Photo:FilmMagic/FilmMagic, Patrick Demarchelier/Hbo/Darren Star Prods/Kobal/Shutterstock
FilmMagic/FilmMagic, Patrick Demarchelier/Hbo/Darren Star Prods/Kobal/Shutterstock
For the 25th anniversary ofSex and the City’s premiere,PEOPLEspoke with female and LGBTQ+ actors, directors and writers about how the show affected them, impacted the industry and continues to influence pop culture. These are their firsthand accounts.Issa Rae, 38, star and creator of HBO’sInsecureI was a little too young to watchSex and the Citywhen it first aired, so I watched it in college. The summer of junior year, my girls would come over and we would watch it faithfully. That summer was magical, specifically, because ofSex and the City. We assigned ourselves, of course, who we each were. There were three of us, so they assigned meMirandaandSamanthahybrid. I feel like I’m aCarriegirl, for sure, now in my adulthood.Everett CollectionThe episode where Miranda is dating a Black guy [stands out] for good and bad reasons. She was datingBlair Underwood. That episode was crazy. That was one that kind of took us out of this, like, “OK, we’re watching whiteSex and the City.” This is a very specific perspective. But watching it just makes you want to tell your own version. That was the power of it, realizing like, “Oh, I have a story to tell too, and it is a little bit different.” I love watching this and accept it for what it is, but also want to eventually tell my own story.For more onSex and the City’s 25th anniversary, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribehere.I went to New York immediately after college. I wanted to have the Carrie lifestyle. I sought out the restaurants and the clubs that were long gone. I had a rude awakening because I was really, really broke. As someone who cheated later on with my own show [with what characters could afford], I’m forgiving.In theInsecurewriter’s room,Sex and the Citywould always come up, mostly becauseNatasha [Rothwell]was ourSex and the Citypolice and be like, ‘Ah,Sex and the Cityalready did that. Or, ‘They touched on that already.’ And I’d be like, ‘Damn, what didn’t they cover? Or how do we cover it differently?’ They were, for sure, a blueprint. I appreciate it for paving the way for me and so many other female creators, gay male creators.Craig Blankenhorn/Hbo/Darren Star Prods/Kobal/ShutterstockI like to rememberSex and the Cityas this love story between four women and their exploits. It was the first show that I had ever seen that really showcased women’s sexual habits explicitly. It influenced me wholeheartedly to be a bit more raw in my representation of my friends and women. They grew from season 1 to season 6 with each other and through the movies — I’ve just acknowledged the first one — but it was so inspirational in that way. It made you want to have that. It’s a cultural staple.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Sex and the CityandInsecurecan both be streamed in full on Max.
For the 25th anniversary ofSex and the City’s premiere,PEOPLEspoke with female and LGBTQ+ actors, directors and writers about how the show affected them, impacted the industry and continues to influence pop culture. These are their firsthand accounts.
Issa Rae, 38, star and creator of HBO’sInsecure
I was a little too young to watchSex and the Citywhen it first aired, so I watched it in college. The summer of junior year, my girls would come over and we would watch it faithfully. That summer was magical, specifically, because ofSex and the City. We assigned ourselves, of course, who we each were. There were three of us, so they assigned meMirandaandSamanthahybrid. I feel like I’m aCarriegirl, for sure, now in my adulthood.
Everett Collection
The episode where Miranda is dating a Black guy [stands out] for good and bad reasons. She was datingBlair Underwood. That episode was crazy. That was one that kind of took us out of this, like, “OK, we’re watching whiteSex and the City.” This is a very specific perspective. But watching it just makes you want to tell your own version. That was the power of it, realizing like, “Oh, I have a story to tell too, and it is a little bit different.” I love watching this and accept it for what it is, but also want to eventually tell my own story.
For more onSex and the City’s 25th anniversary, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribehere.
I went to New York immediately after college. I wanted to have the Carrie lifestyle. I sought out the restaurants and the clubs that were long gone. I had a rude awakening because I was really, really broke. As someone who cheated later on with my own show [with what characters could afford], I’m forgiving.
In theInsecurewriter’s room,Sex and the Citywould always come up, mostly becauseNatasha [Rothwell]was ourSex and the Citypolice and be like, ‘Ah,Sex and the Cityalready did that. Or, ‘They touched on that already.’ And I’d be like, ‘Damn, what didn’t they cover? Or how do we cover it differently?’ They were, for sure, a blueprint. I appreciate it for paving the way for me and so many other female creators, gay male creators.
Craig Blankenhorn/Hbo/Darren Star Prods/Kobal/Shutterstock
I like to rememberSex and the Cityas this love story between four women and their exploits. It was the first show that I had ever seen that really showcased women’s sexual habits explicitly. It influenced me wholeheartedly to be a bit more raw in my representation of my friends and women. They grew from season 1 to season 6 with each other and through the movies — I’ve just acknowledged the first one — but it was so inspirational in that way. It made you want to have that. It’s a cultural staple.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Sex and the CityandInsecurecan both be streamed in full on Max.
source: people.com
