And Just Like That's Nicole Ari Parker Responds to Claims That She "Replaced" Kim Cattrall
Sex and the City fans were understandably crushed when they learned Kim Cattrall, who played the hilarious, sex-positive Samantha, wasn't going to be in HBO Max's reboot—some, so much so, that when And Just Like That... premiered, they directed their anger at Nicole Ari Parker, whose new character just so happens to be friends with all three members of the former foursome.
Suffice to say, fans and critics alike accused Parker of replacing Cattrall. As she revealed during E! News' Daily Pop on Thursday, Jan. 13, "I got a taste of the crazy fans that this show has."
That's not to say she doesn't understand the response, though.
"They're very protective of the series and all these things," Parker said. "And I just appreciated it all."
With the addition of her character and several other non-white actors scoring roles, she added that "New York was starting to look like New York."
And in true Sex and the City style, with that came plenty of dresses, purses and shoes. Parker recalled her first wardrobe fitting—which lasted a whopping seven days, according to her husband Boris Kodjoe—calling it "a fantasy."
"They should have shot my face on day one," Parker added.
By the time filming wrapped, she so inspired by the glamour of it all that she began dressing up in her everyday life.
"I have two kids who go to school in private school so my budget is a little bit different, but, you know, I think just being able to play a grownup woman in her all glory actually inspired me," Parker explained. "Like, why don't I pick up my kids from school with my nice dress on? Why am I saving? Especially with all this zoom stuff, we don't go out anymore. I was like, you know what, let me pull myself together."
The actress shares two children with Kodjoe. They wed in 2005, and just last year, she starred in his upcoming directorial debut Safe Room.
Getting Parker to sign on wasn't easy, though.
"I had to beg and plead for her to be in it," Kodjoe said. "I got down on my knees and I begged her to be my quarterback. She leads this phenomenal cast."
Going from acting to directing wasn't a giant leap, especially since Kodjoe developed a passion for filmmaking early on.
"I think it was always in me," Kodjoe told E! News. "I was a photographer and always very interested and passionate about creating images. When I started acting—whew, 21 years ago—I always spent of lot of time learning from the director, so by the time I got into the ring, I was ready."
Hear more from both Kodjoe and Parker in the above Daily Pop interview!
And Just Like That... is now streaming on HBO Max. Safe Room premieres on Saturday, January 15 at 8 p.m. on Lifetime.
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