‘Sex and the City’: Sarah Jessica Parker Reveals the Loneliest Part of Working for the Show
Sarah Jessica Parker is forever grateful for her role as Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the City. The HBO series has been one of the most rewarding experiences of her life, and she loved shooting it.
But according to Parker, there were some less than ideal aspects about filming the series. In fact, one part of the shooting process left her feeling incredibly lonely. Keep reading to find out what it was.
How did Sarah Jessica Parker get her start on ‘Sex and the City’?
The producer of Sex and the City, Daren Star, knew for a fact that he wanted Sarah Jessica Parker for the role of Carrie Bradshaw. And while they looked at several other actors for the part, Star pushed hard for Parker to take on the role.
But interestingly enough, Parker didn’t want to sign on for the part. She was extremely hesitant about taking on the role because she felt as though she couldn’t relate to Carrie at all.
Plus, she wasn’t comfortable with the idea of doing nude scenes. Due to the sexual nature of the show, Parker assumed she would have to take off her clothes in nearly every episode. But Star assured her that she didn’t have to do anything she was uncomfortable with.
After a lot of convincing, Parker finally agreed to play Carrie Bradshaw. As she would later reveal, it was one of the best decisions she has ever made.
Sarah Jessica Parker hated recording the ‘I couldn’t help but wonder’ monologue scenes
As much as Parker enjoyed filming most of the series, there was one aspect that she found particularly grueling. According to the book Sex and the City and Us, she hated recording the “I couldn’t help but wonder” monologues that can be found in nearly every episode.
As Parker reveals in the book, she had to record those monologues alone in a studio for several days.
And because Parker is such an extrovert and prefers to be around people, she found those recording sessions to be incredibly lonely.
Because the actor grew up with seven other siblings, she says that she was constantly surrounded by other people. As she puts it, she never even brushed her teeth alone. So when she had to record those voice-over monologues, Parker would be filled with an overwhelming sense of loneliness.
Fortunately, though, most of the scenes that were filmed in the series involved Parker being around lots of people to keep her company.
Sarah Jessica Parker hung out with the ‘Sex and the City’ crew members all the time
While most actors on TV sets don’t like to linger around with the crew and prefer to hide out in their trailers when they’re done filming, Parker chose to spend as much time with the crew as possible.
“Parker bobbed and chattered among the crew in between takes, staying on set instead of rushing back to her trailer,” Sex and the City and Us reveals. “It was a marked difference from the behavior of most actors. She’d sit on a camera box and chat with crew members, share snacks, and smoke cigarettes. Even when she had just finished a serious, dramatic scene, she would bounce off the set to chat and play with the crew like she was at a beach party. Then she’d drop right back into the serious scene for another take. Many who worked with her appreciated her penchant for acting like a part of the team.”
