Cynthia Nixon at the premiere of her new movie ‘Stray Dolls’ Image by Getty Images

Cynthia Nixon is being — yeah, we’ll say it — such a Miranda.

In a candid conversation with Indiewire before the Tribecca Film Festival premiere of “Stray Dolls,” her new movie about human trafficking, Nixon put forth a pop culture graduate thesis.

Apparently off the cuff, Nixon argued that the failures of HBO smash hit “Sex and the City” to show any kind of empowered womanhood other than white, rich and thin, essentialized the failures of that era’s feminist movement at large.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Good gracious, this lady should run for office or something.

“Well, I certainly think we would not have all been white, God forbid,” Nixon said instantly, when asked the perfunctory what-would-SATC-look-like-today question. Doing press for “Stray Dolls” is the first time Nixon has sat for interviews since running and losing the New York state gubernatorial election to Andrew Cuomo last year, and her public speaking training very evidently rolled over.

In her beloved role on “Sex and the City,” Nixon played striving, brilliant lawyer Miranda Hobbes, whose longterm partner, Steve, is a bar tender. “One of the hardest things for me — it was at the time, too — is looking back and seeing how much of it centered around money, right?” she told Indiewire. “And how, Steve, my [character’s] husband, was like the closest we got to a working class guy, you know? Never mind a working class woman, right?” Not to mention — even the uber-wealthy, can-do Miranda Hobbes struggles with full-time childcare in New York City.

She went on, “Also, I think we wouldn’t all look like that,” she said. “In terms of like, the perfection factor. In terms of always looking so incredible. And I know that’s the fantasy element, and in terms of the show that was important. But I think there’s a lot of ways that people can be visually compelling without looking — quote unquote — perfect.”

Bless. That’s how you thoughtfully criticize pop culture, folks! Not to mention some of the life’s work of other people, including Jewish show-creator Darren Star and the many performers and creators like Nixon, who still credit “Sex and the City” as one of their biggest projects.

And don’t worry — Miranda didn’t always look perfect:

via GIPHY

via GIPHY

via GIPHY

Jenny Singer is the deputy life/features editor for the Forward. You can reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter @jeanvaljenny

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount