Kristin Davis Credits ‘Sex and the City’ With Saving Her Life
The ladies of Sex and the City may have put the Cosmo on the map, but one cast member was not drinking them. Kristin Davis, who portrayed Charlotte York on the series for six seasons, has been sober for more than 30 years. Davis, who began acting as a young adult, has been open about her journey to sobriety, and she credits her acting jobs with keeping her alive.
Kristin Davis said she went to rehab before landing her iconic role
Davis’ most iconic role came after she checked herself into a rehab program. During a sit-down interview with James Andrew Miller for his podcast, Origins, Davis admitted that she began drinking at a very young age to dull her senses and her anxiety. She noted that she only got serious about sobriety when she found her acting was suffering.
Davis didn’t share exactly when she checked herself into rehab, but reportedly it occurred before she landed her breakout role in Sex and the City. Before the series, Davis appeared in General Hospital and Melrose Place. Her role in General Hospital lasted for 23 episodes in 1991. She appeared in Melrose Place for two seasons before her character, Brooke Armstrong, was killed off.
Davis credits acting and her role in Sex and the City with helping her stay sober
According to an interview she gave to The Week, it’s been more than 30 years since Davis last had a drink. The driving force behind her sobriety has been acting. She has stated that landing her role on Sex and the City helped keep her sober all this time, or, at the very least, she credits the series with helping her keep her eye on the prize.
Davis explained that she grew up in South Carolina and felt awkward and out of place. To ease her shyness, she began drinking as a teen and quickly realized things had gotten out of control. She decided to get sober to help her secure better roles. Davis said she realized she had to choose between her addiction and her acting pretty early on. She told The Week, “I thought, It’s going to be one or the other. I can’t really have both.”
What has Davis been doing since Sex and the City
Since walking away from Sex and the City in 2004, Davis has been working steadily. She appeared in both Sex and the City movies and took on a series of television and movie parts. Most recently, she worked on Bad Teacher in 2014. Davis will also star in Deadly Illusions, a film slated to be released later this year.
The acting bug still appears to be strong and seems to be helping her remain sober. Outside of acting, Davis keeps herself busy with her two children. Davis adopted her daughter, Gemma, in 2011. Wilson joined the family via adoption in 2018.
