Nicole Ari Parker Says Her Entry Into the SATC Universe Was "Seamless"

AND JUST LIKE THATNicole Ari Parker's And Just Like That Character Is as Multi-Dimensional as We Hoped The actor spoke to Allure about making sure her newest role in the Sex and the City universe went beyond any tropes.

By Shamira Ibrahim

December 16, 2021

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When the Sex and the City reboot was first announced, fans were disappointed to learn that the series would return without the bawdy and subversive presence of Kim Cattrall's Samantha Jones. And while Ms. Jones is still sorely missed, And Just Like That…, the latest chapter in the SATC cannon, has blessed us with a brand-new character who is already becoming a fast favorite. 

The HBO series introduces Lisa Todd Wexley, played by Nicole Ari Parker, to the core four. Wexley is a Park Avenue mother of three and documentarian with a high-end cosmopolitan lifestyle to match. Photos from the set show Parker sporting Libertine jumpsuits, high-end Italian bags, and Mark Davis Lucite bracelets. Alongside a supporting cast of other people of color – Sara Ramirez, Karen Pittman, and Sarita Choudhury – the series also works to more organically address the long-whispered elephant in the room: The overwhelming whiteness of the trendy, fashion-forward world the show is supposed to represent. And it's about time — Black designers have become increasingly-visible innovators in the contemporary world of American high fashion, with designers like Hanifa, Pyer Moss, and LaQuan Smith dominating  New York Fashion Week.

Parker is no stranger to being a part of a cultural institution. The seasoned actor has played key roles in movies such as Brown Sugar, Remember the Titans, and the Showtime Drama Series Soul Food, for which she received five NAACP Image Award nominations for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series (and met her now-husband, Boris Kodjoe).

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For Parker, filming this series as the streets of New York slowly came back alive from the malaise of COVID-19 offered a chance to encourage women to celebrate their inner quirkiness, sartorially and otherwise. Sure, some of the outfits she sported for the show cost as much as her children's tuition, she jokes in a phone call with Allure. Still, the next phase of SATC engages themes that are accessible to people in their 40s and 50s, across class demographics, while still delivering the escapist couture fantasy that has fans tuning in week after week.

Allure: How did it feel for you to come in as a new lead on a show that has such a defined fashion vocabulary? How did it feel to be a Black woman entering the space in this capacity?

Nicole Ari Parker: Oh, that was seamless. My extraness was right on brand. What I was waiting for was the script so I could see how that would really translate. What are they really trying to do or say about the fact that in 20 years you haven't seen well-rounded characters of color written into the fabric of the show?  I was pleasantly surprised that they found a way to say, "these three white girls didn't have Black friends on a regular basis"  — not that we ever tuned into the show for that. At the same time, they were able to write Black women characters who are dealing with their white friends, too. Just like you don't know me, I don't know you. I'm a whole person with a whole life.

Allure: You are part of some storied films and television shows — Soul Food, Remember the Titans, Brown Sugar. You have your own personal experience as a part of some major legacy productions. I'm curious about how it feels entering this new pantheon that has an established fan base, and built-in expectations for something they've treasured for so many years.

NAP: I'm very conscious of newness, for this fan base, Black and white. A large part of the fan base is Black viewers. Like Jay Z said, we got "Carrie fever." I really wanted to be comfortable in this character. They didn't just create a Black character and then make her rich — they gave her a husband, kids, a life, and a job title. She has thoughts and opinions, her house looks a certain way. Then, [they took into consideration] that Lisa Todd Wexley couldn't be the only Black character on the show. There are other job titles, tax brackets, interests, and agendas for all kinds of women. They really made the role multi-dimensional.

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Allure: There were a ton of fashion moments in the original SATC run that everyone thinks about: The black dress, the big tutu dress in Paris, we can go on and on, right? Are there any that you secretly hoped to recreate?

NAP: Every character has their own style. Mine was very mix-and-match, and my jewelry — they committed to it. This character has her bracelets, necklaces, her crazy shoes and hats.

Allure: I was taking a look at some of the still shots. Your character loves a statement piece like a big blue necklace or a brooch. Also, a nice handbag that has a pop of color.

NAP: Or has a giraffe for the handle! [laughs]

Allure: How do you think the style choices they made for Lisa reflect what they're trying say about the character? Carrie, for example, shows a dedication to indulging in the finer things in life at the expense of the practicality of her outfits.

NAP: I think that they nailed this woman. Not every single Black woman dresses like Lisa. She's very wealthy, she earned her wealth, plus her husband's wealthy. She's also a global citizen, she travels. When you're a documentary filmmaker, you get into spaces in places where you're dealing with people's lives. So there's a human warmth to Lisa. Her clothes reflect her global access, warmth, and the fact that she's a wife and a mom.

Allure: Do you think that there's a theme or message that is being evoked in this season?

NAP: The title of the series is And Just Like That. If there was a subtitle it would be, Here we are. It's refreshing for grownups to be like, "Oh my God, when I was 20 and watching this show, I felt very exposed, and now I'm 40 or 50, and I'm like, gagging that someone else is privately going through this too. " You know, you don't get to see the intricacies of grown-up women's lives, right. There are always these broad, sweeping choices: mom, working mom, married working mom, divorced mom. Nobody's complicated or still hurting over something that they didn't figure out when they were 20. Emotional intelligence isn't perfect.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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