Top 10 Surprising Facts About Sex and the City
Even hardcore fans may not know these behind the scenes secrets of Sex and the City! In this countdown we reveal Top 10 Surprising Facts About HBO's hit show. Did you know that SJP Had a No nudity clause? With a name that has “sex” right there in the title, it comes as no surprise that there are many racy scenes in the series. What you may or may not have noticed however, is that lead actress Sarah Jessica Parker always keeps pretty covered up compared to her costars. Did you know that Mikhail Baryshnikov wrote music for the show?
#10: SJP Kept a lot of Clothes
“Sex and the City” was always known for its bold fashion choices, with clothing playing a huge role in the show. Costume designer Patricia Field’s work was legendary, with her bold looks gracing the screen every week and causing fans to fawn over the girls’ ever changing outfits. In fact, there are no outfit repeats in the entire six seasons, except for the fur coat that Carrie wears in both the first and final season. What you might not know is that Sarah Jessica Parker reportedly got to keep much of her wardrobe and has archived it for posterity.
#9: That Post-It Breakup Was Inspired by True Events
Show creator Michael Patrick King has stated many times that he intentionally filled his writer’s room with young and single women so that they could use their real life experiences to influence the storylines of the show. One of the most horrifying things to happen on the show was Carrie’s boyfriend Berger breaking up with her using a Post-It note and unfortunately, this story was actually based on something that happened to one of the show’s writers in real life. It sure made for good television though!
#8: You May Have a Hard Time Finding Carrie's Apartment in NYC
On the show, whenever Carrie mentions her address, she says her apartment is located at 245 E. 73rd Street which would be on the Upper East Side, but in fact no building exists with that number. If you were to head to E. 73rd Street you’d also be disappointed to notice that the neighborhood looks nothing like it does in the show. That’s because the exterior shots of her front stoop were actually shot at 66 Perry Street, in the West Village. If you’re visiting New York and want a photo on those iconic steps, Perry Street is where you should head.
#7: The Show Started A Food Trend
In a short scene in the show’s third season, Carrie and Miranda dish over cupcakes about Carrie’s latest crush, Aidan. The food is hardly the focus of the scene, but legions of fans wanted to try the sweet treats that the girls had on the show and Magnolia Bakery became overrun by viewers shortly after airing. In fact, the crowds and lineup were so bad that the small bakery actually had to hire a bouncer to keep people out. The ladies go to a lot of popular New York restaurants throughout the series and are always enjoying a cosmo while chatting, boosting the popularity of this boozy drink in the process.
#6: The Show Addressed 9/11 in a Subtle Way
Midway through the airing of the show’s fourth season, the events of September 11th took place in New York and the face of the city was forever changed. The show took a hiatus, resuming in January of the following year with the twin towers removed from the intro sequence as a sign of respect. Coincidentally, even though it was filmed before the attacks, the season four finale focuses on the city due to the fact that Big is considering moving away. In the first episode to be shot post 9/11, the show similarly focused on Carrie’s relationship with the city as an acknowledgment of what took place.
#5: Mikhail Baryshnikov Wrote Music for the Show
Famed ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov appeared on the show in the sixth season as Carrie’s much older and mature boyfriend. He was intended to act as a contrast to Mr. Big in that he was overtly romantic and wanted to move things forward with Carrie. In an episode titled “The Ick Factor”, his character, Aleksandr, plays music on the piano that he’s written for Carrie and in fact, Baryshnikov wrote the tune himself. The refrain plays again in the two-part finale during the montage of Carrie in Paris.
#4: Natasha Almost Always Wears White
After Carrie and Big break up, she’s shocked to find out he’s dating a younger woman who he soon becomes engaged to. Carrie has several run-ins with Natasha throughout the series, and she always wears light shades like white, cream and ecru. At one point, Big even says that everything in his life is beige now that he’s with her. The show’s producers say that this was done intentionally to convey Natasha’s dull and “vanilla” personality in comparison to Carrie’s more vibrant one.
#3: SJP Had a No Nudity Clause
With a name that has “sex” right there in the title, it comes as no surprise that there are many racy scenes in the series. What you may or may not have noticed however, is that lead actress Sarah Jessica Parker always keeps pretty covered up compared to her costars. It turns out that SJP actually had a clause in her contract stipulating that she wasn’t interested in having any fully nude scenes on the show. The other three women however had no such arrangement, so all of them do act in the buff in several scenes throughout the series.
#2: Sarah Jessica Parker Pushed for Diversity
"Sex and the City" aired in the late ‘90s and early 2000s, before diversity on TV was the mainstream issue it is today. In retrospect, the show has been criticized for its focus on the experiences of only upper class white women. In an interview, Cynthia Nixon, who plays Miranda, said of the casting of black actor Blair Underwood as her love interest, that no one had pushed harder for diversity on the show than Sarah Jessica herself. The show still generally lacked actors of visible minorities, but this was at least one step in the right direction.
#1: Carrie and Big Weren't Meant to End up Together
In many ways “Sex and the City” attempted to stray from the typical romantic comedy framework by putting the focus on female friendships and self love. While men were a big part of the show, the creators never intended for the storyline to follow such a typical trajectory. Creator Darren Star said he was disappointed with the fact that the ending featured Carrie and Big together with Big telling Carrie she was “the one”. He claimed he didn’t want to give the message to women that the end goal should always be marriage and that he never aimed to have the show culminate in this moment. Talk about a heavy reveal!
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