Sarita Choudhury Doesn’t Think Seema Patel and Samantha Jones Have Much in Common
Season 3 of And Just Like That… has finally arrived. The reboot has received both love and criticism, and Sex and the City purists continue to question the inclusion of so many new characters. Still, many viewers have enjoyed how the writing team has incorporated characters like Seema Patel and Lisa Todd Wexley into the group dynamic. Sarita Choudhury, the actor who portrays Seema, is understandably protective of her character. Seema is the seasoned real estate agent who quickly became Carrie Bradshaw’s confidante. While many fans have compared Seema to Samantha Jones, who was largely written out of the show, Choudhury insists the similarities are minimal.
Sarita Choudhury doesn’t think Seema Patel is Samantha Jones’ replacement
When And Just Like That… was first announced, fans spent a lot of time discussing who would and would not appear in the reboot. As expected, Kim Cattrall did not reprise her role as Samantha Jones. She simply wasn’t offered a part. Once that was cleared up, fans were quick to label Seema Patel as Samantha’s replacement. Sarita Choudhury disagrees with the comparison. After years of developing the character, she insists they don’t have all that much in common.
In the lead up to the new season, Choudhury linked up with the New York Times to discuss her career and her life in New York City. She chatted a bit about growing into the role of Seema Patel and even addressed the character’s continued comparrison to Samantha Jones. Choudhury is certain Seema has carved out her very own niche in the Sex and the City universe. When asked about her character being compared to Samantha, Choudhury told the publication, “Her ability to dive into, whether it’s an affair or a quick advice, is similar. But apart from that, I find them very different.”
She’s discussed it in the past
Sarita Choudhury doesn’t have an issue addressing comparisons between her character and the iconic Samantha Jones in the lead-up to season 3. By now, she’s grown used to the comparison. She’s actually talked about it several times before. Choudhury addressed whether her character was a Samantha replacement way back in 2022.
In 2022, when she was still fairly fresh to the role, Choudhury told W Magazine that Samantha Jones hadn’t entered her mind when she was planning to take on the role of Seema. She insists she understands why people inherently see Seema as a Samantha replacement. Still, she insists that was never her intention, nor did she pull inspiration from the iconic role. She said, “Samantha and Seema are both ballsy, so I understand why people are having fun playing “who’s the new Samantha,” but it wouldn’t have helped me to even think in those kinds of terms when preparing for the role.
Season 3 of And Just Like That… premieres on May 29. The season will run through August, with 12 episodes in total. One episode per week will be released on HBO Max. New faces and returning characters will bring plenty of drama and joy.
