Super Mario (Mario Cantone Is Here!)...

Hi, I'm Kristen Davis, and I want to know are you a Charlotte? You guys Mario Cantone is here.

I've been waiting. It's so exciting.

I know.

That's what he said when I texted him, Hey, do you want to be on the podcast?

Oh? I hope. So I've been waiting for you to ask me.

But my feeling was in my mind when I agreed to do the podcast to rewatch, which I hadn't rewatched, you know, since it originally came on. I thought, I'm going to go chronologically and in order.

But it's too.

Hard to wait.

Okay, it is too hard to wait. And so funny. I caught myself because I saw that we were going to recap this episode, and I was like, why aren't we doing an episode? I'm in that we and she was and I went, oh, wait a minute, Okay, you're doing one at a time. You're doing a chronological.

Correct I said, so great, And well you're just you're just such a joy that I have to have you now.

I needed to be here. I know he was.

He was not messed around. He was like, well, I was waiting.

I've been waiting. I know.

We came all the way to lovely San Francisco.

I know, I talk to you and we're in beautiful Marinecome it's very beautiful, beautiful. I mean, wow, There's there's a lovely little town that I'd say at once in a while called Bolinas, which is like hidden. The locals ripped the signs down. Don't know how to get there unless secret, guys. Beautiful.

So here is Mario, the fantastic Mario Cantone. Now what I want to do with you? Let's go back to the beginning.

Okay, I want to ask you. Okay, what year did you get cast? And how did it come about? On Sex and the City.

Okay, So I started I in the eighties. I was doing stand up with Michael Patrick King at them at the forty fourth Street and ninth Avenue, the original improv that Bud Friedman and Silver Friedman owned, and then they divorced it. Bud got the one in la and Silver got the one in New York. She passed me. I met Michael. He was in a comedy theme at the time, Wow King and Mende, and then he ended up stand up on his own right. I remember one time Joan Rivers'

Was he always got my eighties.

This is the eighties. So I was doing an off broall Way show at the time. It was it was the end of nineteen ninety nine, I think, or two thousand, Okay, I think it was early two thousand and I he said, I wrote you something. So he wrote it for you. Oh yeah, he read.

That's amazing.

But I was doing an off ball show at the time, and but I went in to read just make it official, and you know, So I was doing a show called The Crumple Zone, which did very well, ran for six months off Broadway, and I I remember our night. The day we filmed. It was a tech day and a director who I loved very much not please no, he didn't want to let me out. I'm like, it's a

This episode and I went, oh no, it wasn't what was on.

It was one episode that.

Was wedding as your wedding Wedding player.

And do you remember we had two scenes we had a second scene. I remember, Okay, see I love I love so you do every episode I don't. I was recurring. I did people go how many episodes did I do? I did twelve? Only twelve. I did one Season three, Our two, season four, three, season five and six, Season six, and then both movies. The movies really kind of solidified it, which was nice. You know. So uh there were two

Oh, so it might not have gone well. So if well, they probably wanted to keep you. They probably knew already.

I don't know, Noll.

I remember running into Michael and he said, do you know how much great feedback we got on you? I said, I don't know, I said, and I don't care. I just want to know him I coming back, I said, yes, So that's that's adorable.

I vaguely remember. They'll tell you what I remember most about the Vera Wang. So we're in Vera Wang, which I think was a big deal.

Yes, and we're you know, I had already tried on like thirty five actual Vera Wang dresses to see what Charlotte would wear.

It was a whole drama.

And we're there and it's going very late, as was our just general m O. And I'm so sorry if I'm repeating myself, but you know all the time, it was.

Very late, very late. He got out of four in the morning.

Then exactly, and so the executive from HBO, Michael Hill, came, do you remember, And I remember.

The reason I remember is that it's not very big in Vera Wang. It's very fautique.

Yeah.

So he's sitting over the over across the room, like just glaring at everyone.

Because he wants us to hurry up because we're over budget, right, and he's just glaring at everyone, which doesn't help anything, No, it does.

You know what I'm saying.

And so I'm sure that that also influenced the scene that we the other scene that got cut, which is actually a good thing that it got cut, as you're saying, But I don't remember that other scenes, I really, I mean, when I'm rewatching, I don't remember anything.

I'm like, you know.

What, the first time, I just started watching a bunch of them because they're just playing them on HBO a lot now, right, And I'm seeing the young cut version of it. Usually I'm used to seeing them quickly on. I also don't like seeing myself that long ago, because.

Oh, come on, I just go.

Boy, was that pretty?

So asdorable? You're still I was pretty happened?

But you know, I remember it's so funny because I didn't remember Michael Hill. I don't. I don't remember him coming. If I had known, I probably would have been like, oh god, good thing. I didn't know.

