Another day, another reason to discuss Sex and the City! During our umpteenth rewatch of the iconic series, we realized just how many famous faces and soon-to-be stars show up in scenes with our girls. So many, in fact, that it would be easier to list off the stars who didn’t appear on the OG show. While Sex and the City cemented Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristen Davis, and Cynthia Nixon as permanent fixtures in the cultural zeitgeist, it also served as a jumping off point for countless other stars we now know and love. Keep reading for all the SATC cameos you may have missed the first few [dozen] times around.
Justin Theroux as Jared in Season 1, Episode 7 “The Monogamists”
HBO
Early in the series, Carrie is already obsessing over Mr. Big and sensing troubled waters ahead. While she wants to be monogamous, he has a fear of commitment (and apparently communication as well, as Carrie found out they were seeing other people in the worst possible way). Enter Justin Theroux’s Jared, an up-and-coming author and one of New York magazine’s “30 Coolest People Under 30,” which seems to be his entire personality.
While this was a bit part, it seems like Theroux remembers him, although not fondly so. The actor responded to a Vanity Fair Instagram poll, roasting himself by simply commenting “Jared” in response to the question “Who was the worst man on Sex and the City?”
Bradley Cooper as Jake in Season 2, Episode 4: “They Shoot Single People, Don’t They?”
HBO
Before he was an A-lister, Bradley Cooper was a struggling actor who was ecstatic to have booked his first on-screen role in Season 2 as Jake, a charming suitor who meets Carrie after the infamous NY Magazine cover. It was part luck, part looks, and part skill — particularly his stick shift driving skills — that landed him the gig. The only problem? Our golden boy had lied to get the part, and couldn’t drive stick at all!
Sex and the City director and writer Michael Patrick King tells the story best, recounting Cooper’s casting on the And Just Like That…The Writers Room podcast: “Bradley Cooper — first job — said he could drive a stick to get the job because the character drove a Karmann Ghia. 4:00 in the morning, another Friday outside 14th Street and I said, ‘Bradley, this is where you drive, you take off.’ And he goes, ‘I can’t drive a stick.’ And so we fixed, changed, pivoted. Sarah Jessica’s character Carrie crawls out of the Karmann Ghia and walks herself home.”
Donald Trump as Himself in Season 2, Episode 8 “The Man, the Myth, the Viagra”
HBO
In what is probably the most random jump scare for first time and seasoned viewers alike, Donald Trump shows up as a business associate of Ed, the older billionaire that Samantha had her eyes on for a hot second. There are a few aspects of this appearance that make sense: the show is set in New York City, where Trump was a major business tycoon at the time; the corporate world was high-key obsessed with his book, The Art Of The Deal; and the girls were all looking for their own man in finance (IYKYK), with Samantha at one point referring to Mr. Big as “the next Donald Trump” (which she meant as a compliment). However, it’s still a little wild that one of the presidents of the United States of America was on Sex and the City as nothing more than a plot device. Legend has it that he ad-libbed his lines to include a Trump Tower mention, which is kind of cool, I guess? Alas Donald, they could never make me like you.
Jon Bon Jovi as Seth Robinson in Season 2, Episode 13 “Games People Play”
HBO
After breaking up with Mr. Big (again), Carrie agrees to give therapy a shot. She meets Bon Jovi’s Seth in the waiting room of her therapists office, and for some reason decides it would be a good idea to pursue things with him. He’s charming and they hit it off, but they fail to communicate about what they want and need in their next relationship. We never see Seth again and Carrie never sees her therapist again, which is really a shame, because it looked like the sessions were helping her work through her issues, heal, and potentially make better decisions.
Justin Theroux (again) as Vaughn Wysel in Season 2, Episode 15 “Shortcomings”
HBO
Justin Theroux returns as a different, yet equally annoying suitor, named Vaughn Wysel (pronounced like “weasel,” which I do not believe is a coincidence). His character here is once again a writer, this time of short stories, and becomes less mature as his screen time continues. Carrie likes him, but during a chance encounter with his family, she realizes she loves them so much more.
