Sarah Jessica Parker

Summary

Podcast Title: Are You A Charlotte?
Episode: Sarah Jessica Parker
Release Date: May 12, 2025
Host: iHeartPodcasts (Kristin Davis)

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Introduction

In this captivating episode of "Are You A Charlotte?", Kristin Davis delves deep into the legacy of "Sex and the City" by bringing aboard none other than Sarah Jessica Parker as her special guest. The episode promises an intimate look into the behind-the-scenes moments, untold stories, and the enduring friendship between the show's stars.

Welcome and Initial Reflections [04:10 - 07:03]

Kristin warmly welcomes Sarah Jessica Parker, expressing excitement over her participation:

Kristin Davis: "Everybody, welcome to Are You A Charlotte? Guess who? My guest is Sarah Jessica Parker. Do a little dance, Sarah." [04:10]

Sarah reciprocates the enthusiasm, hinting at the depth of their collaboration:

Sarah Jessica Parker: "I'm so happy to be and I'm so proud of you." [06:08]

The conversation quickly shifts to the origins of the podcast idea, with Kristin reflecting on how the pilot episode from 1997 still resonates today.

Behind the Scenes and Casting Stories [07:04 - 16:50]

The duo reminisces about their early days, touching upon memorable events and encounters:

Sarah Jessica Parker: "We went to an AMFAR event for Kevin Huvain, and then we went to the Abbey. [...] Chelsea Handler was there." [07:04]

They discuss the challenges of maintaining personal relationships amidst the pressures of fame and the demanding schedule of the show. Kristin shares her surprise at learning about Cynthia's involvement in the casting process:

Kristin Davis: "I never knew this." [27:15]

Sarah reveals intriguing details about the casting read and her initial hesitations:

Sarah Jessica Parker: "I panicked. I was like, I can't be on a TV show. Oh, I don't think I'm suited for that life." [33:02]

The Evolution of HBO and Industry Insights [37:09 - 56:17]

A significant portion of the discussion centers around HBO's transformative role in the television industry and the birth of groundbreaking shows like "The Sopranos":

Sarah Jessica Parker: "Ted Turner basically spearheaded that entire thing. And to watch him and the passion with which he talks about it and the commitment [...] we were like the spawn, the child of it." [47:10]

They elaborate on the innovative programming strategies HBO employed, emphasizing the platform's commitment to creative freedom:

Sarah Jessica Parker: "It was the first people that said, oh, we're gonna program. We're gonna counter-programming." [54:28]

Kristin connects these industry shifts to their own experiences, highlighting the mutual growth and the unforeseen legacy of their collaboration:

Kristin Davis: "The fact that people still love the show, I feel like is honoring all of that commitment from all of the people that have been part of it for all this time." [11:33]

Personal Anecdotes and Memories [16:50 - 37:09]

Sarah shares heartfelt memories, including unexpected encounters and the emotional rollercoaster of the show's early days:

Sarah Jessica Parker: "I was walking down the street in New York City and [...] someone sent a copy of the pilot to a producer. When the show was picked up, I panicked." [32:13]

Kristin and Sarah delve into the dynamics of their off-screen relationships, emphasizing the camaraderie and mutual support that sustained them through intense filming schedules:

Kristin Davis: "We've been together now for almost 30 years, and to me, it's really obvious, all of the personal relationships and the joys that we have of our personal selves." [06:17]

The Legacy and Lasting Impact [56:17 - 59:04]

As the episode draws to a close, Kristin and Sarah reflect on the enduring legacy of "Sex and the City" and its impact on television and popular culture. They discuss how the show's themes remain relevant, fostering conversations about women's lives, relationships, and empowerment.

Sarah Jessica Parker: "Through change you can succeed. You just have to dream. You have to dream and follow your dreams." [52:08]

Kristin shares her admiration for the unwavering confidence of HBO executives, which allowed creative freedom and set the stage for future successes:

Sarah Jessica Parker: "It was the ego involved. And I say this with admiration, not with condemnation. It was their sense of their confidence in their choices that liberated David Chase and certainly Darren and then Michael Patrick." [53:08]

Conclusion

This episode of "Are You A Charlotte?" offers a profound exploration of "Sex and the City"'s creation, its cultural significance, and the deep bond between its stars. Kristin Davis and Sarah Jessica Parker provide listeners with a rich tapestry of memories, insights, and reflections that honor the show's legacy while celebrating its continued relevance.

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Notable Quotes:

• Kristin Davis: "The fact that people still love the show, I feel like is honoring all of that commitment from all of the people that have been part of it for all this time." [11:33]

• Sarah Jessica Parker: "Through change you can succeed. You just have to dream. You have to dream and follow your dreams." [52:08]

• Sarah Jessica Parker: "It was like, yeah, interesting. We just did a table read of a thing and now then, you know, probably in 10 days we're gonna shoot it, right." [31:00]

Key Takeaways:

• Behind-the-Scenes Insights: The episode uncovers the intricate process of casting and producing "Sex and the City", highlighting the collaborative efforts of cast and crew.

• Industry Evolution: A deep dive into HBO's pioneering strategies that revolutionized television, setting the stage for modern streaming platforms.

• Personal Bonds: The enduring friendship and mutual support between Kristin Davis and Sarah Jessica Parker serve as the emotional backbone of the conversation.

• Legacy and Relevance: "Sex and the City" continues to influence contemporary discussions around women's empowerment, relationships, and urban life.

