Culturally, how we discuss women and women’s appearances has changed a lot over the past decade. As a society, we’re more conscious of trying not to knee-jerk and be flat-out rude, or sexist and ageist. But I’m still of the mind that it’s okay to NOTICE when someone has had noticeable work done on their face. So it is with actresses complaining about “unsolicited comments” about their plastic surgery and cosmetic work. I understand that many of the comments are rude as hell and yes, it’s not my business. But I’ll defend my right to say “wow, her face isn’t moving at all” or “wow, she looks unrecognizable.” I bring this up because Kristin Davis has returned to one of her favorite subjects: how it’s extremely stressful to deal with ageing, especially in the public eye.
On how fans are commenting about her looks: “It can be extremely stressful to be aging and to be compared to your much, much, much younger self,” the “And Just Like That” actress, 56, told NewBeauty of the chatter surrounding her and her co-stars’ appearances. “If I was from a regular life, I would feel fine; I would feel great! I’m healthy, I’m strong, I’ve got this little 3-year-old son, and I carry him around and it’s all good — but, no, I’m on television, where every bit of my physical being is analyzed. That part was always very stressful and difficult for me, because, as much as I can look back on my life and think, ‘Oh, I looked great then,’ you never think that at the time. I guess no one does.”
How she feels seeing the ‘bad photos’ of herself on set: “I have bad days; I have days where I literally want to put my face in a bowl of ice like Joan Crawford,” the star quipped, adding that paparazzi are constantly angling for unflattering shots of the trio during long days on set. “There’s going to be bad pictures, and they’re going to talk about them, and they’re going to discuss your hair, your face, your this and your that and that’s just how it is I guess … at least in this industry.”
Women, whether famous not, have long been held to impossible beauty standards. “I like to think there’s more to life than how we look, but it’s unavoidable in our culture that, as you age — especially as a woman — that how you look is a lot. It’s a whole, bigger cultural conversation we need to have, but, right now, it’s hard.”
I couldn’t deal with that kind of attention, which is why I’ve never sought that kind of life! I’m not blaming her though, and I definitely feel for actresses and models who have to deal with this kind of daily focus and criticism of their appearance, especially as they get older. All that being said, I still feel like the so much of the conversation around Kristin in particular was not “oh no, she looks so old!” It was “oh God, she overdid the fillers.” Which is… kind of a different conversation.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Avalon Red and HBO Max.
Those atrocious outfits. I remember really enjoying the quirky, individualistic fashion twenty years ago on SATC and learning about the iconic Patricia Field. But this reboot just has the most disastrous fashion choices. Why is an older woman like Kristin’s character in THAT? Doesn’t Charlotte have anything cooler or more elegant to wear? I don’t care that much about the Botox but the fashion victimization is so bad.
The clothes have been terrible since the first movie, which is too bad. I rewatched the series during the pandemic and the clothes were fantastic. Charlotte had the most beautiful wardrobe (or at least I thought so) and was the prettiest of them all.
Yeah, she should maybe take out of Courtnex Cox’ book and just admit that she overdid it. I don’t think anyone went into the show expecting the women to look like their younger selves. We have seen them since the show ended.
It’s like showing up to a red carpet and then complaining about people commenting on your fashion.
She is an actress and people literally watch her for her face. Of course we’re going to comment on it if she doesn’t look like herself anymore.
Or she should have asked SJP for the number of her surgeon…
Why are their sets so visible when they are shooting. We practicaly saw frame by frame. Cant they close their sets ,i understand paps have long lenses. But i have never seen a series or movie getting this treatment.
They are filming on real streets in Manhattan where people live and come in and out of their homes so the crews have to shoot in as little space as possible. I live in downtown Manhattan and there are constant film crews taking over the neighborhoods with trucks and trailers, its a real nuisance. Sometimes as I am heading for work I am told I have to hold on as they are shooting. I just walk through, its my home, not a movie studio.
I was shocked and saddened when I saw her and her fillers. I think if she had just done less she would look so much better.
