADAS solutions, premium audio systems, high-definition displays, and powertrain electronics for standard, EV, and hybrid vehicles. Our innovation culture and operational excellence, which extends far beyond automotive, makes us uniquely poised to help automakers navigate the future of mobility. MEAA has had a North American presence since 1979 and currently operates in 50 locations. For more information, visit
