You know the walk. The power suits. That specific, husky delivery of lines that would make a sailor blush. When people ask who plays Samantha in Sex and the City, the name Kim Cattrall doesn’t just come to mind—it dominates it.
Honestly, it’s hard to imagine anyone else in those Manolo Blahniks. But the history of Kim Cattrall as Samantha Jones is a lot more complicated than just a lady who liked sex and expensive PR campaigns. From turning down the role multiple times to a very public, decade-long fallout with the "core four," the story of how Samantha came to be—and why she eventually left—is pure Hollywood drama.
The Woman Behind the Power Suits: Kim Cattrall
Most people think Kim Cattrall was a newcomer when she stepped onto the New York streets in 1998. Nope. She’d been working for decades. We’re talking Police Academy, Big Trouble in Little China, and even Star Trek VI. She was a seasoned pro by the time Darren Star came knocking.
But here’s the kicker: she almost didn’t do it.
Kim actually turned down the role of Samantha Jones four times. She was 41 at the time. In the late 90s, Hollywood wasn't exactly kind to women over 40. She was terrified that playing a "sexually liberated" older woman would make her a laughingstock or, worse, that nobody would find a 40-something woman sexy.
Obviously, she was wrong. She eventually said yes, and the rest is cable TV history. She didn't just play Samantha; she built her. Cattrall famously insisted that Samantha wasn't a nymphomaniac. To her, Sam was a woman who "enjoyed the main course" while everyone else was stuck on appetizers. She brought a vulnerability to a character that could have easily been a one-note caricature.
What about the "other" Samantha?
If you're a hardcore fan, you might remember The Carrie Diaries. That was the CW prequel that ran for a bit in the early 2010s. Since the show focused on a teenage Carrie Bradshaw, they eventually had to introduce a young Samantha.
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In that version, Lindsey Gort took on the mantle. She did a killer job capturing the vibe, but for the vast majority of the world, there is only one Samantha.
The Drama: Why Kim Cattrall Left
You can’t talk about who plays Samantha in Sex and the City without talking about the elephant in the room: the feud. Or "disagreement." Or whatever PR-friendly word you want to use.
For years, rumors swirled that Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker (who played Carrie) didn’t get along. Things boiled over when a third movie was in the works. Kim said no. She’d had enough. She famously told Piers Morgan in 2017 that the cast was "never friends," but rather "colleagues."
There were a few big reasons she walked away:
- The Script: Reports suggest the plot for the third movie involved Samantha receiving inappropriate photos from Miranda’s teenage son, Brady. Kim allegedly hated it. She felt the character deserved better than a creepy, outdated storyline.
- Pay Inequity: This is a big one. Kim was the one doing the heavy lifting in terms of nudity and the more "out there" scenes, yet the pay gap between her and SJP was massive.
- Personal Growth: She simply wanted to do something else. She moved on to projects like Sensitive Skin and Filthy Rich, proving there was life after the Meatpacking District.
Samantha's "Return" in And Just Like That...
When the revival And Just Like That... was announced, fans were crushed. No Samantha? It felt like a table with three legs. The show explained her absence by saying she moved to London after a falling out with Carrie (art imitating life, much?).
But then, 2023 happened.
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For the Season 2 finale, the impossible occurred. Kim Cattrall filmed a cameo. It was short—about 70 seconds of screen time—and she was in a car the whole time. But it was her.
The behind-the-scenes details of that cameo are legendary. She reportedly filmed her lines without seeing or speaking to any of the other three lead actresses. She also insisted that Patricia Field, the original costume designer who wasn't working on the reboot, come back just to style her for that one scene. Talk about a power move.
Why Samantha Jones Still Matters
People don't just search for who plays Samantha in Sex and the City because they forgot a name. They search because the character is a cultural touchstone. Samantha was the first woman on TV to treat sex like a man did—without the guilt, the "what does this mean?" or the need for a wedding ring at the end of the night.
She was the loyalist of the bunch. Remember when she sat through Charlotte’s "conversion" or helped Carrie through the "Post-it" breakup? She was the backbone.
Samantha by the Numbers
- Seasons: 6
- Movies: 2
- Golden Globes: 1 win (2002), 4 nominations
- Emmy Nominations: 5
Moving Forward: Can There Be a Samantha Without Kim?
The short answer? No.
The producers of And Just Like That... have tried to fill the void with new, vibrant characters like Seema Patel (played by the brilliant Sarita Choudhury). And while Seema is great, she isn't Samantha. Nobody is.
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Kim Cattrall has been pretty vocal about the fact that she’s "done" with the character. She’s 69 now. She’s lived that life. She told The Today Show that the cameo was "as far as she'll go."
If you're looking to relive the Samantha glory days, your best bet isn't waiting for a Season 4 miracle. It's going back to the original HBO run. Watch "The Turtle and the Hare" (Season 1) or the episode where she gets a chemical peel gone wrong. That’s the Samantha Jones magic.
Actionable Insights for Fans:
- Watch the Prequel: If you haven't seen The Carrie Diaries, check out Lindsey Gort’s performance. It’s a fun "alternate" take on the character.
- Follow Kim’s New Work: If you miss the actress, watch How I Met Your Father or Glamorous. She still brings that same "Samantha" spark to every role.
- Respect the Boundaries: It’s tempting to pick sides in the SJP vs. KC feud, but the reality is likely just two people who worked together for 20 years and grew apart. It happens in real offices, and it happens on TV sets.
The legacy of Samantha Jones is safe. Whether she’s in London or a town car in New York, Kim Cattrall’s performance ensured the character will live forever in syndication and memes.
Check out the original HBO series on Max to see Kim Cattrall in her prime, and pay close attention to the small character choices—like the way she holds a martini glass—that made Samantha a legend.