Sarah Jessica Parker recently opened up about the emotional toll of playing Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the City, revealing that harsh comments about her appearance left a lasting mark.
In a new interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast, the 60-year-old actress and fashion icon admitted that the body-shaming and personal criticism she received at the time were deeply hurtful.
Highlights
- Sarah Jessica Parker opened up about being body-shamed while starring in Sex and the City.
- The actress recalled breaking down after reading a cruel magazine article.
- Parker said she was unprepared for how personal public criticism could feel.
Though Sex and the City turned her into a cultural icon, Parker said it also exposed her to intense scrutiny, much of it focused on things she never imagined would be picked apart in the public eye.
Cruel comments from strangers were difficult to understand, or ignore
Image credits: sarahjessicaparker
During the podcast, Parker revealed that one of the hardest parts of her career was seeing commentary about her looks in magazines and tabloids.
One especially cruel article in a magazine, which she described as a “kick in the rubber parts," actually left her in tears.
Image credits: Call Her Daddy
“I called two of my friends, who happened to be male, because I knew they might know about it. And I was just like, sobbing. It felt so purposeful,” she said.
While she received a lot of cruel criticism about her looks, SJP said that was probably “the only time" she "really cried about it,” according to the Daily Mail.
SJP wondered if her critics would insult her appearance face-to-face
Image credits: Call Her Daddy
One of the things that still puzzles the Emmy award winner is how bold strangers can be when hiding behind a screen or a byline.
While discussing the issue in the podcast, she wondered if the people who were criticizing her appearance “would say that to my face” if they were having a real conversation.
Image credits: HBO
“I didn’t feel like I could sit in a room and someone would say to me, ‘You’re really unattractive,’” SJP said.
“And then I could say, ‘Wow. First of all, that’s hard to hear. But second, why do you feel the need to comment?’”
Parker explained that while she always thought of herself as confident, the unrelenting public commentary tested her in ways she was not prepared for.
Image credits: HBO
“At that time, I thought I was a fairly confident person. But I think it really comes into question and is tested when you’re kind of filleted in a way,” she said.
SJP admitted that she hasn’t watched the new Sex and the City spin-off series that she produces
Despite serving as an executive producer and lead actress in And Just Like That, Parker admitted she has not actually watched the show.
The revival, which has received mixed reviews from critics and fans alike, is now entering its third season on HBO Max.
Image credits: Warner Bros.
Many loyal viewers continue to tune in, even if only out of nostalgia for the original Sex and the City.
Parker didn’t mention Kim Cattrall directly, but some fans couldn’t help but connect her comments to the long-standing rift between the two co-stars.
Image credits: Warner Bros.
Cattrall, who played Samantha Jones, declined to return for most of the new series, a decision that added fuel to rumors of an off-screen feud.
Cattrall did appear briefly in the season two finale, but the two women reportedly did not film their scenes together.
Image credits: sarahjessicaparker
For years following the end of Sex and the City, SJP and Kim dismissed rumors that they had an ongoing feud, according to ELLE.
Fans, however, were convinced something was wrong when Kim refused to come back for a third Sex and the City film.
In a later interview with Piers Morgan, Kim stated that she was “never really friends” with her co-stars.
Netizens empathized with Sarah Jessica Parker's sentiments, with many stating that she is beautiful inside and out
