Sarah Jessica Parker Almost Passed on 'Sex and the City' - Find Out Why!

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It's hard to imagine anyone else nailing Sex and the City's fashion-savvy lead character the way Sarah Jessica Parker did, but it took some convincing for her to become Carrie Bradshaw.

The 51-year-old actress' casting revelation is explored in the forthcoming book, Powerhouse: The Untold Story of Hollywood’s Creative Artists by James Andres. In an excerpt obtained by The Hollywood ReporterParker admits that she was less than enthusiastic about Bradshaw.


READ: Sex and the City' Creator Reveals He First Wanted Alec Baldwin to Portray Mr. Big 

Luckily, Kevin Huvane, Parker's longtime agent and friend, was able to get her on board.

"He called me up and said, 'Darren Star reached out to me. He's written this pilot [Sex and the City] and tells me he wrote it with you in mind — you were in his head when he was writing it," said Parker.

Huvane loved the script and suggested Parker meet with Star. "I said, 'Really? I feel like I’ve got it all right now,'" she recalled.


READ: 10 Reasons Why We Don't Need Another Sex and the City' Movie 

No matter how much Huvane raved about SATC, Parker was still reluctant to give up her freedom and commit to a TV contract.

"I can do a play, then do a movie, then do a play, then do a movie," thought Parker. "There’s a lot of flexibility. What could be better? Do I really want to go back to making a television series when I’m maybe held hostage signing a long-term contract?"

After officially meeting with Star, Parker remembers not being "too keen" on the nudity and bad language in the script.

Huvane pushed her to step outside of her comfort zone.  "Kevin continued to say to me, 'This is different. You have never done anything like this before," Parker explained. "No one’s ever done a part like this. Do this.'"

His instinct paid off. Not only did SATC change the career of Parker and her co-stars — Kristin Davis, Kim Cattrall, and Cynthia Nixon — the role earned her four Golden Globes and two Emmy Awards.


READ: Chris Noth Sloppily Kisses John Corbett to the Delight of 'Sex and the City' Fans Everywhere! 

The HBO series (which was adapted from Candice Bushnell’s novel of the same name) debuted in 1998 and ended its six-season run in 2004. SATC was revived on the silver screen in 2008, followed by a sequel in 2010. The films grossed more than $700 million combined.

While it looks like Parker is closing the book on SATCfor now, she's opening a new chapter with HBO. Watch Parker's ET interview for her upcoming series, Divorce, below.

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