12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
The ‘Hot Fellas' Bakery Was Real, at Least for One Weekend
'Who wants a hot croissant?' asked the actor Mario Cantone, reprising his character Anthony Marentino from the HBO show 'Sex and the City.'
Mr. Cantone, brandishing an apron and a cake server, added an emphasis on the word 'hot' and wagged his eyebrows, turning the otherwise ordinary tray of freshly baked pastries into an innuendo.
A group of fans in front of him — most of whom were women with their phones at the ready — giggled and took photos.
When 'Sex and the City' was brought back to life in 2021 as 'And Just Like That …,' Mr. Cantone's character pivoted from a career in wedding planning to starting up a bread delivery business, called Hot Fellas. As the name suggests, his business is staffed by sexy men in short denim rompers so tight that every arm flex or squat teases a wardrobe malfunction.
The fictional business became 'a fan favorite story line from the moment it first appeared,' Dana Flax, a marketing vice president at HBO Max said in an emailed statement, citing the engagement and enthusiasm for the Hot Fellas on social media.
In the most recent episode of Season 3, which was released last week, Anthony opened a Hot Fellas brick-and-mortar cafe (using a pun for male genitalia to alter that phrase) and his current lover, Giuseppe, an aspiring poet played by Sebastiano Pigazzi, temporarily became a Hot Fella to help with its launch — thanks largely to his ability to fill out the skin-tight uniform.
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