Meet the Four People of Color Who Are Shaking up the 'Sex and the City' Reboot
Dec. 1 2021, Published 5:41 p.m. ET
2021 was the year of the reboot. In addition to Walker and Gossip Girl, HBO revived the critically acclaimed classic Sex and the City. On Dec. 9, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Charlotte (Kristin Davis), and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) return to the small screen for a 10-episode limited premiere of the Sex and the City reboot, And Just Like That. But one familiar face is missing from the HBO series revival.
Teasers confirm that Samantha (Kim Cattrall) won’t be returning for the cast’s 11-year reunion, which is a major bummer for fans. However, we’ll have the opportunity to get acquainted with the new characters on And Just Like That sooner than later.
In the past, showrunners have been criticized for Sex and the City’s lack of diversity, which it seems they’ve attempted to remedy in the upcoming reboot. Here’s what we know about the four new POC characters who are stepping in to fill the gap.
Lisa Todd Wexley (played by Nicole Ari Parker)
TV veteran Nicole Ari Parker is no stranger to the small screen. Her decades-long career in entertainment began in the '90s with films like Stonewall and Boogie Nights. Later, she starred on a few episodes of The Cosby Show and played a lead role on Soul Food until the series was canceled in 2004.
In addition to her long list of film credits, Nicole and her husband, Boris Kodjoe, previously hosted a talk show together. Today, she stars on Chicago PD and was most recently cast as Lisa Todd Wexley on And Just Like That.
Reports suggest that Lisa is the new Samantha, but in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ari debunked these claims. "When it first came out that I was replacing the Samantha character — which is not true at all, so please write that … I have been yelled at."
Ari said her newfound status as a Sex and the City socialite came as a surprise and has been interesting, to say the least. “The fans are so excited and over the top. I had some idea of that because I am one of those fans, but I had no idea [the extent of it]," she added.
Che Diaz (played by Sara Elena Ramírez)
Fans knew Sara Elena Ramírez as Dr. Calliope Torres on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy until they left the series in 2016. Following their exit, Sara appeared on two seasons on Madame Secretary and later in an episode of Disney’s Vampirina.
In May of 2021, producers revealed that Sara joined the cast of the Sex and the City reboot as non-binary podcast host Che Diaz. Over the years, Sara has been an advocate and activist for the LGBTQ+ community both on- and off-screen.
And Just Like That executive producer Michael Patrick King said the series regular is a “dynamic,” “one-of-a-kind” talent who has proven to be the perfect addition to the Sex and the City family.
Seema Patel (played by Sarita Choudhury)
Much like her Sex and the City reboot co-stars, Sarita Choudhury has an extensive filmography that dates back several years. Among her earliest projects were Mississippi Masala — in which she starred alongside Denzel Washington — and House of Spirits with Meryl Streep.
Sarita stars as Seema Patel, a successful (yet single) real estate broker in And Just Like That. In teasers, Seema uses dating apps to desperately search for the one.
Dr. Nya Wallace (played by Karen Pittman)
Included in the gang of characters who will make their Sex and the City debut in the revival is Dr. Nya Wallace (Karen Pittman). Nya is a law professor at Columbia University who is married to a musician, Andre Rashad Wallace (played by LeRoy McClain). Karen told People, "There is plenty of sex in the city happening with him."
The first two episodes of And Just Like That will be available for streaming on HBO Max on Dec. 9.
