‘Sex and the City’: Is Boris Kodjoe’s Wife Nicole Ari Parker the New Samantha Jones? (Exclusive)
Does Boris Kodjoe’s wife Nicole Ari Parker slide into the “Samantha Jones” role on the new Sex and the City series And Just Like That? Kodjoe gave Showbiz Cheat Sheet a pretty straightforward answer about his wife’s role on the show and the updated version of the iconic series.
Is Nicole Ari Parker the new Samantha Jones?
“My wife is not the new Samantha Jones,” he exclaimed. “She answers this [question] the same exact way because Samantha cannot be replaced. But my wife plays a great character on the show. And I’m super proud of her because it’s one of those shows that are timeless. And watched all over the world. So she’s been having a lot of fun shooting that show in New York.”
Sex and the City fans went wild when Parker showed up in a photo next to Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristin Davis. The foursome looked so cozy, it almost resembled a throwback photo to when Samantha Jones, played by Kim Cattrall was in the series.
The photo also got fans buzzing. “Is she replacing Samantha Jones?” one person asked on the thread. Another person added, “Is that the new Samantha?” But others missed Cattrall, which is why Kodjoe emphasized that his wife was not there to replace Cattrall on the series.
Why is Boris Kodjoe happy about ‘And Just Like That’?
Kodjoe was happy to see that the updated series represented more people of color. “I’m very happy about this,” he said about seeing more people of color represented in the series. “Because the last one wasn’t necessarily representative of what the world looks like, especially New York.”
“So I think this is more of a timely depiction of what life is really like,” he added.
Sarah Jessica Parker and showrunner Michael Patrick King wanted the 2021 cast to reflect growth and changes in the characters, which meant a more diverse cast.
“Just as in real life, people come into your life, people leave. Friendships fade, and new friendships start. So I think it is all very indicative of the real stages, the actual stages of life,” HBO Max chief content officer Casey Bloys told TVLine.
“[EP Sarah Jessica Parker and King] are trying to tell an honest story about being a woman in her 50s in New York,” Bloys said. “So it should all feel somewhat organic, and the friends that you have when you’re 30, you may not have when you’re 50.”
Boris Kodjoe returns in ‘The Real Husbands of Hollywood’
Kodjoe is working on his own series revival as The Real Husbands of Hollywood returns to BET+ this fall. He teased that the new season centers on a competition to see who can do the most good. But Kodjoe is doing something good off-screen too. He’s speaking out about men’s health and in honor of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month (September) and Men’s Health Awareness Month (November), he teamed up with Depend® and the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) for the return of the Stand Strong for Men’s Health™ program.
This is an initiative to destigmatize male incontinence and celebrate the strength of those fighting prostate cancer. In recognition, Depend® will donate for every purchase of select products, up to $350,000. “This was such a no-brainer for me to partner up with Depend because it was a personal thing for me,” he explained. “Because one of my close friends went through prostate cancer.”
“I realized by talking to him that this is something that affects one in eight men across the country and even one in four Black men,” he added. “So it was a very, very personal experience to me, talking to him and sort of being there for him while he was going through that battle. And thankfully, he’s alive and well and he is cancer-free.”