While Theroux looks completely different this time around, I’ve often wondered why they chose to repeat actors, especially just one season apart. Legend has it that the show was going through men so quickly, they were quite literally running out [of moderately to very attractive male actors, that is] and had no choice but to reuse one that they liked.
Valerie Harper as Wallis Wysel in Season 2, Episode 15 “Shortcomings”
HBO
While it’s safe to say that no one was brokenhearted over the demise of Vaughn and Carrie’s relationship, the real casualty of the episode is what could have been with Wallis, Vaughn’s mother. A writer, documentary filmmaker, and sexual anthropologist, she is the mother figure and mentor that Carrie never got to have. Carrie only dated Vaughn for a few weeks, so there was nothing really keeping her from staying in touch with Wallis after this all blew over. It’s not like Vaughn came around often, or even seemed to like his lovely family — so any potential run-ins with the ex would have been few and far between.
Eddie Cahill as Sean in Season 3, Episode 4 “Boy, Girl, Boy, Girl…”
HBO
After all the heavy drama with Mr. Big, Carrie is excited to meet Sean, a cutie in his twenties who makes her feel light and free. On an ice skating date, Carrie let’s loose and allows herself to stumble — a playfulness she seems to have forgotten by the trapeze era (IYKYK). Ultimately, they call things quits when he comes out as bisexual and she just can’t handle it.
Eddie Cahill was the love interest du jour for stylish blonde New Yorkers — he played Rachel‘s younger boyfriend Tag on Friends the following year. While he may have overstayed his welcome on the latter show, I was always a little sad that he didn’t stick around on SATC longer.
Alanis Morissette as Dawn in Season 3, Episode 4 “Boy, Girl, Boy, Girl…”
HBO
At Sean’s party, Carrie meets his highly incestuous — yet sweet — friend group. In a game of spin the bottle, she shares a kiss with Dawn, played by the inimitable Alanis Morissette. Personally, I’m proud of Carrie for stepping outside her comfort zone and going for it, but I could have gone without all the biphobic judgement.
While “Boy, Girl, Boy, Girl…” is a throwaway episode for many (it’s very “of the times”, and not in a good way), it serves as a shining example of one of Carrie’s shortcomings that many fans have never quite been able to reconcile: for a sex columnist, Carrie doesn’t have a firm understanding of human sexuality and she is remarkably close-minded. So how exactly did she get this job?
Sarah Michelle Gellar as Debbie in Season 3, Episode 13 “Escape from New York”
HBO
Love them or hate them, the LA episodes are full of celebrities, with some playing themselves and others taking on in-universe roles. First, we meat Debbie, the junior development representative, played by the fantastic Sarah Michelle Gellar. Dawn is the one who invited Carrie to LA in the first place, because…. she’s wants to turn Carrie’s column into a movie!
Gellar is perfect as Debbie, which is lucky, especially considering this wasn’t the SATC character she was originally going to play. However, fate (and scheduling conflicts) had other plans, and she was finally able to leave the set of Buffy the Vampire Slayer for a few hours to film SATC while the show was shooting on location in LA.
As a diehard Buffy fan, I like to think that Debbie is who Buffy would have become in an alternate universe, had she never moved from LA to Sunnydale…nor committed her life to slaying vampires.
Matthew McConaughey as Himself in Season 3, Episode 13 “Escape from New York”
HBO
When Debbie excitedly drops the news that there’s a “big star” interested in producing the movie, our collective minds go anywhere exceptMatthew McConaughey. Carrie is a good sport, feigning some excitement and taking the meeting, but things go sideways once McConaughey identifies Carrie as the problem in the Carrie/Big relationship (which, fair!). In between hilariously questioning her (“What the f*ck is Carrie’s problem?!”) and pitching himself as Mr.Big, he also hits on her as some type of deranged method acting. Understandably, Carrie is about as freaked out as the viewers watching from the safety of their own homes, and she gets out of there as soon as she can. It’s a fun cameo and TBH I would have loved to see his take on Mr. Big!