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For fans of "Sex and the City" and those interested in the intricacies of television production, this episode of "Are You A Charlotte?" is an unmissable journey through nostalgia, friendship, and industry evolution.

Transcript

[Kristin Davis]

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[Kristin Davis]

Hi, I'm Kristin Davis and I want to know, are you a Charlotte? Oh, my gosh. It's so exciting. Everybody, welcome to Are you a Charlotte? Guess who? My guest is Sarah Jessica Parker. Do a little dance, Sarah. Welcome.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Thank you.

[Kristin Davis]

Let me tell you, everyone has been, when is Sarah Jessica coming? When is Sarah Jessica coming? Like, so sweet.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

No, they're so excited. I hope I'm worth the wait.

[Scott Patterson]

You're worth the wait.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

That's up to you.

[Kristin Davis]

Oh, my gosh.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

What will you pull out of me?

[Kristin Davis]

I mean, I don't know, but you just being there, you always pull quite.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

A bit out of me.

[Kristin Davis]

It's very leading and interesting.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Very interesting. I'm so happy to be and I'm so proud of you. And you talked in your recent episode about, you know, talking to all of us about this idea when it was presented to you and how excited you were about it and you said you couldn't remember the order, you know, with whom you spoke about the idea. Not asking for permission, just talking about, like, how. And I do think you spoke to Michael Patrick first because we discussed it in a drugstore. You were shooting the scene where I'm not gonna say anything. Actually, we were shooting a scene for the current season and it was a pretty Big scene that we had not been able to shoot. We were making up for because I had Covid. That's right. It had been at the top of the season schedule. Very, very early or somewhat early on.

[Kristin Davis]

Sorry.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

And so we were. That was one of those scenes that we went to the. We affectionately called the boneyard. And so there we were quite. And then you shared with me this idea and. Which I thought was fantastic. And, I mean, I knew it was gonna be great. And I knew you would come so naturally to the idea, to the. To the medium.

[Kristin Davis]

Yeah.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

But you're doing such a good job.

[Kristin Davis]

Thanks, babe.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

And I'm so proud of you.

[Kristin Davis]

You've been such a great cheerleader. I mean, I don't know if everyone realizes it's easy to be your cheerleader. Thank you very much.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Because I love you so much.

[Kristin Davis]

So much. And I don't know, you know, it's the kind of thing where sometimes I think. Because all of us have been together now for almost 30 years, and to me, it's really obvious, all of the personal relationships and the joys that we have of our personal selves, but it isn't always so obvious because they're watching the show, and it's really interesting. And part of this is also, like, the new world order. Right. Like, things are so different now. And for me, I always feel like we did so much pressure the whole time. I wonder, like, how is anything not seen and. Or understood? But the press, when you're doing it.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

You'Re talking about the interrelationships that are not. That still are sexually kind of unknown. Yes. Yeah. Like the fact that we have affection for each other.

[Kristin Davis]

Exactly.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Yeah, I know.

[Kristin Davis]

Do you remember that time? I can't remember. Oh, I think we went to an amfar event for Kevin Huvain, and then we went to the Abbey. Do you remember? Yes.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

I knew that.

[Scott Patterson]

And we couldn't get without.

[Kristin Davis]

So there's very entertaining paparazzi pictures of us trying to get out and get to our car. And Chelsea Handler was there. And do you remember, like, I had gone to check in with you, like, are you okay? Do you want to go? And she was like, oh, my God, you guys like each other. And I was like, yes. What on earth?

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

It's mystifying to us how It's a mystery to others.

[Kristin Davis]

Yeah.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

But that's a perfectly fine thing to correct.

[Kristin Davis]

Like, absolutely.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

If that's not as well understood as the stories, that's perfectly all right.

[Kristin Davis]

Our job was the show, and we have done that job with all of us. With every bit of our being now for 27, 28 years, whatever it is. But the thing that's joyful for me about the podcast and really kind of the reason I wanted to do it was because I felt like, okay, this is this thing that we did in 1997, the pilot, it like miraculously still has this life, which is amazing in so many ways and so incredibly gratifying. And I thought, wouldn't it be interesting to talk about how all these different people came together, including our writers and our crew members, which I haven't really gotten on yet, but I'm creating a list and I need your input. Wow. Right?

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Yeah, there's much to discuss there. Right.

[Kristin Davis]

And like came together to make this thing. And I do feel like everyone that we've had for all of these years, like our job is not a job. You can kind of halfway. Like it's a full on intense situation and everyone has brought like all of themselves, you know, and there was a time in the olden days where like, relationships went because of our show. Like, things happened.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

It was so much infiltrated. It was asking so much in terms of just the hours. And that was problematic for some families. Like it was. And it's such an interesting thing. And perhaps it's the case that, well, we know it isn't always like, it isn't always the case that people fold into each other so beautifully. And when I say that, I'm talking about our crew who did work alongside us, these extraordinary hours, you know, 80100 hour weeks for years on end.

[Kristin Davis]

Yes.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

So much so that it almost was like a badge of honor. You know, it was like this thing that we all shared. But yeah, it was, you know, it's problematic for a family life, but there is something really. So this idea of you wanting to touch on the crew feels like necessary because I think we all felt and continue to feel about this particular crew and that's just such great good fortune and that they were truly part of it in a way that could not have happened without them. And it's such a. It's like such a, you know, you can't plan it or plot it. Like, if we had picked those people with knowledge and said, oh, you're the best, you're great and you're gonna mature and then you're gonna become operator and then you're gonna become a DP or you're gonna do this and you're gonna do this and we're gonna, you know, promote from and your personalities and you're smart and you're shy and what you bring in, like, if we had planned, it might not have worked. So it's lightning in a bottle.

