Sarah Jessica Parker Wanted To Quit Sex And The City After The Pilot

But thankfully, she saw sense...

As classic TV shows go, Sex and the City is right up there with Friends and Gilmore Girls (sorry, did someone say Gilmore Girls revival?!). Actually, who are we kidding, it’s the mother of TV series, nay, the doyenne of post-watershed shows.

It’s influenced the way we dress, the way we view dating and we still can't stop referencing these classic Sex and the City quotes. But imagine a SATC without Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw? Turns out this was a scenario that was very close to being played out, with SJP ready to quit Sex and the City after the pilot.

Yes, according to People, SJP almost backed out of the series after filming the pilot. Speaking on The Jess Cagle Interview, Parker admitted that, understandably, she had no idea the show would turn out to be such a success and change her life forever.

‘I was like, “I don't know if I think I want to do that. Is there a way to not do that?”’ Parker explained. ‘I met my agents in L.A.—Kevin Huvane—and I was like, “Do you think maybe I could not do this now?” Because I wanted to keep doing a play and doing a movie and doing a play. So, the way I thought it was going to change my life was that it was going to like hold me hostage to a commitment.’

It turns out that even SJP has commitment issues, but thankfully her reluctance to commit was simply a momentary blip and HBO helped make her see sense.

‘HBO, in its infinite wisdom, sat me down and said, “No, no, no, no, no. We don't function like that. We want you here if you want to be here and we make shows based on how we are feeling about [them]. We don't have to respond to advertising dollars, so let's just have a season and see how it goes.”

‘I was easily convinced and I went to the set the first day and I never looked back. It was the happiest, it was the most productive, fulfilling professional experience I could have imagined.’

What a happy ending.

Holly Rains is the digital editor of Marie Claire UK. She has over 10 years journalism experience, working as an editor and writer, specialising in digital media, content strategy and dog breeds. Prior to Marie Claire, she has held senior staff positions at ELLE UK, Grazia and Company magazine.

Holly is a frequent speaker, panelist and interviewer on a range of subjects including media trends, careers and entertainment. From working with Reuters to provide global red carpet coverage for events like the BAFTAs, to discussing fashion and beauty trends on network TV, she was also the host of the Marie Claire series ‘Holly’s First Dates’, where she regularly interviewed a mix of inspiring woman and A-list celebrities (including Jack Black, Dakota Fanning and Renée Zellweger) - a series which garnered half a million views in its first two months. And was approved by The Rock.

Her love of office-based meetings means that the days of discovering the melting point of Cadbury's Flakes are long gone, but when she isn't dreaming of scheduling in meetings, she likes to think about social media, and how best to avoid it whilst still retaining the title of 'digital' editor. She also likes learning about emerging technology, Influencers and how to become a Financially Responsible Adult.

Contact Holly: holly.rains@futurenet.com