I tried to protect you from such things.

And the other thing was like when you do when you were when we were rehearsing it, and I remember Betty Anne and all the crews, they were laughing hysterically, and then of course they can't laugh on. So when my comedians sick mind, you think, well, I'm not funny anymore. I've lost it, you know, there's that issue. No, But I just I remember that night like it was yesterday. And also that night, my husband's uh was opening in an off Broadway show. Oh my god, and I couldn't go,

We don't call it reboot, I know, you know what I'm.

Saying, no reissue, no whatever. But it doesn't it doesn't happen like this.

Well I think it also just doesn't happen that you get to revisit the characters for thirty years or whatever, twenty eight whatever it is. So that's alone shocking. And then the other thing that I mentioned a lot, but is really I think important to remember is that there's not I can't think of any other female driven you know, franchise, which is what we are at this point. Yeah, that is as successful and ongoing. So we're just incredibly lucky. From the series to the movies to this exactly.

And also you know with within, just like that, there's been big changes made in characters all the way around.

And Arlotte, well you.

Know what's interesting, Yeah, except but watching watching that early episode, it was it was interesting.

Well but thank you, but you.

Well you know, when Charlotte did get formed, Yeah, it's interesting what happens especially let me talk about the the the the sequel here and just like that. What I think has happened to you is that your confidence level and I think this happened when you formed the character too, but it has kind of heightened. Your confidence level is stronger and your anxiety level is higher, which makes for magnificent comedy that you listen you.

But I got to tell you something, there is no way that my anxiety level is higher than it was first season. That's all I can think of when I watch is how I'm talking about the cansite.

I know, I don't know you.

I can't say it, you know, and I don't know what that hacked, Like I don't know where this was going. But also I wasn't even worried about where it was going, like like I was more just trying to pull off Charlotte. And Charlotte was so underdeveloped, like Michael told me when he came on the podcast that he was like, I don't know how to write for that one. And I was like, I love to hear that, because definitely I I could tell that I was not fully fleshed out.

Did Thank god? So it came together. But what I want to say.

About you, and then we're going to talk about you, because we're here to talk about you, my friend. So what I want to say is that the success that we've had for all these many years in all these different forms is because we have the most amazing cast and that includes every element of the cast and the incredible writers and the incredible fans. So you have been a huge, huge, huge part of that success.

Our chemistry is so good and I love working with you. And on the note of anxiety, yes, every episode I did a Sex and the City I left that set thinking I didn't hit it. I didn't get like you think. I'd let you know, Michael, I let you go with I know I didn't get it.

I know you were always so always sweet.

And then I would watch it and be like, all right, yeah, all right.

So you learned, you learned as you will.

That's great because I was all I always knew that you had five times what you thought you had. You know what I'm trying to say, Like, and you just needed to take a breath, Yeah, you know, just take a breath.

And now look at you now and look at me now.

Yeah, unless there's a lot of bread.

No kidding, Oh, well here's this is a lovely story props. I'm talking about props, you guys.

Case Also you're not sure, Well he has a bread bread business.

Well you know it's so funny. Tell secretly yes, and everyone knows. I've said an interviews when that first scene that we did together where I'm picking out your wedding dress and I am saying that, oh, the placket, that the lace application, I had no idea what I was saying. I didn't get that, gay Jean, I couldn't pick up your dress or your shoes. I'm not that kind of a homosexual. I don't know, I don't, I don't care, and that I don't care. I know it looks good, but.

I just I don't think Michael Patrick King care is.

Either No, no, it's about it's about you know. So I didn't like being a wedding planet even though that wasn't.

No, but I was, no, you pulled it off.

You didn't complain, no, no, no, no complain, Just say the lines and hit your mark and shut up.

But we never said that.

When I said that to my head, yeah, not that. I it's just like this wouldn't be my choice to play got it. But when this came on, and just like that came along, because I've known Michael years, so I just thought he said, I know, I knew I wanted to do something culinary with you. And I I bake. I sell a banana bread to a coffee shop in my neighborhood. No, yeah, I bake, I bake, I cook. I'm a big baker.

Oh you cook, but I didn't know you baked.

Oh, I bake, I bake a lot of stuff.

Wow, we've got to get your banana bread at hot Oh.

I know, well, you know what. And the other interesting thing is my one of my favorite bakeries is Sullivan Street Bakery, which is right across the street from me. All the bread that we used from there, and I know Jim wagh he really, well, it's a great place.

What year is it? And how did you get the part?

You knew?

Michael?

Oh, that's right, I just read it and he and he cast me and got it.

And you thought it was one.

I thought it was one.

So then you run into him and you're like, I don't care about the feedback.

