Cynthia Nixon Really Wanted Sara Ramirez To Play Che in 'AJLT'

Nixon reveals she was already a huge fan of Ramirez and was really gunning for them to get the role!

Sex and the City fans seem to be divided over the new HBO Max reboot series And Just Like That..., but nothing (not even the ultra-questionable fashion tastes) seems to be as divisive as the character of nonbinary comedian and podcaster Che Diaz.

But whether you love ‘em or hate ‘em, there’s no doubt their role has really shaken things up for the series!

On a recent episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, Cynthia Nixon shared that she was gunning for Grey's Anatomy alum and Out100 honoree Sara Ramirez to get the role.

“I suggested them because I had been aware of them for so long and such a fan,” she said.

Nixon reflected back to Ramirez's performance in the Broadway musical Spamalot, for which they won a Tony award in 2005. She told Barrymore that she “was always watching their career.”

Ramirez’s character seems to be crucial to the Sex and the City reboot for a multitude of reasons. For one thing, they spur the sexual revival of our beloved straight-laced lawyer, Miranda Hobbes. But on a larger scale, the show might not have even happened without them.

“It seemed to me, we’re very different people now,” Nixon shared. “The world is very different...I think we all wanted to be sure that when we went back, we could save a lot of what was great about the original and fix what was maybe not so great."

And the “not so great” parts are plentiful. Homophobic, transphobic, and racist themes and remarks are sprinkled throughout the original series, not to mention the fact that “it was such an overwhelmingly white show,” as Nixon puts it.

But with new additions to the cast, including Nicole Ari Parker, Karen Pittman, and Sarita Choudhury (as well as Ramirez), the series has taken on a new life...and so has Miranda.

Nixon tells Barrymore, “We’ve seen, in the past, when Miranda is attracted to someone that intimidates her, she tries to get all aloof. Miranda doesn’t know what she wants from this person or what she’s allowed to want.”

The heated romance between Miranda and Che leaves Miranda questioning what she really wants in her life. (Spoiler: it now seems pretty clear, based on her rom-com-inspired move to follow Che to Cleveland.)

So what will happen next between the pair? Tune in to And Just Like That... for new episodes premiering Thursdays on HBO Max!

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Cynthia Nixon Really Wanted Sara Ramirez To Play Che in And Just Like That...