[Kristin Davis]

Right.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

But they are all. The kind of sentiment that we feel about that first chapter of being these characters is in no small way because of the entirety of the organism.

[Kristin Davis]

Absolutely. They held us up like we were the faces.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

And I feel like we. It was an exchange. Like, it was a constant exchange of admiration.

[Kristin Davis]

Absolutely.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

And a kind of favor, like a kind of debt that we passed back and forth to one another.

[Kristin Davis]

And the fact that people still love the show, I feel like is honoring all of that commitment from all of the people that have been part of it for all this time.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

That was the third party that completed it was the audience. So we had the cast and crew, and that meant our writers and our directors. And then we had our crew, our working crew who were in front of us and behind us. And then we have the audience. And it was that pie that was cut up in those very consequential thirds. And everybody contributed, tried to do right by everybody else, and still constantly. Yeah.

[Kristin Davis]

And it's ongoing, which is the part that I find it's more gratification than I ever could have dreamt of. Because we were happy anyway. Like, when we thought we were going to be a small cult following back in the day that we're.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Cult. Sorry, didn't you learn your lesson?

[Kristin Davis]

This is why I do in every episode.

[Scott Patterson]

Girl, I have to stop using the clickbait words.

[Kristin Davis]

I did not say that word. We thought we would be a tiny niche. A tiny niche show.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

You know what's so funny, though?

[Kristin Davis]

Tell me.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Listening to you, I feel like you had thoughts. I had none.

[Kristin Davis]

I agree. And that's what I wanted to talk to you about.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

There's so many thoughts and feelings and projections and you were far more, like, lucid about, like, a place and a time. And I wouldn't say success so much so as, like, future. And I feel like you were far more, like, enlightened on landscape. And, you know, and I just didn't. So I never had a thought that it would be either seen and approved and a small audience would find it delightful and that would be enough. Or that it might reach larger numbers than any of it. You didn't think about it boutique or niche? No, I didn't. I didn't.

[Kristin Davis]

Wow. It's fascinating.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

I mean, I thought about how I felt about making the decision to do it. You know, tell us about that.

[Kristin Davis]

Tell us about the decision. Please tell us, because I love to hear about what was happening in people's lives before we started. Because I don't always know.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

I know you've credited me with being a person that I was definitely. I feel like. Oh, my gosh. She thought I was like a New York.

[Kristin Davis]

You were.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Come on. You were an it girl, baby. No, you weren't. No, no, I absolutely was not. No, absolutely not. You personally, I feel like I knew.

[Kristin Davis]

Stuff, discovered Manolo's, and had more than I had ever even heard of when I met you. But I feel like still the characterization.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

I feel like I was not. But I lived in New York. And I think that is a distinction that you were really drawing for both myself and Cynthia. And I think Kim, too, knew New.

[Kristin Davis]

York pretty well, though she'd been better than myself.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Somewhat scattered. I think she's.

[Kristin Davis]

She had traveled.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Yeah. But I initially was asked about the show by my agent. Kevin Uvain sent me. Either it was a phone call. I'm certain it wasn't an email. Cause this was 1997 or 96.

[Kristin Davis]

This is a plugin situation.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

That's right. And he. So he sent me the script with a cover letter. Very traditional. For those of you who don't know what that is, there's a script and there's. Typically, it's accompanied by a cover letter from your agent or whoever is submitting it. And they'll explain, you know, this is a project. It's shooting in New York. You have been offered the role of blank. The producer is blank, the director is blank, or they have no director set yet. This is hbo, this is the studio, this is the network.

[Kristin Davis]

And you were like, what?

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

And so Kevin called me and said, darren has asked about meeting you to discuss this.

[Kristin Davis]

And.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

He said he wrote this like I was in his head in some way, which I found really interesting. Was perfectly happy to meet with him. And I did say I knew Darren Starr's name from Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place. And I was pretty familiar with Candace's work as a reader of the observer, which was a fairly well known New York paper that a lot of us reached for its distinction was that it was pink.

[Kevin McHale]

Yeah.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Which was kind of unusual. And coincidentally or not, I had been sent a copy of her book that Darren had then bought the rights to. And that book was a compilation of all of her columns for the New Yorker, for the Observer. And. And so I did know that. And I don't know why I was sent a copy of the book, but I was, and I enjoyed it. And there were Some in particular. No, there were some in particular columns that I love. So I read the script and loved it. And I was doing a musical on Broadway at that time, Princess and the Pea. I was doing Once Upon a Mattress.

[Kristin Davis]

Yes, Once Upon a Mattress. I saw it.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

I saw it. And thanks. And. And I was going to get married. Oh, right.

[Kristin Davis]

It was a secret.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

It was a secret. Yes. And I had a wedding date and I didn't really want to mess with that date, of course, because I kind of. I had understood that maybe it was shooting around the exact same time.

[Kristin Davis]

Got it.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

And we had cleared that date primarily because all of our friends who worked in the theater only have Mondays off. So our wedding was on a Monday. And. Yeah. And so I met with Darren and I, you know, I told him I loved it and that I thought it was especially compelling and that I, you know, my only objections. And I feel like objections is almost too strong a word. I. I alerted him to the fact that I didn't do scenes nude. That I just, for whatever reason, right or wrong, I just never felt comfortable doing that. And he was like, well, that's. Then we won't, then we shan't. And I said that I also wanted to be a little thoughtful about language. That I wanted to make sure that Carrie cared about what words came out of her mouth. That if she was a writer and being thoughtful about her use of language in a column, even amongst friends, where you can get purposefully sloppy.

