Podcast Summary: "It’s a Baguette with Timothy Gibbs...”
Podcast: Are You a Charlotte? (iHeartPodcasts)
Host: Kristin Davis
Guest: Timothy Gibbs (Detective Stevens, Sex and the City S3 E17)
Episode: S3 E17, “What Goes Around Comes Around”
Release Date: March 2, 2026
Overview
In this episode, host Kristin Davis reconnects with actor Timothy Gibbs, who guest-starred as Detective Stevens in the memorable Sex and the City episode "What Goes Around Comes Around." The conversation is a warm, insightful look into the making of the episode—including juicy behind-the-scenes stories—Timothy’s acting journey, and the impact of fleeting fame. With laughter, honesty, and a touch of nostalgia, the two discuss their shared Southern roots, post-acting chapters, and the contributions of Sex and the City to pop culture.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Catching Up: From South Carolina & LA to Small Town Living
[04:05–08:08]
- Kristin and Timothy bond over their shared origins in South Carolina.
- Kristin: “I love Charleston. I’m from Columbia.” (04:22)
- Timothy describes his move from LA to a small town near Charleston, opening an antique and farmhouse furniture shop after retiring from acting.
- Timothy: “We have an antique and fine art store here... That’s my primary business now.” (07:18)
- Kristin reflects on the evolving nature of acting careers.
2. Child Acting, Relationships, and Reinvention
[08:08–13:22]
- Timothy’s unique route: starting as an 11-year-old in commercials, thanks to a football coach’s offer during the '70s actors’ strike.
- Timothy: “I ended up in San Francisco shooting this commercial... that puts you into the union. Right.” (11:09)
- He credits his large family and supportive parents for protecting him from many child actor pitfalls.
- Timothy candidly discusses struggles in adulthood—substance use, relational challenges—and meeting his wife, which anchored him.
- “I wasn’t always grounded and I wasn’t always whole... It wasn’t until much later... when I found [my wife], everything started to kind of come around.” (12:32–13:22)
3. Sex and the City Guest Spot: A Moment in the Spotlight
[13:24–16:44]
- At the time, Timothy was on One Life to Live and had just received a Daytime Emmy nomination.
- “I think I had just come off of...an Emmy nomination...then I got this role.” (13:33)
- He describes auditioning with director Alan Coulter and quickly landing the part.
- Kristin and Timothy discover they didn’t actually meet on set due to their characters’ separate storylines.
- Kristin: “Like, I don’t think we ever met.”
Timothy: “No, we didn’t. We didn’t meet. If I’m totally honest, I wanted to meet you more than, than any of us.” (15:01–15:11)
- Kristin: “Like, I don’t think we ever met.”
- The episode was filmed during a particularly busy, almost chaotic, stretch of the series' third season.
4. The Infamous Deleted Scene: Miranda, Sex, and Soup
[16:44–21:02]
- Kristin asks about a legendary, unaired scene: Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) vomiting on the detective during sex, involving a "soup cannon."
- Kristin: “Is it my imagination or was there a part... where she throws up on you while you’re having sex?” (16:44)
- Timothy: “Oh my God. It’s true...They fired this stuff out of the cannon and it’s like projectile, like horizontal across the screen, just right into my face.” (17:37–18:51)
- The scene was cut because it was too over-the-top—even "Linda Blair on masculine"—and replaced with Miranda finding a note and an AA phone number.
5. Iconic Fashion and Cinematic Moments
[21:02–26:20]
- Kristin shares her favorite style moment: Carrie in the newspaper print Dior dress, a shot she calls unbelievably beautiful and emblematic.
- “I could watch it over and over again... She’s very much framed by strangers passing behind her and cars passing in front of her. It’s just so incredibly beautiful...” (21:43)
- Discussion of the show's technical excellence: writing, direction (Alan Coulter), camera, and costumes.
6. On-Set Stories and Lasting Impact
[28:30–37:23]
- Kristin praises Timothy’s dignified, focused portrayal—an unusually respectful male “guest star” role.
