Why Sarah Jessica Parker Felt ‘Panicked’ After Filming the ‘Sex and the City’ Pilot

For six seasons, Carrie Bradshaw pursued commitment while donning Manolos and penning her weekly column. Ironically, at the outset of “Sex and the City,” it was Sarah Jessica Parker who hesitated to sign on the dotted line.

The 60-year-old actress discussed her initial reluctance during a two-part segment on the “Are You a Charlotte?” podcast, hosted by her longtime “Sex and the City” co-star Kristin Davis. While speaking with Davis, Parker elaborated on why she felt “panicked” at the thought of “committing” to the series, even after filming the pilot, which aired in 1998.

Parker shared that filming the first episode was a “lovely” experience, but she “forgot all about it” until she encountered a well-known producer on a New York City street who praised her for the show.

“Then I went about my day, and when the show got picked up, I panicked,” she recalled. “I thought, I can’t be on a TV show. I don’t think I’m cut out for that life.”

Before “Sex and the City,” Parker had carved out a niche for herself with roles in “Square Pegs,” “A Year in the Life,” and “Equal Justice,” the latter being the only one to last two seasons. She noted that the short duration of these series allowed her the freedom to “bounce around,” take on other film projects, and collaborate with seasoned actors and directors.

“Then I would transition to doing a play or participate in readings, followed by a role in a film,” she said. “I genuinely believed that was the goal; being a journeyman was the aim.”

“The notion of a television series felt like it would restrict my opportunities … and that I’d be getting into the same car every day, which felt like someone was, you know, covering my mouth,” she described, adding that she ultimately reached out to her agent.

“I spoke with my agents and said, ‘Hey, can you help me get out of this?'” she recalled, noting that, as HBO was still relatively new and somewhat “unknown” to many, she initially had the advantage of flexibility.

Eventually, she was encouraged to consider it for just a year.

“And I never looked back,” she stated. “I was always happy to be there. There was no place I’d rather be than on our set.”