Yeah I want it again. He said, you're definitely coming back. Great. So I was on the second episode in season four, right, and then I did one other episode and season four. Yeah, and then I did like three in season five and six and season six.

And were you just like calmly hoping or were you calling him your agents?

What were you doing?

No? I didn't. I just prayed and I was coming back because I didn't. I honestly, Look, I can't call them and make them like where is my why? I don't do that. Look, And there are people that are the opposite. They're there with recurring people. There are people that are on that have recurring roles sometimes and not just our series. I'm talking about anywhere where they have to work around them and then not available. I was always on call because I always afraid I would get

Couldn't be that way, But I think that's great. I also would never have been that way in that situation. Yeah, I'm always abounderstand it. But also I think, you know, I also feel like and tell me, tell me if you feel this way. You know you might be different with different projects, right, but like, if you feel that this is for you, like if it clicks, if you are thrilled with it, and you like the working environment, you like the part and the finished product or whatever,

Oh I do all of us care, right.

You know? I mean I never even asked for like, oh, I can't make it that day, be could you possibly? I mean there's a few times I was like, I want to go to LA and just do this game show for a day, can can? I could you find a day for me? You know That's how I am. I don't I don't push I don't push it, you know. But this look this, I also knew when I did my first episode that this was a by the third season. It was a big show, got it?

And you didn't come before the third was in my mind you were there earlier, but no, because you were my wedding planner. I don't get married to the thirsty That's right, that makes sense, that is true. The third season is when we really hit I would say.

I would say so too, yeah, and and and then it just kept going. And also back then to have I didn't I didn't know I was going to come back, especially you already May he rest in peace for great Willie Garson. You had already had one gay male character on the show, and back then one was enough for the public. You know what I mean.

I means a different times, a different times to.

The fact that I got to become a recurring character on it, and you know, and then eventually have my relationship with Stanford with will so you know, it was.

So you didn't have super high expectations based on the fact that we already had one gay character.

Yeah, and this was the nineties and or early two thousands, and that was a lot. But luckily we were on HBO and they pretty much let us do what we wanted to do.

But we still were and it's part of the reason I wanted to do the podcast, because if you think about how things were in the society in ninety seven, some things were really different, and television as a reflection of the society.

And then some things weren't really different.

Right, Like there are things now that are really different that we would not have seen coming. And then there are some things where it's still very relevant the things that were in the show, you know, like the themes, the kind of ideas. But also I think the reality of New York City. We were trying our best to reflect that then, and some of that was a stretch, Like having more than one gay character is a stretch, which is crazy.

To think about speaking of New York City. Yeah, the influence, the influence, the influence that this show had on fashion. And also look, I live down the street from the Meek packing district. This show accelerated, it accelerates, it accelerated the development of that area.

I can't.

I know, babe, I know.

And you see those four girls in this for a second.

You know what's so funny? Is it still because I live in LA when we're.

Not working at you know, and part of the reason I live in LA is because it's very chill compared to us in New York.

You're like, no, New Yorkers don't care. I'm like, well, I mean it's great because they consider us theirs. I think.

I took my shirt off once on Sex in the City was.

In there's a lot of stress.

So yeah, and I was like, oh god, yeah, I looked all right, I look okay. So this was two years ago. We'll we're going into the second season and Michael Patrick King called me up and said, hey, just so you know, you're gonna be getting a storyline. You're gonna be gonna be getting a boyfriend. So guess what. I trainer and I started working out, and and and and but the when I have a backside shot, I'm in bed with Sebastian. Sebastiano, he plays who I just adore.

He's just a good he's a guy.

So I looked, I looked at it, and I went, well, the night before I dropped, I didn't sleep. I was like, these homosexuals are gonna come after me. And then I saw it and I went, you know what, I look okay, and I'm all and and I'm next to him. I was like, okay, it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be.

You were very stressed. I remember very stress, because how could you not be. It's a very real thing.

And and you know, even with like the intimacy coordinators, because Sebastiano is a guy and I'm a guy, we're both like whatever. We're not like choreographing every move and we had in this which is fine. Look it's different for women, it's a different thing.

The other thing is, I don't think anyone wants to choreograph everyone. It's about feelings safe, right, So you don't know the intimacy coordinator is there because you don't know the situation and you don't know how the other actors can be.

I mean we do an our normally you don't know and you don't know.

What the director. You're working with different men all the time, Definitely a different time. I'm totally I felt so safe with them, say with me, you're good but and it's you know, for a man from guy. All these guys, the crew, I love my crew. They're all straight guys. You know, when you're a woman, it's a different thing. I mean, it's a whole other thing. But anyway, So before season three started filming, I said to Michael, I

Well, God bless you, God bless you.

