The second season of Sex and the City revival/sequel And Just Like That… dropped its two-part season finale yesterday, and fans are still dazzled by the return (albeit briefly) of Samantha (Kim Cattrall). British-Canadian actress Cattrall was a series regular in the original show, which ran from 1998 until 2004, and followed the life of columnist Carrie Bradshaw and her friends as they tackled living and finding love in New York City. However, this is the first time she’s appeared in the follow-up series, despite the other three principal cast members of the original taking on major roles in the new show, which is set 11 years after the events of the second Sex and the City film (which we don’t talk about).
Cattrall only appeared for a short period of time in the finale and wasn’t on-screen with the rest of the crew, but even so it was a major coup for the producers to get her back, even if it was for a sole phone conversation with Sarah Jesica Parker’s Carrie, and the four original characters weren’t reunited on-screen. However, some viewers have some questions about the whole thing, like why wasn’t she in the previous twenty episodes of the new show? And just how much did Kim Cattrall get paid for her appearance on And Just Like That…? We answer those questions below!
Who does Kim Cattrall play in And Just Like That?
Kim Cattrall reprised her role as Samantha Jones for her cameo in And Just Like That…. A PR professional, Samantha was noted for her openness around sexuality and her confidence, the former of which formed the basis for a lot of her storylines in the original Sex and the City. A loyal and protective friend with a lack of tact in some situations, she is also emotionally unavailable for a lot of the series, but was a leading light for the others (even Charlotte, who she often fought with).
The oldest of the friends, she claims to have partied in Studio 54, and was closest with Carrie in the original series. She has also battled breast cancer in the in-world series, showing a much softer side during that tumultuous period of her life.
Why wasn’t Kim Cattrall in the last series of And Just Like That?
The reason given for Samantha’s absence in the show was that Carrie had dropped her public relations company, causing a rift and eventual estrangement of the pair. In the show, Samantha has also moved to London, making her absence even more plausible. However, the real life reason behind Cattrall’s not being in the series is a bit murkier, although certainly related to a feud she and Sarah Jessica Parker had, as well as a desire to move on from the character and some ongoing resentments about payment stemming from the original HBO series.
One of the earliest signs of trouble (except for the terrible second film, of course) came in 2017, when Cattrall took to Twitter to confirm she’d turned down the opportunity to work on a third SATC film, but not because of financial reasons like some were claiming, most notably the right-wing gossip rag, the Daily Mail. A source allegedly told the paper:
“The only reason this movie isn’t being made is because of Kim Cattrall. Everyone was looking forward to making this movie but Kim made it all about her, always playing the victim. Kim had the audacity to tell Warner Bros that she would only do this if they made other movies she had in development. Ridiculous. Who does she think she is—George Clooney?”
Later that year, media blowhard and all round bad guy Piers Morgan interviewed Cattrall, where she reitterated that she wanted to leave Samantha behind for creative decisions:
“Not for me. That was part of turning 60. That was a very clear moment of, how many years do I have left and what do I want to do with it? What haven’t I done? I feel that the show was the best when it was the series and the bonus was the two movies.”
In that same interview, she reitterated that her and the rest of the cast had “never reall been friends,” going on to say “We’ve been colleagues and, in some ways, it’s a very healthy place to be.” However, she was angry at SJP for implying that she hadn’t signed up to a third film for financial reasons:
“This is really where I take to task the people from Sex and the City, and specifically Sarah Jessica Parker. I think she could’ve been nicer. I really think she could’ve been nicer. I don’t know what her issue is.”
There were other potential flashpoints, too, including a alleged incident in which the other three members of the cast rented a house for a shoot without inviting Cattrall, and rumors the Samantha actress wasn’t even on speaking terms with her castmate by the end of the series. Then there was a bit of a spat on Instagram, where Cattrall accused SJP of using the death of Cattrall’s brother to push her “‘nice girl’ persona.” A bit frosty to say the least.
With that all said, Cattrall has confirmed that there were some financial reasons behind the decision to not return for more Sex and the City content. She told British television host Jonathan Ross in 2004 that she felt “after six years it was time for all of us to participate in the financial windfall of Sex and the City. When they [the producers, and possibly a dig at SJP] didn’t seem keen on that I thought it was time to move on.” Bustle have claimed Cattrall asked for a million dollars an episode for a seventh season of SATC, and their refusal was one of the reasons the show was cancelled.
How much did Kim Cattrall get paid for And Just Like That?
If Cattrall didn’t appear in the first season and a bit of And Just Like That… for financial reasons, then it’s clear the producers of the show were willing to swallow their pride and oblige her, because she reportedly got the bag and then some for her cameo appearance, which lasted just over a minute long. Reputable sources are claiming she was paid at least a million dollars for her 71 second appearance, which sees Samantha have a phone conversation with Carrie. We’re no mathematicians, but a million dollars for just over a minute of work definitely beats that amount of payment per episode.
The New York Post reported Cattrall only agreed to the cameo if she didn’t have to see her co-stars, although a spokesperson for MAX denied that this was at anyone’s specific request, claiming:
“The offer presented to Kim was always to be a phone call, shot alone as most calls would be. This was an easy and convenient way for Samantha to return. We are delighted it worked out,”
As are many fans, who were excited to see her reprise the role of Samantha.
Will Kim Cattrall be returning to And Just Like That?
Cattrall’s leaked return was supposed to be a secret (despite Cattrall dropping hints by telling panelists on The View the head of HBO had called her), and when the news came out fans of the original show were immediately dreaming of the orignal four reuiniting in the sequel series. However, Cattrall has strongly hinted that her appearance was purely for fans, and was partly to mark the 25th anniversary of the series, so it’s unlikely she will be returning for season three and beyond.
Then again, she implied heavily that she wouldn’t appear in And Just Like That… in any capacity, and we can all see how that ended up.