[Kristin Davis]

Yeah.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

You know, especially if you're drinking that I still wanted her to be somebody that wasn't just tossing around swear words, let's call them, you know, bad words. So those were the two things. And the last thing I shared with him was, you know, I'm getting married on this date and we couldn't take a honeymoon because my husband was. My soon to be husband was shooting a movie anyway. And I had to go back to work to play a mattress the next morning, next day. And he was great about all of it. And it was at that meeting, actually that he said, you know, you should produce. I was like, I don't know how to produce. I've never produced anything. And he's like, well, of course, you know how you've been on a set you're whole life, basically. And I said, yeah, but I. He's like, were you paying attention? Were you watching? Were you? I was like, well, yes, because I'm curious. Anyway, he. I said, but I don't really think that I have that skill. And I would feel very like a fraud so he said, then be a consultant.

[Kristin Davis]

So that's, that's how that started. I was starting to ask you.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

So we worked out all the dates and I actually closed the show on one day and woke up the next morning and walked to the set of the, you know. Or went to the set of the pilot. Yeah. Which I believe was. Is it possible. No, it wasn't. I can't remember where it was. But anyway, did the show the next. Like, woke up the next morning and went to shoot this pilot of this TV show.

[Kristin Davis]

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[Kristin Davis]

This is what I want to know. Because in my mind, okay, so I was in la, right? And I knew Darren, but we weren't working together. It wasn't like I was seeing him, but he had sent me the script. And also, did you know that Cynthia also had read for Carrie? Really?

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

That should be so interesting, right? Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure. I've known that. Right? We've talked about this. I never knew this point.

[Kristin Davis]

I never knew this.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Okay, then I didn't know it either. Yeah, okay.

[Kristin Davis]

I mean, I was shocked. And she said they were like, no, not really.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Wow.

[Kristin Davis]

So I don't know.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Why not?

[Kristin Davis]

Well. Well, I do. I mean, I feel like. And I mean, this again, is like that magical thing that happens occasionally that we are lucky to be a part of, where none of us had read together. You know, it was this very kind of long process of casting the four of us. And yet when we came together at the table read, which I don't also remember.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

I do.

[Kristin Davis]

You do. Tell me what you Remember? Hallelujah.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

I remember. I remember because I knew who Chris was. I knew who everybody was. Cynthia and I, we can talk about. Cynthia and I had been working together and kind of collegially friendly because we both have been an actor our whole lives, basically. And so I met Cynthia, I guess, when I was 12 years old.

[Kristin Davis]

Wow.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

I think the first time we worked together. The first time we worked together was when I was 13, or almost 13, and she was 12. She's one year younger than me, I think. Exactly. Right.

[Kristin Davis]

Both of us. Right. Is this the Vanessa Redgrave?

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

No. We did a recording of Little House on the Prairie when they used to make records. Oh, my God. For people. Yeah. I played Laura and she played Mary.

[Kristin Davis]

No.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Yeah. She's always been the most. More sophisticated. Like, every time we work together.

[Kristin Davis]

Unbelievable.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

I'm like the slightly rogue. No, no, but she has a quality. But anyway, so. Wow.

[Kristin Davis]

I didn't know this.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

I didn't know you. I knew who you were. I didn't know Kim. I knew who she was. Cynthia and I knew one another. And I knew who Chris was.

[Kristin Davis]

I.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Believe, because of the whole Yale fraternity of Yale Drama School.

[Kristin Davis]

I didn't know that graduates. Got it.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Was a thing in New York.

[Kristin Davis]

Got it.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Yeah. So that was kind of like.

[Kristin Davis]

What about Law and Order?

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Oh, I definitely knew him from Law and Order, but I wasn't, like, I didn't have, like, a standing date to watch Law and Order every week.

[Kristin Davis]

Right.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

But there weren't a lot of shows shooting in New York. And he was kind of this. Like, I'd see him around and so when we went to do the table read, I believe we did the table read. Far, Far West.

[Kristin Davis]

No memory.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

It was very dark, a dark room. And I came up the stairs and the tables were set up in a.

[Kristin Davis]

Big square, kind of like now.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Correct. But in a far more. Less polished space. You know, exposed brick and not great lighting. And it was. Just felt more. It felt like we were doing a play reading.

[Kristin Davis]

Not, oh, meet.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Not a TV show or a movie. And I remember meeting Chris and he was, you know, had a big, long raincoat on and, you know, messy trousers, but, like, you know, appropriate. But I remember thinking, oh, he's really serious and he thinks I'm a Twinkie. Like, he doesn't. This is nothing. He did nothing. This is the way I live. A lot of my life is projecting onto, like, a cab driver thinking if I say I'm an actor, he won't take me seriously. But if I tell the cab driver I'm a student. Then he'll take me seriously, you know.

[Scott Patterson]

Love it.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

But that, of course, was not the case at all. But I thought, you know, he is a Yale drama school graduate. He's like, you know, gonna do this pilot where he's this guy and she's a girl and I'm gonna have to convince him that I. But that wasn't the case at all. I just remember that.

[Kristin Davis]

That's super interesting anyway.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

But he was lovely and everybody was lovely. It reminded me of doing table reads for plays that may or may not go.

