Kim Cattrall is set to make a surprise cameo in Sex and the City spin-off despite... everything

Kim Cattrall as Samantha Jones in Sex and the City 2
(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

Kim Cattrall is set to make a shock appearance in the second season of Sex and the City spin-off And Just Like That. According to Variety, the actor, who played Samantha Jones throughout the original show's six seasons and its two follow-up movies, filmed her cameo without seeing or speaking to Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristin Davis, or showrunner Michael Patrick King.

Cattrall is said to have shot her one scene, which will see her chat to Parker's Carrie Bradshaw on the phone, on March 22 in New York City. Samantha, who is now living in London in the show, had a brief presence in the revival series' first season, with estranged bestie Carrie texting her throughout. In the final episode, the pair agreed to meet in person to properly patch things up between them.

Sex and the City costume designer Patricia Field, who has not been working on And Just Like That, is said to worked with Cattrall for the sequence.

Cattrall announced she was stepping away from the franchise for good back in 2016, having voiced her disappointment over the script for a proposed third film. "I would have preferred for all of us to have some kind of event to warrant a third film," Cattrall explained at the time, noting that the plot didn't do her character justice. "That didn't happen."

Since then, reports of tensions between Cattrall and the rest of cast, particularly Parker, have been widely spread. As such, King is said to have not approached Cattrall when And Just Like That started being developed.

In a candid interview with The Guardian back in 2019, Cattrall was quoted saying that she wouldn't "want to be in a situation for even an hour where I'm not enjoying myself." It quickly went viral on Twitter, and often resurfaces whenever Sex and the City's behind-the-scenes feuding comes up. 

"I want to choose who I spend time with personally and professionally," she continued. "I went past the finish line playing Samantha Jones because I loved Sex and the City. It was a blessing in so many ways but after the second movie I'd had enough. I couldn't understand why they wouldn't just replace me with another actress instead of wasting time bullying. No means no."

And Just Like That season 2 premieres on Max on June 22. For more, check out our list of new TV shows coming in 2023 and beyond.

Amy West

I am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things TV and film across our Total Film and SFX sections. Elsewhere, my words have been published by the likes of Digital Spy, SciFiNow, PinkNews, FANDOM, Radio Times, and Total Film magazine.