The cat is out of the bag—Kim Cattrall will briefly return as Samantha Jones in Season 2 of Max’s And Just Like That… and the appearance was meant to be a big surprise, according to stars and executive producers Sarah Jessica Parker, Michael Patrick King, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis, who told Deadline they’re very disappointed it was leaked. But now that everybody knows, they also want to temper expectations because the cameo is small but meaningful.
“Well, I won’t tease more than was already leaked, except to say that we had this idea that was a nice way of acknowledging the 25 years,” Parker told Deadline. “Samantha existed on the show in the first season, their friendship is conducted through text. She’s living in London and you’ll see more of that this season prior to when the face accompanies the text. It’s just a very nice, quick moment. A phone call that happens at a very opportune time in the story. It’s sentimental, it’s funny, and it is a perfect portrait of their friendship.”
Added Nixon, “We worked so hard to keep it under wraps. It was going to be this wonderful [gasps] moment for people watching the episode. Now that everybody knows she’s coming back, we’re pretty disappointed. It’s not like that much happens, it’s a really tiny very tiny little cameo. I worry that so much of the firepower of it was the surprise. You know, it is what it is.”
Davis is hoping further details will remain under wraps to preserve what’s left of the surprise.
“We’re trying to keep any other pieces of the puzzle that aren’t known already unknown since the major surprise is out of the bag. It’s the 25th anniversary and we know that the fans miss Samantha and we wanted to try to please the fans— you know, we love our fans. So we felt like this was the way— in terms of the story that we’ve created— to do both without being false for the story. I just hope that people aren’t disappointed now.”
King said it was a natural progression to see Samantha appear personally with the way the show has kept the character alive in Season 1. He has no idea how the miracle happened, but he’s glad fans will get one of their biggest wishes.
“I will tell you that Samantha to me has always been in And Just Like That since Kim Cattrall said she didn’t want to play Samantha anymore.,” he shared. “I was like ok, but Samantha exists in the world so she and Carrie have been texting, and in my mind, not just what you see [on screen] but what writers think about. There’s a scene you’re not seeing where they’re calling. But something happened magically. I don’t know whether it was because of the 25th anniversary or if it was the fans’ energy that shifted tectonic plates, but something happened where all of a sudden Kim was like, ‘Alright, I’ll play Samantha for a little bite.’ It’s fun because it’s a treat for the fans and it is magical. The only thing that makes me upset about it is that you know about it.”
And Just Like That… Season 2 premieres on June 22.