[Kristin Davis]

Right.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Like, it was like, yeah, interesting. We just did a table read of a thing and now then, you know, probably in 10 days we're gonna shoot it, right. And then we'll see. But then I forgot. I forgot all about it.

[Kristin Davis]

What do you mean?

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

I'm not kidding. Forgot all about it.

[Kristin Davis]

Okay.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

We shot the pilot. I remember some things about shooting the pilot.

[Kristin Davis]

Right. I have some memories I can fill in that.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

You're going to fill me in.

[Kristin Davis]

Yes. But then you forgot about it in the very long time they took pictures.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Forgot about it.

[Kristin Davis]

Which still irks me.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

I can't even tell you that I thought it was a long time. Like it was perfectly fine. Yeah.

[Kristin Davis]

You didn't seem to care.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

I didn't.

[Kristin Davis]

Do you remember running into me in the neighborhood in la? No, no, no.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Here's what I remember. Okay, wait, tell me, tell me. I was walking down the street in New York City and it had been a while, but I was fine. And a woman stopped me. She's a very pretty, fancy, well known producer. And she said to me, oh, my gosh, I saw your show. I said, what show? She said, your pilot. And I was like, what pilot? And she told me the name of it. And I was like, oh, yeah, you saw that? How'd you see it? And she said, I don't. You know, she had a reason. She didn't knock anybody over the head and steal it. Somebody sent it to her. She's like, it's really good.

[Kristin Davis]

Ooh.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

I was like, oh, that. I went on with my day and when the show was picked up, I panicked.

[Kristin Davis]

Okay, tell us.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Yes, I panicked. I was like, I can't be on a TV show. Oh, I don't think I'm suited for that life.

[Kristin Davis]

What do you mean exactly?

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Because I had been on television series in Southern California, which I forget. Yeah. I'd done a bunch. Yes. With Tenney and other people.

[Kristin Davis]

I love that show.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

I've been on, you know, a few. Oh, my God.

[Kristin Davis]

The square Pegs.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Square pegs. And A Year in the Life and Equal Justice. And I think I did a pilot for a TV series. Yeah. The Alan King show with some really great people.

[Kristin Davis]

Okay.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

And I always liked the guard gate at the studios. I always thought that was very Hollywood. You know, like, you drive on and Scotty says, hey, hello, Ms. Parker, or, hello, Sarah Jessica or whatever he wants to call me. And I always loved, like, hey, Scotty. You know, I love driving. And then they have a parking space and.

[Kristin Davis]

Yeah.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Then you walk through the canyons of a studio and, you know, this. This shot here and this shot here. And it was just kind of incredible.

[Kristin Davis]

Yeah.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

But it also. It's very hard to explain. It also kind of depressed me. And I think that it was the idea of doing the same thing over and over and over again. And I think I'd always been lucky that I got to be on a television series. And then it was over. Like, I met great people, had a great experience, worked with great actors, great directors, thought the stories were interesting, wanted to do the shows, and they had shorter lives, maybe one or two seasons. And then. And then I moved on. And I would do a play or I'd do some readings, and then I'd do a part in a movie, and then I'd do, you know, a movie of the week.

[Kristin Davis]

Right.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

And I just, you know, kind of bounced around, and I really thought, like, that is the goal. Like the journeyman is the goal, Right? You want to be moving. You want to be doing reading of a play on 42nd street, and then walk over to your theater and do your play, and then you wake up the next morning and you've got a part in a movie. So you. You shoot the movie for three days and you get back for your matinee, you know, like. Yeah, that, to me, was having it all right. And so the idea of a television series meant that I couldn't do all those things and that I would get in the same car every day. And it just kind of felt like somebody was, you know, putting their hand over my mouth or something. It was very weird and, you know, wrong. Absolutely wrong. And not that wrong.

[Kristin Davis]

Well, I mean, it does hinder your journeyman kind of general. It is.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

People can do things in their hiatuses. And of course, you know, and I talked to my agents and I said, you know, hey, can you get me out of this? And after the pilot. This is after the pilot, when it was gonna be picked up.

[Kristin Davis]

Got it.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

And I said, here's what. I will give my services to HBO to fulfill my contract. So if they. Any movies, I'll do for X number of years.

[Kristin Davis]

Wow.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

And I will.

[Kristin Davis]

I have a plan.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

And so I went into Kevin's office and then this wonderful legendary agent at CAA who had kind of run the television department for years, Lee Gabler, I think his name was, and he was, oh, so handsome and sophisticated. Wore a suit and shined shoes every day. And he was really like a sight. And so he indulged me. And, you know, he was like, well, you know, of course we can talk to. But, you know, it can be wonderful. It can be great.

[Kristin Davis]

Okay.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

And the beauty of HBO is that kind of. It was kind of an unknown, very unknown species. It, like, had been discovered in the wilderness by, like, anthropologists or something. Yes, they said. And he had word from. And Chris Albrecht said at the time, so do it for a year and if. If you don't want to do it anymore, we won't do it.

[Kristin Davis]

Don't stay so smart.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

I was like, oh. And then they hired Barry, who I knew from working with David Frankel. He produced Mammy Rhapsody.

[Kristin Davis]

How did. I forgot that?

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

And then we started meeting and talking about Pat Field, and all of a sudden it didn't feel like the same thing. It felt like a brand new, exciting, completely unknown. Like somebody was offering me a menu of food that I'd only ever heard about. Like, maybe I read about these items on this menu, but I'd never. No one said I could ever taste them or I'd be near enough where I could get in to the restaurant.