- “The thing that I love about your part—it’s kind of unusual for a man who’s kind of a guest star type of guy.” (28:30)
- Timothy shares that audiences (even now) compliment his hands, based on a restaurant scene.
- “The comment I would get... was, ‘You have really nice hands.’” (30:33)
- Both reminisce about the show’s success, its relatable characters, and how even small guest roles turned into pop culture touchstones.
- They agree on the importance of grounded, flawed, and authentic storytelling.
7. Behind-the-Scenes Chemistry (and Lack Thereof)
[37:23–40:29]
- Kristin explains that, surprisingly, none of the main cast read together before filming, and casting came down to last-minute decisions and luck.
- “It was magic because none of us read together, you know. Now they would do the chemistry [reads].” (37:23)
- Her journey to being cast: She was first sent the script for Carrie, but identified more with Charlotte.
8. Fame, Fans, and Life After Acting
[47:49–58:12]
- Timothy describes the wave of recognition from both Sex and the City and voicing Max Payne in video games.
- “This thing airs and I start getting stopped on the street in New York... asking me if I was on the show. Did you play? Hey, were you Officer Stevens?” (50:02)
- Discussion of why Timothy left acting for a quieter life:
- “When I found an opportunity to be grounded... I felt like I had been hugged.” (52:19)
- They reflect on how acting and fame shape— but don’t always define—happiness or satisfaction.
9. Final Thoughts: The Joy of Ordinary Life
[58:23–60:33]
- Timothy shares his enthusiasm for building antique furniture in small-town South Carolina and invites Kristin to visit.
- “We build this very old, very old primitive stuff... So this is my life now.” (58:29)
- Both wax poetic on the joys and pros/cons of small-town versus big-city life.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On the soup cannon scene:
“They fire this stuff out of the cannon and it’s like projectile, like horizontal across the screen, just right into my face and in my mouth and in my chest... They looked at that, apparently... and were like, no, we can’t. It’s like Linda Blair on masculine. We can’t, we can’t do this.”
— Timothy Gibbs (18:38) -
On fame after SATC:
“It was, when it was airing... I was getting stopped all the time... And that of course was, you know, in the, over the years in which I was an actor, I didn’t quite have that kind of notoriety... I was gratified by that, actually. I thought it was fun to meet all those people...They would always ask me about you guys.”
— Timothy Gibbs (50:02) -
On the show’s magic:
“That’s the thing that show did... you don’t feel the needle going in, but it did, from time to time, touch on something important... There’s a lesson in there, hidden away in all the laughs...”
— Timothy Gibbs (36:20) -
On grounding and leaving acting:
“When I found an opportunity to be grounded... I felt like I had been hugged... It is nothing short of amazing.”
— Timothy Gibbs (52:19, 53:51)
Timestamps for Major Segments
- [04:05] — South Carolina roots & moving to small town
- [08:08] — Child acting origins; family influences
- [13:24] — Career crossroads and getting the SATC role
- [16:44] — The infamous deleted Miranda vomit scene
- [21:02] — Kristin’s favorite SATC fashion moment
- [28:30] — On playing Detective Stevens and guest star reflections
- [36:20] — The “Sam Jones” storyline & writing’s lasting lessons
- [37:23] — How the main cast was cast—no “chemistry reads”
- [47:49] — Dealing with fame & unexpected fan reactions
- [52:19] — Why Timothy left acting for family and furniture
- [58:23] — Life today (building furniture), joys of quiet living
Tone and Atmosphere
- Warm, candid, and reflective, with Southern-fried nostalgia and showbiz realism.
- The conversation is marked by humor (about “dignified” guest stars, soup cannons, and acting mishaps), gratitude, and curiosity about both each other’s current lives and the enduring legacy of Sex and the City.
For Listeners
This episode offers not only rare behind-the-scenes Sex and the City stories (including a never-aired gross-out moment!) but a universal meditation on life after the limelight, the twists of an acting career, and the happiness to be found in new chapters. The chemistry, as always, is genuine and generous—making this a must-listen for both SATC superfans and anyone interested in the journey from screen to small-town stillness.