Hi, I'm Kristin Davis, and I want to know are you a Charlotte? Hi? Everybody, welcome back to Are You a Charlotte? We are here with a little bonus episode where Lena and I discuss and just like that, please enjoy.
We were talking about women of color being on the show. What I loved about Jennifer Lewis's seeing Jennifer Lewis's character in Nikorey Parker's character in the same frame, so beauty is it's not just about them being two black women, but it was more about them being two very specific black women, so specific and so different, and obviously, you know, generational differences, and obviously there's humor and dealing with death,
and I just thought it was so beautifully done. I communicated that to Susan, to Jennifer as well, and I think that is the evolution of the show as well. And it's not just about oh, let's let's put a black woman at the table, a Middle Eastern woman at the table, but it's really more about well who are they? You know what I'm saying. It's like, I don't, Okay,
she's black, Great, what else? Right? And I think that's where you get Susan Phil's Hill being very culturally specific and like like you know, kind of infusing some things that maybe she can relate to to the character. And the Kolie Parker is fantastic. I'm being a fan of hers for a long time. And so I think that that's to me is what happens, is like shows grow
and they shift and they change. But also think we live in a very youth leading society as well, So when you're watching women who have a certain age, who are living certain lives, there is a level of people or maybe people who are those characters ages feel like, well, I don't live that way or that's not my experience. But I always I say, I try to get away from this idea of oh I want to see myself, because I can see myself in the lead character in
Baby Reindeer. And he's a white straight news who is like you know in London, is a stroke comedian. And even though I don't, I'm not, I don't have anything in common with him in that way, I can relate to his desire to be desired and his desire to be left alone. Sure, and so and I think, to me, it's about what is the human connection that is happening with that's the character. That's what it's like. I don't need a person to be black and queer and female
like me for me to relate to them. I want to know what is it are they struggling with, what are they going through? What are they facing in this moment?
And that's the joy of what we do exactly, and also relates to someone who has nothing similar exactly.
That's the whole point. It's like, it's about empathy, it's about seeing your humanity as someone that looks nothing like yes, And I think that's why it's like again like don't don't pascify me, don't don't put characters in there because you're like, well, this is the right thing. It's like not like do it. If you're going to do it, do it, do it in a way that feels organic and authentic.
I agree.
I agree, And I think for us, like the joy of it, just like that was to get to come back together with our new people who brought so much specificity, love, you know, joy, like they were so present, everyone brought their best and that's what we felt when we were there. So sometimes the reaction it just didn't match and then you're like, what is happening?
So that's what I was curious about, Well, what is happening?
And the truth is like, because you can't go to everyone's house and ask, you know, and I do that. It's just because I think, and there's so many different answers. But again, I think whenever there is turmoil or there's sort of a frustration, you kind of have to again critique the criticism and say, hey, what's happening. You don't always say, oh, I'm you guys don't know because sometimes people are like say, hey, that's not working for me. I don't get this. Why are they doing that? You know?
But it is interesting, Yeah, this is cool to have a conversation. Yeah, but the truth is you guys have paid the way, you've done the thing you this is your stage, right And like when you go see a play, you don't get to say I don't like this, so what's going on? Totally you kind of say, hey, this is what I came to see, and whether I like it or not, this is really almost relevant because it's done.
That's true, that's already right.
But we're not living in times like that, which is interesting. I'm just fascinated by the shifting, like where is it going to go? You know what I mean, like what's going to happen?
I also think people just need that. People are frustrated, and I think they need something to be frustrated.
I think it's a lot easier to be frustrated.
By show what's actually happening world?
And I get that, and I thought was funny.
You'll see more passionate about that.
That was That was one thing that I that I at the time, I was like I cannot believe the the the and like what's happening?
And then like look over here.
Okay, but then you go, oh, it's actually the same.
It's related.
They're not they're not separate of each other.
Right, But that's hard to be in that place, you know.
Right. But I'm a fan of the Book of the Let Them theory, are you?
Yeah?
So it's like.
We love so many surprises from Lena Let them? I mean, you know, yes. I think the hard thing is.
What do you continue?
Do you continue regardless of that or do you take it in and think that it means, you know, what do you do with it? All?
Right?
And we stopped for now, As I said, I feel like there's more to.
Be to be said.
I yes, I just don't feel like that was our ending because we didn't know it was our ending. I didn't know. I didn't know.
I had no idea, Like an article on I don't know that Michael and.
Sarah discussed that it might end, but no one told the rest of us.
Oh. Interesting, Yeah, I had no idea, no idea.
We had dinner the three of us, Sarah, Sin and I maybe two weeks after it ended. We hadn't know. We we knew, we knew because he told us before, like we filmed it, but it hadn't aired, gotcha. Yes, he would never leave us totally unaware, but we were largely unaware, right, I mean every season it was unclear slightly as it is. Yeah, but also I would see a glint in his eye, like a creative glint in his eye, and I would be like, okay, but we were a little burnt at the end of this one, you know.
