Ron Livingston Says Kobe Bryant Recognized Him as Jack Berger From ‘Sex and the City’
Kobe Bryant was a fan of Sex and the City. At the very least, he had seen the show often enough to recognize guest stars. Ron Livingston, the actor who took on the role of Carrie Bradshaw’s dastardly ex-boyfriend, Jack Berger, said Bryant recognized him for his Sex and the City appearance. The interaction is pretty funny.
Ron Livingston said Kobe Bryant recognized him as Berger
Ron Livingston has worked extensively in the entertainment industry over the years. You might recognize him as Peter Gibbons from Office Space or Lewis Nixon in Band of Brothers. Kobe Bryant recognized him as Jack Berger from Sex and the City. In 2021, Livingston appeared on Today to discuss his time on Sex and the City. While he mostly discussed his character’s infamous Post-It note breakup, he had a few other stories.
Livingston informed the audience that the late Kobe Bryant knew exactly who Jack Beger was. Livingston said he was seated courtside at a Lakers game before Bryant retired. He said that during a tense moment in the game, Bryant was inbounding the ball close to his seat. While he was focused on the game, he did a double-take before saying, “Berger?” Livingston did not reveal whether his role in the series scored him a meet-and-greet with Bryant, but he wanted fans to know Bryant was very much aware of the series.
Livingston spent several episodes portraying Jack Berger on Sex and the City. Berger, a fellow writer, and Carrie met at their publisher’s office. When they first met, Berger was dating someone, but eventually, they got together. While they seemed like the perfect couple on paper, their love affair was turbulent. Berger even broke up with Carrie by leaving a Post-It note on her computer. It is considered the most horrific but also the most iconic breakup in the show’s history.
Was Kobe Bryant a ‘Sex and the City’ fan?
It looks like Kobe Bryant was a Sex and the City fan. At the very least, he sat through enough of the show to recognize Berger and to track down a very important dress from the series to gift his wife. Months after Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash alongside his daughter and several other victims, Vanessa Bryant took to Instagram to share a closet find with the world.
In her 2020 Instagram post, Vanessa Bryant shared a photo of Carrie Bradshaw’s green series finale gown. She explained that Bryant had gifted her the dress and that finding it reminded her of their love. Bryant’s widow didn’t explain exactly why he gave her the gown. She did write that it was gifted to her long ago. Based on the sentimental present and Bryant’s instant recognition of Livingston as Berger, it’s safe to assume he was a fan of the series.
