Sarah Jessica Parker Revisits Critiques of Her Looks on ‘Sex and the City'

Carrie Bradshaw might live the glamorous life New York City, but for Sarah Jessica Parker, playing the iconic character wasn't always as fun as it looked. During a recent appearance on Call Her Daddy, SJP opened up about the criticisms of her appearance on Sex and the City, including one time it actually had her in tears.
Recalling the early reactions to the show when it began in 1998, Sarah called the criticisms 'a real test of my coping mechanisms' because she 'wasn't prepared for public commentary, and I think that was really unpleasant at times.' Criticisms of the show, she said, were fair game, adding, 'It was the personal stuff that I was really not prepared for.'
Sarah went on to say that her confidence was 'tested' when she was 'filleted' by critics about her looks. 'We're better for those kinds of experiences, but not all of us are good at it right away.'
When asked by Alex Cooper about specific comments were that bothered her, Sarah kept things vague, saying that it was 'just discussions of my physical person.' (At the time, there was a lot of debate and discussion about her nose—SNL even did an offensive skit about Sex & the City featuring a prosthetic nose.) She continued, noting that there was a lot of criticism over 'something that I couldn't change and wouldn't change and had never considered changing.'
'Also, I didn't feel like it was actually a conversation,' she explained, noting that she didn't have the space or opportunity to ask those criticizing her appearance, 'Why do you seem angry about it, or why do you feel it's necessary to comment?'
Though she stayed away from calling out any specific detractors, she did recall one magazine article that pushed her over the edge. 'It was brought to my attention that a magazine said something really mean about who I am, how I look,' she said. 'It was like a kick in the rubber parts. I was just like, 'Why is this a problem? ... Why do you seem to delight in saying it?'' She ended up calling two friends and 'sobbing because it felt so purposeful.'
Comments about Sarah's appearance—and Carrie's for that matter—haven't exactly died down over the years, but the actor says this was the only time 'I really cried about it.' And, really, who could blame her?

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