And Just Like That: Michael Patrick King on Samantha’s life off-screen and his hopes for the Sex and the City ‘multiverse’ (EXCLUSIVE)

The And Just Like That… world has so much LGBTQ representation in it. Although it hasn’t always been perfect, I can’t understate the energy it’s given me and queer people, especially of my age! How does it feel to be building on that legacy again?

The entire universe from Sex and the City to And Just Like That… has all been an evolution. The characters have evolved. For me, the evolution of Miranda into her true self is very, very exciting. As with any experience, when something very big is coming towards you, it can be a bumpy road. And by design, we gave her a very rocky start. A very challenging relationship. So now we can walk her into the daylight of a relationship with the magnificent Dolly Wells potentially. I’m thrilled with any representation of anyone who is considered an outsider from society. The marching order of the series has always been the individual verses society, and to be a queer person is to be basically to choose your individuality over society. I love the loud, noisy evolution of Miranda. And I’m especially proud of the quiet, sophisticated evolution of Rock. Rock is now standing in their own space, no explanation, just owning themselves. And everyone around them just seems to accept it.

And happy as well!

So happy.

I feel that it’s still quite rare to see cross-generational LGBT representation, happy, out queer people. From teenagers right through to very old age. Did it feel important to show that?

It’s always important to reflect what’s in the world. What’s in the world now is people becoming more and more visible as themselves. It would be silly not to have such a wide range of ages when it comes to queer people. And types! Just within our show alone you have old school sort of gay, queer Anthony and new school, sophisticated Giuseppe, who is just effortless. Verses efforted, which is what Anthony is! It’s really important.

There aren’t many people who can say they worked on six seasons of a show, two films, and three seasons of a spin-off show. What are your first, second and third favourite eras and why?

My first favourite era of the Sex and the City ‘multiverse’ is, I’d say, the stunt of the first movie. Everyone flocked to the theatres to see their friends they hadn’t seen in a while. It was a real stunt. They said it couldn’t be done, and we did it. My second favourite is the conclusion of Sex and the City. The Paris episodes. They’re beautifully realised. Emotional. Beautiful. My third favourite, which I’ll move to the top for today, is this new season of And Just Like That… It feels fun, fabulous and fragile. And surefooted. I like it.

Did you ever imagine when you were started out that you’d be getting to write these characters all these years later?

It is so rare for anyone to write a character to again. But to have written characters for 27 years and have them played by the same actresses is a phenomenon. 

I’m sure you get this question all the time, but which character do you most relate to?

I think anyone who writes Sex and the City has to have Carrie as their gateway drug! You fall in love with her first. If you can figure out what she’s writing, you can figure out the whole show. I love all the characters, but the Carrie character is kind of the writer in me.

Samantha is still part of the universe, but from afar. I wondered if you’ve done any colouring in of that character, as in, why is she in London? I imagine she loves it but absolutely hates the rain!

I think Samantha probably does love London. It’s exciting. My feeling about London is, it’s very happening for women in their 60s still, whereas I think New York is still a bit shut down. But that’s what Samantha thought when she moved there, that it would be a new start for her. She probably doesn’t like the rain. She probably does like the fog! I love that she’s in the show. Even if it’s a foggy vision of her. Even if it’s just a text. Samantha is still there, and in my belief system, she’s texting the other ladies all the time. And even in the show, when she does text, they don’t act like it’s a big deal. They act like it’s an everyday occurrence. Samantha is alive and well in London. What better place for her?

What are your future ambitions for this world?

I write everything I can and put it on the page each season and then I tie it up in a nice bow for the audience. But I’m smart enough not to tie the bow tight so I can untie it if another big idea comes or we want to go again. So, I love that they’re alive, and I love that they could possibly be alive on television again and again and again.

The season finale of And Just Like That will air on in the UK on SKY and NOW.