[Kristin Davis]

Absolutely.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

And so it went from being this, like, kind of, like, oppressive idea to this, like, endless possibilities. And the first day that we started shooting as a series, the location was up the street from my house. And I remember being in the shower, set my alarm clocks and everything. And I remember being in the shower and literally remember washing my hair. And I was like, day one, day one, I can walk to work. Well, that's unusual. That's really special. I'm not driving onto a lot. I'm not getting on the freeway and hoping I get myself there, right? And I walked up to the location, which is banana Republic on 6th Avenue. And that was the first bleaker first day.

[Kristin Davis]

Wow. Wow, wow, wow.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

And I never looked back.

[Scott Patterson]

Amazing.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

And I was never not happy to be there.

[Scott Patterson]

Amazing.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

There was no place I would rather have been than on our set every single solitary day.

[Kristin Davis]

He gave me chills. He gave me chills. When you are ready to take a drive, you think about the direction you are headed and how long it takes you to get there. You rarely think about bumpy roads, motorcyclists weaving through traffic, sluggish trucks, drivers speeding through red lights, and pedestrians crossing at the wrong moment. The truth is, the road can feel unpredictable and sometimes scary, but it doesn't have to be that way. Hyundai's available advanced safety technology is designed to help keep you protected against the many challenges the road throws your way. From Forward Collision Avoidance Assistant to Blind Spot View Monitor, our vehicles offer available features designed to help safeguard you and your loved ones. You can change lanes with much more confidence thanks to the available Blind Spot View Monitor, which actually shows you a live video feed of your blind spots. The standard Forward Collision Avoidance Assist can help prevent or mitigate accidents by alerting you of an imminent collision and automatically applying the brakes if you don't. Hyundai vehicles are equipped with the standard Driver Attention Warning System, which constantly monitors your attention levels. Once detected, it sounds alerts and visual cues to help bring your focus back on the road. With available class exclusive safety features, Hyundai lets you enjoy the journey with confidence, knowing that your car is working hard to help avoid the dangers of the road from getting to you. Learn more about [e-mail] Call 562-314-4603 for complete details. Transform your home into a sanctuary with Pura where premium fragrance meets smart innovation. With over 200 scents from top brands, you can create a custom scent experience in every room right from your phone. And now for a limited time, get a free Pura plus diffuser when you subscribe to 2 cents for 12 months. Elevate every space intentionally beautifully. Pura life is better when it smells Good. Visit pura.com to learn more.

[Scott Patterson]

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[Hes Yu Jo]

Hey, it's Scott Patterson from the I Am all in podcast with Scott Patterson and I've got great news for my fellow Gilmore Girls fans. The show is a brand new home on Start tv, a national TV network celebrating strong, smart women in iconic dramas. You can watch Gilmore Girls every weekday at 5pm 4 Central and again at 11pm 10 Central, starting from the very first episode. It's pretty perfect. Whether you're discovering it for the first time or ready to fall back in love with Stars Hollow. Start TV is easy to find, stream it, catch it on cable or satellite, or watch free over the air. Head to starttv.com to see how to watch where you live.

[Jenna Ushkowitz]

This is Jenna ashkowitz and Kevin McHale from and that's what you really missed.

[Kevin McHale]

So we both got the same delivery ding dong at our door the other day from Dietz and Watson. Did I not tell you immediately after that we were podcasting that I literally ripped into the packages and was eating the spicy cheese and the prosciutto and.

[Jenna Ushkowitz]

I was like, oh that prosciutto.

[Kevin McHale]

Give it to me.

[Jenna Ushkowitz]

I was so excited.

[Kevin McHale]

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[Jenna Ushkowitz]

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[Kevin McHale]

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[Jenna Ushkowitz]

And they never cut corners. Ever. They do things the right way, even if it's the hard way.

[Kevin McHale]

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[Jenna Ushkowitz]

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[Kevin McHale]

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[Jenna Ushkowitz]

Visit dietzandwatson.com the right way to learn more about the dietz difference.

[Kristin Davis]

The thing that I think is amazing about that story, first of all, didn't know the story exactly. I knew that there was a time that you'd possibly had cold feet because you had had this very dynamic career in terms of being able to do films and do television and do theater, which of course was all of our dreams at that time, you know, and television also had kind of been this not super exciting place, which you're kind of alluding to. Whereas I do feel that we were making something that had not been made. It was brand new. It's not just that you felt that you were at a very brand new and exciting restaurant. You actually were. We all were. We had the good fortune to land at the right time, at the right place. I was just watching on the plane and thinking about you. There's a Ted Turner documentary.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Yes. I wish I could. I wanna see that.

[Kristin Davis]

It's on Max.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Okay, great.

[Kristin Davis]

Easy to watch.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

And I was signed out of my Max account by my family. Like, I don't exist on my Max account. It's pretty distressing.

[Kristin Davis]

They do, but you don't.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

They didn't even used to have, like. It's the only time I've ever made, like a joke profile. And it's not even me, it's Andy. It's Andy's picture. And then it just says you with an exclamation point. But I was so proud that I could even navigate that. Wow. That's not important. It's all.

[Kristin Davis]

Maybe Andy could sign in and watch the Ted Turner documentary.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Yes. So Loretta.

[Kristin Davis]

So amazing.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Oh, great.

[Kristin Davis]

Loretta. Loretta works. I mean, James was watching it. I know, right? He was watching our show because we talked about it.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Yeah, he's watched a little bit. Okay.

[Kristin Davis]

Not the whole thing.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Yes, not the whole thing.

