Latest news with #AndJustLikeThat…
Hamilton Spectator
a day 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
Elle
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Elle
A Full Recap And Analysis Of And Just Like That... Season 3, Episode 1
Spoilers below. Every season of And Just Like That… has felt like the start of a new chapter, but this season, it really feels like it. Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) has a new apartment, Samantha (Kim Cattrall) gave us closure, and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), and the show as a whole, are done with Che. In fact, a few characters are missing from the season 3 opener, including Sara Ramirez's divisive stand-up comic, professor Nya (Karen Pittman), and Miranda's ex Steve (David Eigenberg). Maybe the show realized that there was too much going on, and that it needed to slim down its focus a bit. It's still outrageous, just a little less crammed. But some things still linger from past seasons, like Carrie and Aidan's situationship? You might recall that in the season 2 finale, the old lovers left things off on a confusing note: They are taking a five-year break while Aidan (John Corbett) tends to his family in Virginia. They're not supposed to see or talk to each other during that time, but they've been bending that rule by sending each other postcards. Carrie starts off the episode sending one with a vintage photo of Gramercy Park (her new neighborhood). How long can they make this arrangement last? Later that night, Miranda falls into an entanglement of her own during a night out at a lesbian bar. After braving an awkward run-in with her son's old babysitter and getting called a 'rando' by other patrons, she finds solace in another out-of-place guest named Mary (Rosie O'Donnell). She's in town visiting and is rather forward, inviting Miranda to her hotel room after exchanging only a few words, but what the heck, Miranda is into it. They go home together, but the next morning, Miranda is in for a few surprises: Their night together was the first time Mary had sex…with anyone…because she is a nun. A virgin nun? Oh, Miranda you've really outdone yourself. Meanwhile, the ever-glamorous Seema (Sarita Choudhury), whom I more and more each season, has her own crisis while trying to get in touch with her busy director boyfriend Ravi, who is filming on location in Egypt. She lights up a cigarette in bed and falls asleep waiting, nearly burning her apartment down. (On the bright side, the damage was only done to her hair. The down side? Damage was done to her hair.) She later vents to Carrie about it during a walk in Washington Square Park, but I'm sorry, I'm too distracted by Carrie's massive bonnet to register anything else. She looks like a very chic mushroom from Fantasia. Lisa (Nicole Ari Parker), on the other hand, seems to be making headway in her career. (Last season, she suffered a miscarriage and worried about not being able to balance motherhood and her professional life.) Her latest project is a documentary series about unsung Black women throughout history, like Bessie Coleman, the first Black woman to earn a pilot license. It seems to be going well, but her producers seem more interested in including a bigger name—like Michelle Obama. Lisa is confused. Isn't this series supposed to be about unsung women rather than a very famous first lady? She acquiesces but feels her vision is being compromised. After Carrie accidentally slips and falls in her new home (it's big enough to run around in) Miranda comes over to debrief about her night with Sister Mary, using some delightful wordplay. 'You deflowered the Virgin Mary,' Carrie points out. Mary's too clingy and keeps texting Miranda, but she wants to end it. 'Can I ghost a nun?' she asks. 'It would be a holy ghost,' Carrie responds. Charlotte (Kristin Davis) is unfortunately stuck in this episode dealing with dog drama. Her bulldog, Mr. Burton, is accused of attacking a Chihuahua at the park, which sends her spiraling looking for a new dog walker and doggy daycare. In the end, she finds out that Burton was wrongly accused because the woman making the claim has bad eyesight. (Go figure!) Charlotte's daughter Lilly (Cathy Ang), however, is treated to a little bit of romance this week when she, Carrie, and Anthony (Mario Cantone) get exclusive invites to a ballet dress rehearsal at Lincoln Center. She has a crush on one of the dancers, and she nearly falls out of her seat watching him pirouette. While she ogles at her crush, there are some tensions between Carrie and Anthony as he judges the state of her relationship with Aidan. How can she be with him if she doesn't know when (or if!) he's coming back to New York? Aidan does return to our screens in this episode—but not to the Big Apple just yet—when he calls Carrie from his Virginia home, slightly drunk. Their flirty conversation turns into phone sex, but Carrie gets cold feet when she realizes her cat, Shoe, is staring her down from across the room. As Aidan finishes on the other end of the line, Carrie pretends that she does too. At least one long distance couple reunites: Seem and Ravi. The director arrives home surprisingly early and pampers Seema with a cascading bouquet of flowers and a reservation at Jean-Georges, but there's a catch: They have to go location-scouting for his film first…with his crew. Though he promises they'll make their lunch reservation, they go over-time, and Seema is fed up. Ravi 