Kim Cattrall is currently promoting a smaller BBC Radio project. She has a home in England and spends a lot of time there, working and living, but she also maintains homes in New York and Canada. She correctly points out that here in America, she’s seen almost solely as Samantha Jones from Sex and the City, whereas the British film/television/theater community sees her as an actress. She’s starring in theater productions in London and she frequently picks up radio work as well. All of which explains why she gave this nice interview to the Times of London. Some highlights:

An interaction in the gym of her Manhattan apartment building: “One of the members of the board was playing really loud, obnoxious music. The man is, I would say, in his seventies.” Cattrall asked him to turn it down or use a pair of headphones, “and he got incredibly offended”. After explaining that it wasn’t really her request, but a building rule governing all residents, “he said, ‘I want to talk to your husband.’ I said, ‘I don’t have a husband.’ He said, ‘And you wonder why?’ I wrote an eloquent letter to the board. He’s no longer on the board. The fight continues, and it’s the little victories.”

The wise older woman: “I’m in this sort of category now of the wise older woman. Which makes me laugh because nobody knows anything.”

Losing her brother Christopher, who died by suicide: “I think when someone dies from suicide, those around them think, ‘Why didn’t I see it? Why wasn’t I there?’ Or, ‘How could I have been ignoring, in retrospect, signs that were clearly unhealthy?’ But that was ultimately his choice,” she says, visibly emotional. “I had to accept that I couldn’t change that destiny. That as much as I thought I could, and as powerful as I thought I was, I couldn’t have prevented it. I keep saying I wish I hadn’t gone through all that. And then I thought to myself, well, if I hadn’t have gone through that, I wouldn’t have met [my partner] Russ. So life has surprises and trade-offs. It was a bad time, but I learned a tremendous amount. And at the other end of it was this incredible, fun playmate.”

She speaks of Samantha Jones with fondness: “I created a fantastic character that I loved, and I put a lot of love in it. And if I’m remembered only for that, then that’s really OK.” Cattrall turned down the role four times before accepting it; she was 41 and did not believe audiences would see a woman of that age as sexy. “Self-inflicted ageism. Well, that changed — 40 became sexy. It became, ‘Man, let’s have more of that.’ She wasn’t a nymphomaniac — well, some people might have thought she was — but she was just enjoying the main course. Everyone else was nibbling on the appetisers when she was going for the steak. And it was always on her terms — that I always insisted on. But, I’m the antithesis of her [Samantha] in many ways. I’m a serial monogamist, and then some.”

Why she loves working in the UK: “One of the things that was so attractive about coming to work in the UK was that they saw an actor. In America, they saw her,” she says, meaning Samantha. “And in America I was perceived as a woman of a certain age, whereas in England I was perceived [simply] as a woman.”

She & her partner divide their time between New York, Vancouver Island and the UK. “I don’t need to be on a soundstage. I don’t need to be on a stage. I’ve done it and I’ve so enjoyed it. And if it comes again, it will be for good reason. Because I want to try something different.”

Her politics: She’s optimistic about the new Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney — “Look at the wealth of experience he has, that he brings as a statesman to the table. It’s a good moment; I think it’ll be OK” — and supportive of Keir Starmer — “who’s turning things around” — but she can only vote where she pays taxes: the US. “We have not known something like this time in our lives,” she reflects on the Trump administration. “Our parents did. But we didn’t. And we were sheltered from it. And I think for a lot of us who felt surprised it was a real wake-up call. Saying to yourself, wow, I guess I live in a smaller bubble than I’d ever imagined. But we have to say: ‘Wake up! There’s still time.’”

[From The Times]

That story of the man demanding to speak to her husband… that’s so crazy and Mad Men-esque! Some men really do have that perspective of “why doesn’t this mouthy woman’s husband control her.” As for her fondness for Samantha… I’m so glad that Kim moved on from that role. Samantha was a great character and Kim played her with so much heart and humor, but I completely understand why Kim was done with the franchise and why she was so pissed off that Sarah Jessica Parker was basically publicly bullying her about turning down yet another SATC project. I also think it’s fine that Kim prefers working in the UK – the British theater/film/TV community seems so tight-knit and supportive, and the work is more varied.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.