Vince Vaughn as Keith Travers in Season 3, Episode 14 “Sex and Another City”
HBO
When Carrie’s press pass from the New York Sun doesn’t work for an LA red carpet (ha!), Vince Vaughn’s Keith comes to her rescue. He’s an assistant who makes himself out to be a Hollywood power player, and Carrie doesn’t see it until she’s confronted with the truth in an unexpected way.
Vaughn is the type of celebrity we love to hate, and he has a highly punchable face, which makes him perfect for this role. That’s why seeing him get his ass handed to him by THE Carrie Fisher is absolutely iconic.
Carrie Fisher as Herself in Season 3, Episode 14 “Sex and Another City”
HBO
Just as quickly as he arrived, Keith’s downfall sent him packing. We found out that he is not the successful agent of Matt Damon (ha!), but the assistant to Carrie Fisher (ha! ha!). Fisher enters at the end of the episode, admonishing her assistant’s carelessness in bringing girls back to her home. While our Carrie tries to sheepishly buddy up to Fisher, she’s having none of that.
Anti-Carrie fans love when Carrie Bradshaw gets put in her place by none other than Carrie Fisher (arguably the superior Carrie), who also assumes she’s a prostitute.
Kat Dennings as Jenny Brier in Season 3, Episode 15 “Hot Child In The City”
HBO
Kat Dennings made her TV debut on a Season 3 episode, where she plays a spoiled preteen who enlists Samantha to help plan her Bat Mitzvah. A far fetched plot for sure, but Dennings plays her so convincingly — Jenny is the type of girl we would have been afraid of in middle school. She was only 14 at the time, and she wasn’t even allowed to watch her own appearance when the episode came out, recounting how “My mom jumped up to turn it off!” on the Drew Barrymore Show.
Margaret Cho as Lynne in Season 4, Episode 2 “The Real Me”
HBO
Like the LA episodes, Season 3 sees Carrie’s star continue to rise, and brings us another star-studded episode. First, we meet Margaret Cho’s Lynne, a decidedly cool (if intimidating) industry friend of Carrie’s. She invites Carrie to model during a fashion show, filled with “normal” people, and Carrie eventually becomes “fashion roadkill.”
Alan Cumming as Oscar in Season 4, Episode 2 “The Real Me”
HBO
Before Carrie can model, she must get styled by Dolce & Gabbana (as one does). Alan Cumming’s Oscar is the fantastic D&G stylist, who Carrie proceeds to yell at backstage when he makes a last minute change to her outfit. A 10/10 cameo!
Kevyn Aucoin as Himself in Season 4, Episode 2 “The Real Me”
HBO
Kevyn Aucoin was a prominent and influential makeup artist at the time, and he appeared backstage with Carrie before the show. While she was nervous about the change in direction, he assured her that she would look great. What many fans might not be aware of is that Aucoin was a major get for the show, regularly appearing in the pages of Vogue and working with A-list stars, eventually becoming the highest paid celebrity makeup artist. He’s also the man responsible for bringing face contouring to the mainstream (he literally wrote the book on it!) and Kevyn Aucoin Beauty remains in business today.
Heidi Klum as Herself in Season 4, Episode 2 “The Real Me”
HBO
Still unsure about her appearance, Carrie takes one more look at herself in the mirror before stepping out on the runway. Heidi Klum apparently feels the same, popping up right behind Carrie, who’s noticeably shocked that a beautiful model could experience self-doubt. Heidi tells Carrie, “Let’s go!” and she never looks back.
Lucy Liu as Herself in Season 4, Episode 11 “Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda”
HBO
Lucy Liu pops up as herself in an episode where she enlists Samantha to be her new publicist (because Samatha represents celebrities now too, apparently). They bond over tipping well, having class, and being real – but things quickly unravel when Samantha decides she wants a Birkin bag and uses Liu’s name to get one. Side note: remember when Birkins were only $4,000?
