Cynthia Nixon Spent Months in ‘Limbo’ After ‘Sex and the City’ Audition

When Sex and the City was casting actors way back in the 1990s, Sarah Jessica Parker was the frontrunner for the role of Carrie Bradshaw. Parker was less sure about the role and waffled back and forth. While the part was Parker’s if she wanted it, Cynthia Nixon didn’t have such an easy in. The actor who eventually took on the role of Miranda Hobbes revealed that she spent months in “limbo” waiting to hear if she’d become Miranda. 

Cynthia Nixon revealed that she spent months waiting to learn that she would become Miranda Hobbes 

It’s hard to imagine anyone but Cynthia Nixon as Miranda Hobbes, but it was a possibility. Nixon, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, and Michael Patrick King sat down for a special episode of And Just Like That…The Writers Room, a companion podcast recently. During the chat, which celebrated the show’s 25th anniversary, the trio discussed how they each landed their part. Nixon and Davis acknowledged that they had both initially auditioned to play Carrie. 

Nixon recalled walking into the audition and being completely rebuffed. She said that while she was not someone who traditionally called back, she made an exception, hoping to land a role on the series. Nixon loved the concept and loved that it was filmed in New York. She was eventually offered the chance to audition for the role of Miranda Hobbes. While Nixon connected with the part and the casting team liked her, things fell quiet for a long time. 

Nixon revealed that she spent months in limbo, auditioning for other roles and continuously falling short. Despite auditioning for other parts, Nixon remained interested in Sex and the City. She said her agent hounded everyone on the show to get her the role. Nixon and her agent’s perseverance paid off. The part would define her career in many ways. 

Why were the ‘Sex and the City’ creators so reluctant to cast Cynthia Nixon? 

While the conversation didn’t dive into why it took so long for Nixon to land the role of Miranda, her hair color is said to have played a part in the initial reluctance. When Cynthia Nixon auditioned to play Miranda Hobbes, she walked in with blonde hair. While she’s best known as a fiery redhead on screen, Nixon is a natural blonde.

According to several sources, Darren Star, the original show’s creator, liked Nixon but worried people would confuse Carrie, Samantha, and Miranda. All three actors were blonde at the time. Nixon dyed her hair red, became Miranda, and the rest is history. 

Nixon will reprise the role on June 22, when Max releases And Just Like That… season 2. The sophomore season promises to be lighter and more fun than season 1, which largely dealt with Carrie’s grief over the loss of Mr. Big and Miranda’s alcohol abuse and sexual awakening. Nixon has dyed her roots to prove that season 2 will return to its roots. In season 1, she rocked silver hair, but season 2 will find her as a feisty redhead yet again.