Carrie Bradshaw’s Manhattan orbit just got a little bigger. Sara Ramírez will join the cast of Sex and the City’s upcoming revival, And Just Like That…, HBO Max announced on Wednesday. Ramirez, who is nonbinary, is set to play Che Diaz (they/them), a nonbinary, queer stand-up comedian who hosts a podcast that Carrie is a frequent guest on. (Insert Carrie’s inevitable joke about listeners not being able to see her Manolo Blahniks here.) Ramírez joins Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristin Davis as a series regular. As previously reported, Kim Cattrall’s Samantha Jones is absent from the revival.
Che will be the show’s first non-binary character and a welcome change of pace for the series, which has long been criticized for its lack of representation (and shaky history with LGBT characters). The character is described as “a big presence with a big heart whose outrageous sense of humor and progressive, human overview of gender roles has made them and their podcast very popular,” per HBO Max.
“Everyone at And Just Like That… is beyond thrilled that a dynamically talented actor such as Sara Ramírez has joined the Sex and the City family,” executive producer Michael Patrick King said in a statement. “Sara is a one-of-a-kind talent, equally at home with comedy and drama — and we feel excited and inspired to create this new character for the show.”
Ramírez is a Tony-winning performer and activist who is no stranger to breaking barriers on a hit TV series. They spent more than a decade playing orthopedic surgeon Dr. Callie Torres on Grey’s Anatomy before their exit in 2016. Then Ramírez starred as Kat Sandoval, a bisexual, nonbinary character on the CBS drama Madam Secretary. New York cinephiles may also recall their sneakily legendary performance as a fed-up Zabar’s cashier in You’ve Got Mail.
It appears that the Sex and the City revival is making good on its promise to diversify its ranks. TVLine previously reported that the 10-episode SATC continuation would add six new characters—three of whom would be series regulars and women of color. HBO Max chief content officer Casey Bloys also claimed that he and King “didn’t want to tell a story with all-white writers or an all-white cast” because “it’s not reflective of New York. So they are being very, very conscious about understanding that New York has to reflect the way New York looks today.”
Ramírez is the first confirmed cast member to join And Just Like That… as the world scrambles to figure out which of the show’s love interests have signed on. There have been no definitive reports about whether Chris Noth’s Mr. Big is returning, despite the actor’s social media teasing. John Corbett went ahead and announced that Aidan Shaw was coming onboard, although HBO Max never confirmed this. And David Eigenberg has said he’s “pretty sure” Steve is involved. Then again, Carrie never planned on Berger breaking up with her via post-it, and we all know how that one ended.
There’s no release date for And Just Like That…, but production is expected to begin this year.
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