Are You A Charlotte? – “Parlez Vous Français with Ben Platt…”

Podcast: Are You A Charlotte?
Host: Kristin Davis (Charlotte York on Sex and the City)
Guest: Ben Platt
Episode: S2 E12 "La Douleur Exquise!"
Date: September 1, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode brings Broadway and screen star Ben Platt into the Charlotte York universe for an in-depth, playful, and heartfelt discussion about identity, fandom, and the enduring impact of Sex and the City (SATC). With the context of the rewatch of “La Douleur Exquise!” (S2 E12), Kristin and Ben blend behind-the-scenes nostalgia, queer perspective, reflections on love, performance, and cultural legacy – all filtered through the ever-optimistic, earnest lens of Charlotte.

Key Themes and Discussion Points

1. Meeting “A Charlotte”: Ben Platt’s Fandom & Connection to the Show

• Ben Platt’s Charlotte Identity (03:23, 05:49)

  • Ben describes growing up with two sisters who loved SATC, memorizing episodes, and how Charlotte’s determination to find love and make a home mirrored his own romantic approach.
  • “I very much identify as a Charlotte… As a gay person and a New York person… and from a Jewish family. The MO culturally, as obviously Charlotte becomes, is you gotta find your husband and settle down and buy the china… in dating, even prematurely, that was my M.O.” – Ben Platt (05:49)
  • Ben shares that he wrote the song “Share Your Address” (on his debut album) as a tribute to that “jumping in quickly” Charlotte spirit.

• Kristin’s Delight at Ben’s Tribute

  • Kristin recalls fans sending her Ben's “Charlotte” moment from his Radio City show: “People kept sending it to me and I was like, this is adorable.” (06:29)

2. Revisiting Sex and the City: The Experience of Aging with a Show

• Kristin discusses the surreal feeling of rewatching SATC after years of forward momentum, noting the quality and craft that she now recognizes more deeply (06:50). • Ben reflects on timing, therapy, and the necessity to live life outside your character before returning to such a formative project (07:57).

• Notable Quote:

  • Kristin: “It’s really amazing to have lasted this long in terms of the show being culturally discussed at all… and when I rewatch it, I’m blown away by how good it is.” (06:50)

3. On Relationships: Ben’s Personal Love Story Mirrors Charlotte’s Journey

• Ben shares how he met his husband, Noah Galvin, at 19, their initial friendship, and the long process (and patience) before becoming partners and eventually marrying (10:08–11:52).
  • “We had talent crushes immediately on each other… and then we were friends for, like, five, six years. And then… I realized this was the greatest person I know.” – Ben Platt (10:29)
• They joke about the myth that Ben and Noah met during “Dear Evan Hansen,” clarifying they'd already known each other for years (12:02).
• Ben on cohabitation and “building a home” together as the “Charlotte” part of his marriage (13:51–14:16).

4. Charlotte York: Character Craft & Thematic Consistency

• Discussion about how Charlotte’s determination (symbolized by the “china” storyline) is both endearing and emblematic of her character across the series (14:44–16:46).
• Kristin recalls working with “Trey” and the complexities of storylines about perfection vs. authentic happiness.
• Both agree all four central women are iconic because they remain true to their unique identities, even as they evolve (09:30).

The Rewatch and Episode Breakdown (“La Douleur Exquise!”)

5. Production Stories: On Set, Dogs, and Details

• Kristin shares logistical challenges of returning to film “And Just Like That…” post-pandemic, the emotional difficulty of opening with “Big’s death,” and the continuity of Charlotte’s character via set design (22:38–25:08).
• The importance of keeping Charlotte’s home orderly—even as the set designers wanted to reflect the “tween/teen messiness” of her daughters (24:56).
  • “I was like, no, it can’t be like this… They did take the feedback… That’s what makes it feel real after all these years.” – Kristin Davis (25:08–25:12)

6. Filmmaking DNA: Female Directors and Indie Roots

• Kristin describes the early SATC “indie film era,” specifically calling out director Allison Anders’s unique, relaxed style (34:37–35:22).

7. On “Earnestness” and Cultural Shifts

• Ben and Kristin lament how sincerity is often labeled “cringe” in contemporary culture, championing the value and challenge of playing deeply earnest characters (26:33–27:18).
  • “It’s one of my least favorite cultural shifts… that everything is cringe unless there’s an apathy to it.” – Ben Platt (26:43)

8. Rewatching the Iconic Episode (from approx. 40:58 onward)

• Charlotte’s Story: The Shoe Fetishist

  • Behind-the-scenes anxiety about the “shoe salesman” storyline, working with James Urbaniak—Kristin confesses her discomfort and relief at how the episode turned out (43:01–44:24).
  • “Only a character as pure-hearted and naive as Charlotte could we watch go through that and be like, oh, you poor thing…” – Ben Platt (44:24)

• Carrie & Big: “La Douleur Exquise!” Turns

  • The emotional arc—Carrie’s heartbreak at Big’s Paris plans, the meme-able moments (her outfit, the beret, the Big Mac), and the devastating lack of emotional consideration from Big (47:06–50:57, 57:36–59:00, 80:00–84:58).
  • Ben praises Sarah Jessica Parker’s acting: “She’s really good at… receiving information… making it feel like it’s being heard for the first time.” (58:20–58:34)
  • Discussion of the “goodbye sex” scene: “I don’t believe in goodbye sex… I think I have and didn’t know it.” – Kristin Davis (85:24–85:38)
  • Analysis of Carrie’s internal monologue and the audience perspective on “Carrie the narcissist.” (80:10–81:12)
  • “Everyone’s internal monologue is narcissistic!” – Kristin Davis (80:58)