'lost track of time and on me,' she tells him. She calls a black car and leaves him in a movie-worthy exit. The rest of the ladies gather at Harlem's Red Rooster for Herbert's (Christopher Jackson), campaign event. (Lisa's husband is running for city comptroller, if you needed a reminder.) Though he's been spending a majority of the episode trying to be 'cool,' he succumbs to his charmingly uncool hobbies and performs with his college a cappella group. (A great excuse for to get the Hamilton alum to sing onscreen.) While staying true to himself, Herbert encourages Lisa to do the same with her docuseries and stay true to her vision. She's all ears until she realizes their event planner has a connection to The White House. Could he be her in with the Obamas? Miranda also can't help but go with her gut when Mary asks to meet in Times Square by the M&M store. (She gifts her a bag of the candies—M&M for Mary and Miranda!) She feels bad for the nun, but she also doesn't want to lead her on. 'Don't leave God for me,' she pleads. Mary shrugs all that off; of course she wouldn't leave God, she says, she's married to him. On a more sentimental note, Mary explains that Miranda helped her explore a side of herself that was always within her, waiting to be uncovered. Fresh off of watching a performance of Wicked, she takes Miranda's hands and sings, 'Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.' Carrie also comes clean when she calls Aidan that night, confessing that she faked her orgasm over the phone during their last conversation, but she's willing to give it another go. Unfortunately, it's not a good time for Aidan, who's in bed with his son. This five-year, long-distance break is going to be harder than Carrie thought. She gets out of bed and returns to the thing she knows best: writing. She opens her laptop and begins typing (with her signature narration), 'The woman wondered what she had gotten herself into.' This season, we're about to find out. ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE. Erica Gonzales is the Deputy Editor, Culture at where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now.
Metro
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Rosie O'Donnell reveals hit show she was meant to star in before fleeing America
Rosie O'Donnell has revealed she was due to star in a hit comedy right before she decided to flee America and move to Ireland. The legendary comedian left the US at the beginning of the year after President Donald Trump's second term in office began, and was joined by her 12-year-old child, who is non-binary and goes by Clay. In the last few months, the 63-year-old has left many delighted with a string of TV appearances – including a hilarious cameo in Hacks, and a stint as a nun in the season three premiere of And Just Like That…, which aired on Thursday. During a new interview to promote her latest screen efforts, she opened up about other projects in the works, explaining that she was due to pop up in Poker Face with Natasha Lyonne shortly before the move. 'I was supposed to do, right before I left, an episode of Poker Face,' she told Variety, sharing that she would still love to take part in the hit Peacock series. 'I'm hoping that I'll be able to do that, although I don't know – with the current political climate, when would it be safe to come back with my child? 'I'm not going to push it before this administration is completely finished, and hopefully held accountable for their crimes.' Giving an update on her new life across the pond with Clay, Rosie raved: 'Never, for one moment since I arrived here, did I regret my choice. 'People have been so welcoming, so accepting, and they have a different view of celebrity in the culture here. They are not prioritized over other people. 'People are much more friendly and intimate with each other in a real way.' Following Trump's return to office in January, the former host of the View decided to leave the US – declaring that she 'needed to' make the move for her family, and her 'own sanity'. She has since settled down in Ireland with Clay and their new dog, but her other children, Parker, Blake, Chelsea and Vivienne, are yet to join them. More Trending Her bitter battle with Trump has been raging for nearly 20 years, and stemmed from the moment she called him out on the View in 2006. Appearing on the Late Late Show recently, Rosie shed further light on the move, telling the host: 'The President of the United States has it out for me and has for 20 years, when I told the truth about him on a program called The View – where it was my job to talk about pop culture, politics… 'I mentioned his bankruptcies, I mentioned all of the sexual assault charges and I mentioned that he was not, in fact, the businessman that everyone thinks he is because of the show, The Apprentice, where they sold a bunch of lies to America for over 10 years, and half of America believed it. View More » 'He was very angry to say the least, and he hasn't let it go. And he uses me as a punchline whenever he feels the need.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Elon Musk wears 'The Dogefather' shirt and accepts golden key from Trump MORE: Amazon Prime fans rush to save 'incredible' axed series as 70,000 sign petition MORE: Security drags ex WWE star off daytime TV show after physical clash
CNN
2 days 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
2 days 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.