I could.
I felt a different energy, and partly because he was going to do the comeback right, right, So the creative energy was there, sure, right, and I thought he'll just.
Need some time off.
You know, Michael's always going to have ideas, right, So I wasn't that worried about it, Like I read I read the script, the final script, and I was like, that's not our ending.
That's me. I know, I know, I know.
And then so when we had dinner the three of us, I said to Sarah, I was like, I just don't feel that that is like a good end. Well, I don't know quite what happened, because you know, we like towards the end. I think I was shooting six episodes at once. Like that's how messy our season had gotten? What I had not filmed the part where I tell her that Harry has cancer yet, because I'd gotten COVID the week I was supposed to film in July.
Fourth week, that's happened to us.
Yeah, actor a hot mess. Yeah, felt terrible.
So because it was a Dwayne Read or whatever it was, CBS, whatever.
It was, it had gotten pasted.
Yeah, it had gotten bumped all the way down to the bitter bitter end. Yeah, so like I had to remember, like, okay, wait, have I told people? Have you not told people?
Don't you know?
It was all that juggling that you do as an actor, right, So the Thanksgiving episode, which was general craziness anymore episodes, right, you are the master of Thanksgiving episodes. She's delivering pies, whereas not there exactly. There's some bizarre bathroomantics going on. So we're having dinner and she's like, I don't remember what happened, and I said, you know, we argue about something, but I don't know what it was.
She's like, I don't know what it was either.
And something is like maybe it had to do with Victor Garb and we're like, maybe it did.
I mean, we don't know.
Like that can't be our ending.
This is literally a scene and just like you're in.
A little small room of this that Sarah had called ahead so that we could, and I was like maybe three other people there are three other couples, and they were.
Just like what is going on? We were laughing really hard, you know, I mean we.
Were laughing really hard.
We had thought this whole thing was pretty funny, but only because we were so addled by the end, you know, that's my word, not there's like you know what I mean, we were like, we don't know what happened.
Wow.
And Sarah doesn't watch right because she finds it uncomfortable at this point in time to watch.
So she she was like, I don't know.
She said, you need to ask me these questions in a year when I've had time to process, and I was.
Like, okay, I will do that.
I'm gonna I'm going.
To catalog this and I'm gonna be like, Sir Jessica, I have some questions, what's going on?
Wow?
But I mean it's who knows. Who knows.
I think it's interesting with like endings ye shows hard and characters so hard, and it's like, you guys live in a very specific place for people, because like I'll go back and revisit the first movie. You know, obviously I'll go back revisit certain episodes and seasons and things like that. And I really like the first season. I've been just like that. I thought it was really interesting, you know, I do. I think it was.
It was really interesting too.
Yeah.
And by the way, it's very merriktele and more cod because they came back with Mary and Rhoda and it was like a whole yeah yeah, me too. Were trying to make it a series, but they made it the TV movie And it is that thing of revisiting these characters that you know they love and you want to see where they are and what's going on. I mean
and Marion, you know, and Valley Harper. I mean they were you know, you know, women of a certain age going back into the work force, different things, and so you guys are very much a part of that lineage and happy. Yeah, it's it's beautiful, it's iconic. And I think what you're saying is you're like, oh, now the world has shifted and it's different than when we were
first doing this. Oh definitely, even when the movie came home, all these different things, Like when the movie came out, you guys are gone Oprah and promoted, you know, and now it's like, you know, just like that, like Sarah's going on Howard Show to talk about what's going on. You're like, oh, what what world is this going on? So I just think the show continues to grow with us,
and I hear you on the the endings. It's interesting because I still have held off watching the last episode of and just like that, I know people that have and they're sort of like, no, you gotta have the ending in the funeral if you will, And for me, I'm just sort of like I'm not even ready to kind of I haven't watched it, have that last chapter.
I feel the same way, Lena.
That's why I don't feel finished, do you know. I mean, I just don't feel finished. I just don't feel finished.
I'm gonna work on Michael Patrack maybe.
I mean, I feel like it could be anything we wanted, But I don't think we should do a movie in the theaters as special as that was. I feel like we should maybe yeah, I mean, we'll see what happens with our company. Me.
Oh, I know, Gord, I know they may get bought up.
I mean again, I know, I know.
Look, I'm a I love TV. Characters never die though, It's true, they just always live on.
It's true.
But that's why I also feel like I feel like, first of all, I feel just as a woman who is my age of Charlotte right, life isn't over, and I feel a responsibility in a way to continue if we are allowed to continue, because I do feel like it's important to our original fans who are our ages right, true, whose lives also aren't over. That's a thing, it's a real thing. They're like, yes and hopefully thriving.
Maybe with Vertigo.
