Why Kim Cattrall put aside feud with Sarah Jessica Parker to film And Just Like That

Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker on location for Sex And The City. Photo / James Devaney/ WireImage.

The iconic Samantha Jones is finally coming back to our screens after actress Kim Cattrall agreed to reprise the role in the second series of And Just Like That.

Cattrall vowed to never bring back the much-loved character from the Sex and the City series following a messy feud with the series lead actress Sarah Jessica Parker.

But the first series of And Just Like That wasn’t met with quite the fanfare that was first expected, and a TV insider told The Sun that the move was likely more about desperately trying to boost ratings than any olive branch being extended.

The insider shared: “It was one of the most sensational bust-ups in showbiz, with both leading ladies involv­ed in a stand-off lasting years.

“When And Just Like That was made, the creator of the show gave a firm ‘no’ to the idea of her returning, and Kim made it clear she felt the same way.

“But many fans said it just didn’t feel like Sex And The City without the woman who gave the series more sex than any other character. And Kim will no doubt have realised that this will now be the biggest job of her career, a fact she has ­probably reconciled herself to,” they continued.

“So what fans have ended up with is almost guaranteed to delight them, even if it’s an uneasy truce for the actresses themselves.”

And it’s been a long time coming, Catrall hasn’t appeared alongside the rest of the iconic foursome, Parker, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristin Davis, since 2010.

But fans of the ballbusting Jones will be disappointed to hear that her return will be short-lived, with the cameo only expected to be for one scene in the show’s season finale, the second season to drop on June 22.

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, 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.”

Cynthia Nixon, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kristin Davis in 'And Just Like That'. Photo / Supplied

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.