Samantha Jones is heading back to our screens, with actress Kim Cattrall finally agreeing to reprise the iconic role in the second series of And Just Like That.
But the return hasn’t come without a list of terms and conditions to the cameo, with Cattrall’s return said to be a “cliffhanger” in the season finale.
According to sources, one of the demands made by the actress was that she would not film with her former co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis.
She also reportedly refused to see a showrunner who is closely associated with Parker, according to Page Six.
The source said, “Kim had two stipulations — one, that she would not act with any of the other girls, and two, she did not want to see Michael Patrick King.”
Cattrall famously wasn’t in the first season of the Sex And The City reboot series, but it’s understood that the lack of excitement about the And Just Like That season one, prompted the negotiations around a return.
A show source said, “She will have gotten a s**tload of money. It just shows the power of Kim.
“They still need her on the show. But even though this may get fans thinking she’ll be back for the next season, she’ll never do that. She was treated poorly. I’m glad she gets to be the hero … I’m sure it took a lot of massaging to make the cameo happen.”
A spokesperson for HBO and Max also told Page Six, “The offer presented to Kim was always to be a phone call, shot alone as most calls would be. This was an easy and convenient way for Samantha to return. We are delighted it worked out.”
Kristin Davis, Sarah Jessica Parker, Chris Noth, Kim Cattrall and Cynthia Nixon (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc)
It’s thought the feud which ended the dream partnership with the women was due partially to pay, when the popular Cattrall, asked to be paid $1.35 million an episode of Sex And The City, which was up from a reported $475,000.
But it was Parker, who also had the role of executive producer on the show, who got a much higher wage, which is said to have infuriated Cattrall.
Cattrall also stated she was unhappy with how Samantha was increasingly portrayed, saying: “I felt like I was now cast as a cougar, which became not as positive as other aspects.”
And in 2018, Parker expressed her sympathy in the wake of Cattrall’s brother taking his own life and Cattrall shot back at the actress.
Cattrall responded on Twitter, “My Mom [sic] asked me today ‘When will that @sarahjessicaparker, that hypocrite, leave you alone?’ Your continuous reaching out is a painful reminder of how cruel you really were then and now.
“You are not my family. You are not my friend.
“Stop exploiting our tragedy in order to restore your ‘nice girl’ persona.”
Cattrall later confirmed: “We’ve never been friends. We’ve been colleagues.”
The final straw was said to have come when Parker “pressured” Cattrall to take part in a third movie that was finally scrapped before it began.
Cattrall said at the time, “Sarah Jessica Parker could have been nicer. I don’t know what her issue is.”
And when the sequel to SATC, And Just Like That, came out two years ago, Cattrall was said to have found out about it, and Samantha’s absence via social media.
And Just Like That… season two is coming to Neon 23 June.