Maybe I'm like Susan, what's up with the vertigo?
Yes, she.
Was the expert.
I had I say, which one of you guys okay because something needs to help me?
And like I was like, oh, I definitely don't want to get listen.
That's how I felt as well.
I was like, what is happening. It's happening, but look, they got to introduce new things to us that we're not familiar with and we're not aware of them.
That's right, I.
Will say what But me, it was odd that Charlotte would't tell the girls about Harry having cancer, because like, what what was the secret?
You know what I thought it was about.
And I mean, this is my I don't circular cancer.
It's true, but that was a while ago.
I mean that was before the children were born.
Right, well, yeah, pregnant because right.
Right, exactly right. I haven't rewatched that part yet, but I remember it vaguely. I think personally, this is what I personally think. Those children could be very high maintenance. Yeah, so I think Charlotte was trying to protect herself by not telling them, yes or by her friends, Well, she wanted to tell it, obviously, that was really Harry didn't want that, right, because Harry was trying to keep it a secret.
Well, this is also based on a writer's situation.
In a writer's significant other situation, right, you know, they always have to use those yes where I think that person had just felt like if everyone knew while they were going through it, that they would have pity for them to talk to them in a way that would make them uncomfortable. They didn't want to make everyone feel bad. They wanted to wait till it was done.
I did like the moment where he was watching the baseball game and you were like, it's just how you want to spend the last moments and he's sort of like yeah, I'm.
Like, he's like, don't bother me.
I know.
It's like, do I know it was funny. I couldn't feel it was funny in the moment because I had to be Charlotte, right, No, But I did I like that scene on the page because that's.
A very it was a thing.
I literally said that to somebody where I was like, Wow, how do you want to spend your last month?
I know, I know, I know you don't want to be.
Doing these sort of forced family oh goodbye, Right, you want to do the things that make you happy and bring you joy. Absolutely, So that's the thing, and just like that still brings those conversations, mate, it does.
I know, it does. I agree.
I agree, And that's why I don't feel like we're done.
But that's that could just be me because that's.
Just like that about that chapter, is that you guys are dealing with mortality.
Yes, I think that's also what about.
The episode like splat, you know, but for the most part, right exactly, And.
I think that's also some of the reaction. But I don't know that people are aware that that's what they're reacting to, right, well, of course, because why would a thirty year old have that awareness, right or.
Want to be thinking that what I'm going to be doing when I'm older?
Right ahead?
Right?
They would rather think of us in our thirties, right, I get it, I get it. I get it, because it's also more fun times, totally more fun.
We've got those crazy outfits. We're running around the streets.
Still think about West, you know.
We took in my mind. I remember the conversation where Sarah and Michael called me about it, and just like that we knew somewhat intellectually, like we had an idea, yea, that it was going to be challenging for people to come into the new era with us, right, you know, we had some understanding of that, but then like the reality of it is so much more than your intellectual idea of it, you know, the visual reaction that people had.
But then also I still stand by it, you know what I'm saying, Like, I don't feel like we have to not do something so that people don't get up.
Here's the thing, like you can never go home again.
No, you know, if we tried to make the old show, it would not.
Have exactly like the very Oh yeah, you can't be doing the same age.
You would say to me like I don't understand why you girls weren't going out more. And I'm like, uh what, Yeah, I know.
People would say a lot of crazy things to me again because they want the old show.
Yeah, And I'm like, but you have the old show and you can watch it.
It's still there, enjoy it. It's great, y'all. Just challenge We're just in a different we are, That's how we roll. We're challenging folks.
A leur ago about testicular cancer.
Particular cancer, prostate cancer.
The husband's dying, ont dying, happening with the shoes on? Yes, I mean women making documentaries I know about people they've never heard of.
I just wait, in my mind, there is an ltw's Family spin off.
Oh, I feel like it would be great.
Okay LTW spin off?
Yeah.
Wow.
Remember when the family when they all get dressed to go to the funeral.
Yes, so beautiful, I know, very classy, black morning.
I know. And and Nicole said she was in a Fellini movie in her mind.
Yes, and I was like, you.
Brought that, you brought that?
What did joy?
And then also the humor they got with that damn memorial.
Oh my god, it's a week of filming for that.
Of course.
Jennifer Jeniffer Lewis, I mean, the one and only.
Credible, the one and only.
What a joy to have her.
I'm so glad y'all got her in there.
God, me too, me too.
She was cracking me up. She really is a better days. It's just like nuts.
It was so great.
She's great.
She's so great, and and everyone everyone.
We had was so great.
That's the other joy of getting to go back to work and you get to bring the people that you want, that need things to do that, are you know, contributing their their art beautiful?
No, that was great. I loved all the new people you introduced, and obviously seeing folks from the Og.
The Og we love them so much. I know, I know, we love everybody, but you know we're lucky. We got to make it.
Yes, absolutely, especially especially time