• Stanford’s Queer Online Dating Storyline

  • Ben, as a gay fan, explains why seeing Stanford’s “normal” awkwardness in queer dating was important. Kristin shares what it was like working with the late Willie Garson and his initial discomfort around being asked to “gay it up.” Ben calls Stanford “a whole person,” not a stereotype.
  • “Stanford is incredibly sweet compared to Willie. Willie was sweet, but could also, like, cut to the bone.” – Kristin Davis (61:25)
  • “I see it as such a positive representation… an actual person who’s not just a snarky gay assistant.” – Ben Platt (63:23)

• Miranda & Samantha: Episodic Structure

  • Insight into writing challenges when four leads mean someone’s story gets short shrift; how later seasons perfected braiding the women’s different stories more seamlessly (45:08–46:59).

9. Impact, Legacy, and Fandom

• Ben and Kristin reflect on the changing public reception of SATC, comparing it to Lena Dunham’s Girls and noting how societal readiness for female-centric “challenging” stories evolved (31:12).

• Kristin reveals initial bad reviews: “People were, like, so upset with us in the beginning… They think, oh, of course it was amazing… No, everyone was like, who are these women? Who do they think they are?” (30:48)

• Public Life and Recognition
  Kristin describes being a NYC icon, how fame changed her ability to live anonymously, and a funny tale of escaping security to shop for shoes with Sarah Jessica Parker at Barneys (76:50–79:50).

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Being a Charlotte:

  • “I wrote a whole song… about kind of jumping in really quickly as soon as you like someone… very much inspired by Charlotte.” – Ben Platt (05:49)

• On Earnest Characters:

  • “It’s a really hard thing to play… to play somebody that’s coming from such a place of earnestness… It’s a really challenging, impressive thing to do.” – Ben Platt, to Kristin (26:33)
  • “I think you have permission to be earnest anywhere you want to be earnest.” – Kristin Davis (27:39)

• On Carrie & Big:

  • “After all that she emotionally has gotten through to try to get to that point, to say, it can work, he’s like, but don’t expect anything.” – Kristin Davis (84:14)
  • “This is the thing with Big. It’s one thing to be emotionally unavailable, but be able to articulate that you have that shortcoming. It’s another thing to not have any words for it and to just be abusive.” – Ben Platt (84:24)

• On Cultural Legacy:

  • “If you had told us this in the beginning, we never would have believed you… For us, people were so upset with us in the beginning…” – Kristin Davis (30:48)

• On Podcast Therapy:

  • “Thank you… We’re having some therapy on the podcast.” – Kristin Davis (29:36)
  • “That’s what I’m here for.” – Ben Platt (29:42)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:23 – Ben’s intro as a “Charlotte,” Benji in Pitch Perfect, concert moment
• 05:49 – Ben’s song inspired by Charlotte, “Share Your Address”
• 10:08 – Ben’s love story with Noah Galvin, meeting at 19
• 13:51 – On creating a home and cohabiting (being a “Charlotte” in marriage)
• 14:44 – The symbolism of Charlotte’s “china” and the search for happiness
• 22:38 – Rejoining “And Just Like That…” post-pandemic, Charlotte’s set details
• 26:33 – On playing earnest characters (Charlotte, Ben’s roles)
• 34:37 – Shoutout to director Allison Anders, indie roots of SATC
• 43:01 – Charlotte’s “shoe salesman” storyline, working with James Urbaniak
• 47:06 – Breaking down Carrie & Big’s S2E12 heartbreak, meme moments
• 57:36 – The Paris reveal, Ben and Kristin analyze the emotional performance
• 60:41 – Stanford’s online dating, representation and working with Willie Garson
• 76:48 – Ben asks about Kristin’s shift to public recognition in NYC
• 80:00 – The “Carrie is narcissistic” debate and narrative structure
• 85:24 – The “goodbye sex” ending and how Kristin views it
• 87:10 – Creative process on narrations and character arcs
• 90:36 – “Are you a Charlotte?”: Ben’s winning the crown

Notable Fan Questions

• When did NYC recognition peak?
  Kristin describes the third season as the “boom” (76:57), loss of anonymity, and the learning curve of navigating fame in NYC vs. LA.

• About voiceover process:
  Ben inquires how scripted voiceovers influence performance, leading to insights into Michael Patrick King and Sarah Jessica Parker’s collaborative, inclusive creative process (87:08–87:54).

Tone and Takeaways

• Warmth, humor, sincerity, honesty, and appreciation.
• Both Kristin and Ben are deeply self-aware and celebratory of the authenticity (and flaws) that have made SATC—and its characters—last.
• The episode is as much a celebration of earnest storytelling and queer/female perspective as it is a nostalgia trip.
• Their optimism, candor, and generous reflections make this episode indispensable to fans, extending the invitation to be a “Charlotte”—whatever that means in your own searching, hopeful life.

Summary

This episode is a love letter to the persistent impact of Sex and the City: its boldness, its complicated women, its queer embrace, and its refusal to apologize for optimism or depth of feeling. Ben Platt’s honesty about fandom, identity, and performance offers a fresh look at why Charlotte—and SATC by extension—still resonates. For anyone who hasn’t listened, this episode overflows with affectionate, insightful, and behind-the-scenes revelations, and it’ll leave you both laughing and reflecting on the exquisite pain—and joy—of loving something (or someone) the Charlotte way.