I just turned 60 and it sucks. Better than the alternative but you do feel marginalized. I would get some minor stuff done, but not at the expense of the Joker look.
Don’t comment on my face. Just pay me millions to watch it on T.V.
You want to know why its hard for women to age gracefully. Other women. Women like her are why also. Women dress, use makeup, and cosmetic surgery for other women. They get boob jobs for men. All the supermodels are in womens magizines. Not mens. If you want this to change women have to be the ones who do it. Most men really don’t care one way or the other. So Kristin just shut up. Your part of the problem.
Man, I wish celebrities would take a page from the Jamie Lee Curtis handbook on aging. She looks terrific while also looking her age.
I agree so much here with what Kaiser said! I have the utmost sympathy for women in Hollywood as they age, and the ridiculous beauty standards they are held to!! And I feel for Kristin in this way for sure! But yes, the comments about her appearance were not – oh you look so old, it was the utter shock of her cosmetically enhanced face, the fillers, the whatever that made her hardly able to move her mouth, etc. I have thought Kristin was probably the most beautiful women of the four of the SATC girls, just naturally gorgeous!! And frankly I was sad to see what she had done. Yes, it did remind me a la Courtney Cox or Meg Ryan, where they became almost an unrecognizable version of their former self! I cannot imagine all the pressure women in Hollywood feel, but I think we are starting to see some backlash to the pressure to stay young (by having ridiculous cosmetic surgery). I like seeing some older celebrities like Paulina Porizkov, Jamie Lee Curtis, and others who embrace getting older, wrinkles and all..but still just taking care of themselves and looking great doing it!!!
I hope someday Kristin realizes this too; I know Courtney Cox regretted her surgery/fillers later and spoke about that.
Everyone has their insecurities and peccadillos so having the public eye on you has to be difficult for some. Look Madonna. She turned into a different person.
I didn’t watch SATC when it first aired because I thought it was vapid and consumerist. I tried to watch the new series, hoping it would show them owning their age with glamor and sophistication. It didn’t play out that way, and the Miranda storyline was especially disappointing. I’m not blaming the actresses of course, but the show runner has an opportunity to at least start to change how society views women in that age bracket and failed.
She’s absolutely right in what she is saying. But she also looks significantly different than she did before, and it is not flattering. Both things are true.
I wonder if the women currently in their 20s and 30s will feel differently about aging and procedures as they grow older.
The problem with overdone plastic surgery is that it doesn’t make anyone look younger, just off. Did anyone remember that show with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant? He was the missing husband who re-appeared and was accused of murder.
All I could see what Nicole’s joker mouth. It distracted from the whole show. It was particularly noticeable during the trial scenes, when Kidman was cross-examined by the prosecutor, played by the Danish actress Sofie Grabol.
She is the same age as Nicole Kidman. She is a beautiful mature woman, with normal teeth and expression wrinkles.
The difference on HD was striking. It really showed up Kidman’s plastic surgery.
Which, like Kristin Davis, she doesn’t need!!!
In the same way, in younger women fillers and botox gives a weird doll-like quality that is just awkward.
I think it’s a valid discussion because this generation’s girls are growing up with a much more normalised vision of artificial beauty that seems to almost re-create Insta filters.
It’s worrying.
If she didn’t get such noticeable face work, or if their makeup artists didn’t make them look like drag queens, aging them with horrible makeup (ever since the first movie), it wouldn’t be so much of a conversation. In Europe its okay for actresses to age, not so much here. And its so unfair how a man is accepted to age gracefully and look great as his face develops more lines and character but not for women in Hollywood.
I would hate looking at my 20 year younger self in reruns or late night movies or whatever. I don’t blame them having a hard time accepting their aging looks. I just avoid mirrors.
It’s the procedures she’s had done that make her look bad not her age. IMO there’s a major difference between trying to look good for your age vs trying to look younger. Cynthia and SJP look amazing because they have beautiful human faces that move and have lines and expressions.