Candice Bergen as Enid Frick in multiple episodes, beginning with Season 4, Episode 17 “A Vogue Idea”
HBO
Candice Bergen’s Enid pops up a few times as Carrie’s Vogue editor in SATC and later, the movie. At first, they butt heads, when Carrie receives unexpected feedback on her first draft. Apparently, Vogue is a little more discerning than the New York Star. However, Enid and Carrie soon find common ground, and come to enjoy a friendly — yet professional — relationship. Fun fact: Bergen’s real-life daughter, Chloe Malle, is also an editor at Vogue!
Chandra Wilson as Police Officer in Season 5, Episode 1 “Anchors Away”
HBO
Before she began saving lives as Dr. Miranda Bailey, Chandra Wilson was a humble NY police officer. She spotted Samantha hanging up flyers after being wronged by Richard, and in a moment of female solidarity, allowed her to continue. While we only have Wilson’s unnamed character for a short scene, this iconic exchange will live on forever:
“Ma’am, it’s against city law to deface public property.”
“This man said he LOVED me and I caught him eating another woman’s p–sy!
“Carry on, ma’am.”
Heather Graham as Herself in Season 5, Episode 6 “Critical Condition”
HBO
When Carrie is out with the girls, she meets Nina, who instantly clocks Carrie as Aidan’s terrible ex and makes the face. Carrie then obsesses about this for the rest of the episode, culminating in a run-in with Carrie, Stanford, Nina, and (for some reason) Heather Graham in the park.
TBH I never loved Heather Graham’s guest appearance. Besides Graham oddly not being able to convincingly play herself, it just always felt very random, with less thought put into the writing than other celebrity sightings. As it turns out, her cameo wasn’t always part of the plan, with Graham telling Cosmopolitan: “That’s my favorite TV show of all time! I’m so excited that I got to be on it. Nadia [Dajani, the infamous face girl] was good friends with Michael Patrick King.”
So there you have it — she called in a favor to a friend, the real-life Nina, who is apparently just as well-connected as her fictional counterpart. Maybe she’s not that bad after all?
Jennifer Coolidge as Victoria in Season 6, Episode 3: “The Perfect Present”
HBO
By Season 6, Sex and the City was a well-oiled machine. The writing was quick, the storylines were top-notch, and every episode stood well on its own. This was especially true when Jennifer Coolidge pops up as Victoria, a handbag designer fresh off her divorce and fresh out of talent. She invites the girls to her “Purse Party” and delivers a trio of instantly quotable one-liners:
“Because of that f—er, I’ve discovered I’m Fendi!”
“Do I look like a f—ing department store?!”
“I CUT UP MY BEDSPREAD FOR THIS!”
Geri Halliwell as Phoebe in Season 6, Episode 10 “Boy, Interrupted”
HBO
Geri Halliwell — aka Ginger Spice, looking notably less gingery than the last time we saw her — pops up as Phoebe, a friend of Samantha’s. We don’t know much about Phoebe, except that she believes the absolute coolest place to be in all of Manhattan is The Soho House, which I guess is on par for a recent NYC transplant. This is very of the times (we have so many more options now!) and her acting is less than stellar, but I love the Spice Girls so much that I really don’t mind. And you shouldn’t either, because this is the episode that brought us the infamous Annabelle Bronstein.
Kristen Johnston as Lexi Featherston in Season 6, Episode 18 “Splat!”
HBO
Kristen Johnston appears as Lexi Featherston in the penultimate episode of the series, where she plays an aging party girl who’s desperate for a cigarette. Lexi has conned her way into a swanky uptown party, and is excited to see her old pal Carrie. However, Carrie has already outgrown that phase in her life, best evidenced when Lexi is desperate for a lighter and Carrie has already quit smoking. Lexi declares that “New York is over!” and “I’m so bored I could die” before falling out a window to her death.
For some reason, Carrie decides that the problem is New York City and not her own choices, namely the people she surrounds herself with. Growing up is a part of life, and sometimes you outgrow people, while others grow with you. It’s all perfectly normal and definitely not a reason to run away to Paris with a strange Russian man.
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