Chris Noth is kind of a primetime television powerhouse. Somehow, over the course of two decades, he has had a starring role on three different hit shows, never falling totally victim to being typecast -- at least not totally. His characters always amount to being strong, seemingly powerful men with a multitude of flaws. That's what makes him so watchable and why each character that he has played worked, but none has been nearly as popular as Mr. Big from Noth's years on Sex and the City. Noth had a bit of a rough reputation earlier in his career, but now he has settled into the role of being a great and uninhibited interview. His recent chat with an Australian news outlet came just as another round of rumors about a third Sex and the City film were circulating.
Sure, Noth has heard all of those rumors too and he seems to have real affection for the ladies that rounded out the SATC franchise. He even laughed about the teasing tweets between Sarah Jessica Parker and Kristin Davis that seemed to indicate that something was brewing. Noth loves the idea of a third film and confirms that he has heard things, but he chooses to believe nothing until someone yells "Action!"
The second SATC film was killed by critics and left fans wishing that it had never existed. Noth has his own thoughts on why it flopped as he explained,
"I don't think it was a bomb, but I think because they're greedy, it didn't make as much money as they wanted. But I think it was considered an indulgence and a distraction because it hit right when the recession happened. People were like, 'Who gives a f*ck about these broads going to Dubai when we can't pay our mortgage?' It was originally intended as a romp between these friends, but I think it was a mistake to leave New York City, because New York is an integral part of that show. Without that, it just went on too long. The critical response was overwhelmingly negative ... there was not one good review of that film. Not one. And I think it was very hurtful for the girls, because [the reviews] got personal."
Longtime fans of the franchise also took issue with the ladies leaving NYC for the second film because it took them out of the element that was a comfort zone for viewers. As for that chemistry between Big and Carrie Bradshaw, Noth thinks that both characters were messed up in their own ways, and that's part of what made it work. Relationships are tricky and according to Noth, Big and Carrie were far from perfect.
"Big was powerful because he had a lot of money and he seemed to have the upper hand in the relationship, but emotionally he was a wreck. Actually, no: he was what he was. One of the things I tell people is that he never tried to pretend he was anything other than what he was. It was [Carrie] who tried to pretend he was something he wasn't. He was always honest about himself - he never cheated on her. The relationship just didn't work, and he went on to get married while she went on to ... how many boyfriends did she have? She was such a whore! [laughs] There's a misconception that Carrie was a victim of him, and that's not the case - she was a strong, smart woman."
While Noth seems to be pulling for Sex and the City 3 to happen, he also questions whether or not the climate has changed too much to bring the ladies back for another spin. SATC's original take on NYC was all glamor and glitz while other shows put a much more realistic spin on it now. Are you hoping that the third film gets that green light, for nostalgia's sake?