[Kristin Davis]

We lost James along the way.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

No, it just keeps. Keeps going. You know, college. He's in college. Of course he's in college.

[Kristin Davis]

I get it. James, you're forgiven. You're forgiven. We'll catch you up, though. Maybe this summer. Maybe in the summer. Yes. Oh, my God. Yes. Wow. Back to hbo Ted Turner. Do you remember the time that we went to Nevis and we went with the cable cowboys?

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

100%.

[Kristin Davis]

It was so incredible. And it is so incredible now to.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

I remember all of that. And no, I remember not one day of shooting the show or the stories, but I remember every trip we ever made for the Super Bowl.

[Kristin Davis]

Oh, my God.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

And to entertain our cable distributors. Right.

[Kristin Davis]

And our cable distributors were so important. Important to us.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

The Wild West. Yes.

[Kristin Davis]

At that time, it was the Wild West. And in truth, they created something that had not been created before, that did not exist. And Ted Turner basically spearheaded that entire thing. And to watch him and the passion with which he talks about it and the commitment, like it rings so many bells for me, because at one point he said he. There was all this competition from the. It was a three network time, right? Abc, NBC, cbs. And when the cable community, the cable world was just starting, he just basically just dreamt it up. And then at one point, the networks were trying to stop him. And they had. They were trying to make a competitor to CNN, the first 24 hour news channel that Ted created. They were trying to get a competitor. ABC was. Or Westinghouse. CBS and Westinghouse. So during Christmas, they were gonna take two weeks off for Christmas before they launched and went out to the ad sales. And so Ted was. He called everyone in his company, he said, christmas is canceled. You have to go out and sell those ads. And they sell it to every single cable operator, the cable cowboys. And they didn't have Christmas, but they saved the company. And he would get tears in his eyes talking about the commitment that it took from everyone in that company to build. You know, it was started as the Turner Broadcasting, then it was cnn. Eventually it turns into Time Warner. I'm watching the progression and I'm thinking about our part in that and how we were, in some ways we were like the spawn, the child of it. We got to reap the benefit of what they built. And we also got to spend time with a lot of those people.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Yeah. It was kind of amazing, right?

[Kristin Davis]

Like John Malone. Like people who are now almost this dying breed in terms of.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

I believe the Cox family was there.

[Kristin Davis]

Yes. Like all the important players.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

And it was so interesting. Like, just give like a little, like a quick little summary of this. So HBO had this idea to put basically all of its cast on a plane and build this weekend. Yes. And a couple other shows as well.

[Kristin Davis]

Arlis.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Yes. And some of their sports people, Jim Lampley and some others. And they would put us on a plane willingly. We weren't taken against our will. And they would. We would have this weekend around Super Bowl Sunday, and we would basically be brought to these wonderful locations that most of us had never been, nor could we afford, nor we would even think about going to the Four Seasons in Nevis.

[Kristin Davis]

Yeah.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

And then we would just sit around and chat with all these local, local, local cable owners. And these were the guys. And I say guys because it was guys. With some exceptions, there were families that had matriarchs that. Where maybe the money had initiated. But regardless, it was a predominantly male room with their wives and children sometimes. And they had basically. It was kind of the way, you know, Sprint and all those other things birthed as well. They were basically just taking cable and nailing it up, you know, like in really kind of a rogue fashion. But they were having success and they could feel that it was this growing thing. But they were charming and it was fun for us. And we all got to be with each other because typically we weren't. Like, there wasn't interdisciplinary stuff happening. You know, like, we weren't like intercollegiate. Right. And so we got to be with, like, Lorraine Bracco and Edie.

[Kristin Davis]

So much fun.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

All the Sopranos cast and Arlis himself, he was. Was there. And I think. I don't think the dream on cast at that point was.

[Kristin Davis]

I don't think so. I think they might have been gone by them.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

They might have been gone by them. But there was somebody else, I want to say Bill Marneaux, Larry Sanders.

[Kristin Davis]

Could have been. Could have been Gary, some of that.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Maybe, I can't remember.

[Kristin Davis]

It might have been Bill.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Might have been Bill.

[Kristin Davis]

I think it was Bill Maher.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Because it wasn't just one time, right?

[Kristin Davis]

No, it was multiple times. There's also Aspen Comedy Fest, right. Where many people were as well. But like, for me, when I think. I mean, we have so many. So many gifts have been given to us along the way. But that's one of the gifts was that we got to kind of have this seat to watch this whole development of the cable industry be a big part of it that we never could have foreseen. And then also now we're watching it change again and we have pivoted again, which I give you and Michael Patrick so much credit for, you know, having the foresight to say, you know, maybe we could come back as a streaming show. I mean, thank God, you know, thank God you said that. And then we did our films, of course, which I'm way ahead of ourselves because we're going to go back to the beginning. But I do when I watch this Ted Turner, I'm so just inspired and impressed. And it's so good to remember that through change you can succeed. You just have to dream. You have to dream and follow your dreams. You can't get down because it's hard not to get down.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

I think that's the thing that sits around. I say that kind of looking back, and I don't know that we would have had the words at the time to characterize it, but I think now. Oh, you know, everybody was just kind of doing what they wanted to do. And it was an unusual circumstance or scenario really, wherein a studio and the network were one and the same. And they were just saying, basically, Chris and Carolyn, you just go. And everybody at hbo, so Eric and Courtney and Plepler and all the people that were on the corporate side and marketing and PR strategy, they were all saying, you just go. Do what you do. We trust ourselves.

[Kristin Davis]

Right.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

It was the ego involved. And I say this with admiration, not with condemnation. It was their sense of their confidence in their choices that liberated David Chase and certainly Darren and then Michael Patrick that they. I mean, sure, there's notes. There's always notes on a script, and there's always issues with money and there's always budget stuff to talk about, but those are to be expected. And you want some parenting, like you need some parenting. But for the most part, it was their own confidence in their artistic sensibilities. And the same, therefore, with everything that surrounded it, which is what is compelling and makes something grow.

[Kristin Davis]

Absolutely.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

And the minute you have to start paying attention to outside stuff and you're producing and picking based on results, that's where things are not as interesting. So I feel like all of it was happening at the same time without them even realizing. Like, I wouldn't have said at the time, wow, you're confident people. Wow. You really believe in your own ideas. Wow. Right. You really trust. Therefore, you're gonna let everybody, basically speaking, just go off and make shows that were not 30 minutes long. They were not 30 minutes long. They're 32 minutes long.

[Kristin Davis]

They were, you know, like 28 minutes long, whatever.

[Scott Patterson]

They were.

[Kristin Davis]

Right.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

But that is a huge amount of. And that's the way the company grew. And that's why it was so felt revolutionary in terms of its programming. They were the first people that said, oh, we're gonna program. We're gonna counter. We're gonna do, you know, counter programming. All of our fresh material is gonna be on the summer. Everyone else is in repeats.

[Kristin Davis]

Right.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

So what we're gonna do is we're gonna put on programming starting Memorial Day weekend, or that we're gonna capture those women, men, whoever they are, that are still here, there or elsewhere, and they're thinking they're on holiday and we're gonna start giving them information on Sundays at 9 o' clock that was not a space that was for your family programming. Conventionally speaking. That's what the network said. Sunday night was Wild Kingdom. Right. You know, like, I'm gonna say Little House on the Prairie, but I can't be certain. But, you know, my point is that was like, softer things, maybe, Matt. Like, you know, like, procedural, like. And HBO said, no, we're gonna make Sunday night dirty, naughty, unpredictable. We're going to talk, tell a story about a man named Tony Soprano who is.

[Kristin Davis]

Kills people.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Who kills people. And you love him. And he's gonna go to therapy each week and we're gonna sit with him in this quiet space. They were after us. I wanna make sure people know, like, we were first. But also we're gonna tell a story about these particular women in this city at this time. And this is how they talk and this is how they. But they didn't. They weren't saying it like that. They were just responding to material.

[Kristin Davis]

Absolutely. They were just putting it out there.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Took that. I hate the word space now, but that it existed. It was a white space, literally, like they say in retail. Like, there was a white space.

[Kristin Davis]

And. Yes.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

And Chris and everybody and Carolyn, they were like, wait a minute, Mr. Bucus. Yes, they. So it was. But there were a lot of parts and things that, like, had to exist for everybody to be able to do it. So there was the money, intellectual, and the artistic and the actual real estate to do it. And they just did it. And it was like. What?

[Kristin Davis]

I know. And amazing that it worked.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Yeah. But nobody was thinking that. We certainly weren't. No, we were just trying to do.

[Kristin Davis]

The best we could, Sarah Jessica. We could talk forever, as you know.

[Scott Patterson]

So let's take a little break here.

[Kristin Davis]

And you guys, we will be back for another episode of Are youe a Charlotte? Picture yourself going for a drive. What comes to mind? Potholes. Lane splitting bikers, Sleepy truck drivers, Red light runners, Distracted pedestrians crossing the road where they shouldn't. Yes, sometimes it feels like the road is out to get you. But thankfully, Hyundai offers available class exclusive advanced safety features to help protect you and your family. With Hyundai, you can change lanes with much more confidence thanks to the available Blind Spot View monitor, which actually shows you a live video feed of your blind spots. The standard forward collision avoidance assist can help prevent or mitigate accidents by alerting you of an imminent collision and automatically applying the brakes. If you don't learn more about [e-mail] Call 562-314-4603 for complete details.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

This podcast is supported by BetterHelp, offering licensed therapists you can connect with via video phone or chat. Here's BetterHelp head of clinical Operations Hes Yu Jo discussing who can benefit from.

[BetterHelp Announcer]

Therapy I think a lot of people think that you're supposed to be going to therapy once you're like having panic attacks every day. But before you get to that point, I think once you start even noticing that you feel a little bit off and you can't maintain this harmony that you once had in relationships, that could be a sign that maybe you want to go talk to somebody. There's always a benefit in talking to someone because we can all benefit from improved insight about ourselves and who we are and how we behave with other people. So if you're human, that's like a good indicator that you could benefit from talking to somebody.

[Sarah Jessica Parker]

Find out if therapy is right for you. Visit betterhelp.com today. That's betterhelp.com hey, it's Scott Patterson from.

[Hes Yu Jo]

The I Am all in podcast with Scott Patterson and I've got great news for my fellow Gilmore Girls fans. The show is a brand new home on Start tv, a national TV network celebrating strong, smart women in iconic dramas. You can watch Gilmore Girls every weekday at 5pm 4 Central and again at 11pm 10 Central, starting from the very first episode. It's it's perfect. Whether you're discovering it for the first time or ready to fall back in love with Stars Hollow, Start TV is easy to find, stream it, catch it on cable or satellite, or watch free over the air. Head to starttv.com to see how to watch where you live.

[Kristin Davis]

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[Scott Patterson]

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[Kristin Davis]

It you're listening to an iHeart podcast.