And you know what I mean, We're lucky that we even get the chance to do anything.

You know what I mean? Exactly right, let's pause, let's back up in time. Do you remember meeting Willy?

Yes, it was that first day, the first day, I'm sorry, not the first day. It was my second.

Episode when we're at that fashion show, the fashion show, which.

Was really fun.

I remember being really fun.

I remember that day. I remember because I remember walking into that the aisle of the fashion.

Yeah, it was big too, it was big, Remember how big it was. And remember we weren't the main story, sir, Jessica walking and falling. Heidi Klum and Kevin A. Kwan was there, so we were just having fun. Yeah, we were just having good time.

Me and Will.

Right away, I got who he was. I adored him. He's hilarious, his storytelling is phenomenon. He's just a great it's just a great person to be around. It was, it was just so much fun. And I yeah, we hung out and here and there and you know, I remember when he first adopted his son and all of that. Yeah, Nathan, So it's yeah, I I it's fascinating because who knew we were going to get married eventually? I know. And what did you think of that? I thought I thought

I still and I can't really separate this from actual life, you know, because we didn't uh, you know, we didn't know that he was sicking the obviously, we really didn't think it was going to be as bad as it was, as quickly as it was.

We had to really shift gears with your storyline. I mean, how'd you feel.

Oh, I was. Well, first of all, he told me while we were filming BIG's funeral. I didn't know. That's when we all kind of found out. I already knew, you knew. I didn't know, and that was a hard John Belfie was running around and he was something like,

I remember what you had, which.

He did brilliantly. Of course he just did, but you know, and he I remember him saying to me, you know, I'm gonna need you now more than ever, and you know, I started crying. It was just it was a lot, uh,

Can you do? It is really shining, still shocking.

And cancer my whole family's there's so many of my people, my mother and my father, a lot of you know a lot of people have gone from cancer. My family, cancers. It sucks, It sucks. I mean I just feel like, why isn't it cure yet? Where's the fix? I agree, this money making thing, where's the fix? At least? What I don't? I mean, look, I know it's the things that have gotten better. It's also this also treatments that aren't available and we don't know about that are available in Germany.

Or for some reason is the place. Yes, it's interesting.

Mostly a cancer vaccination there that they make for you according to your cancer that really supposedly.

Helps well, listen up everyone.

Yeah, exactly, Peter Gabriel is doing it. Yes, Okay, so you know, let's go.

Doctors, doctors. We're not non medical advice, no, but interesting, interesting, right, yeah, yeah, I mean I wish we could go back in time. I wish we could go back in time. It is strange. When I first started the podcast, I had to go back and rewatch the pilot, right, And I haven't seen any of these things since you know, the beginning, right.

I used to really hate.

To rewatch because I just felt, I don't know, weird about it, like I didn't want to spend my time in the past, I guess. But because we're here together and talking about it is a connecting. The podcast is a way to connect, you know, and because so many people I'm sure you experienced this talk to me about it throughout the day. You know, you're moving through the world and different things strike different people. Differently, right, And they'll come up and say, oh, I remember blah blah blah,

How they know the material better than we do.

We forget it yet.

I mean, I remember the big storylines, but so many things I didn't remember a line, right.

Isn't that crazy that people remember the lines?

Yes?

Yeah, but I think you know, to go back when I first watched the pilot, I had always remembered the pilot being bad.

In my mind, it was bad because we didn't really know what we were doing. We didn't really know. There was so much talking to the camera.

You know, it was very dark, which in my mind had been bad. But when you look back on it, it's kind of bold and amazing and interesting and dark, like not like television at the time at all.

Right, the season, yeah, very little different.

So the tone of the first season, Yeah, we didn't know. We didn't know nothing in terms of what we're.

Doing of talking sometimes.

Which is fantastic.

Last night there was a lot of oh, yes it was and I've never seen that I know because.

Michael does know.

He doesn't do that. No, no, no, he doesn't.

No, No, it's that sometime it's his, it's his pattern that he writes.

But back when I first watched the pilot, you know, I'm just in my bed, you know, the night before the first podcast recording, watching it, and when they introduced Stanford, it's just this super close up of Willie who already knew. I knew Willy because I met him on the XBOU set in like Vancouver, in an abandoned insane asylum.

Like super spooky.

But of course Willy makes any place fun, right, So it was just a really good time.

He's telling stories and doing the whole thing. So I already knew him, which was great.

And its just smash cut to Willi's face, his young face, and oh, it hit me so hard.

It hit me so hard. But this is the joy of film, that it lasts forever.

Right, And he made his mark in so many different shows, is so many movies.

He worked a lot, so much.

Everyone knew him everyone everyone, everyone.

Knew him, and he worked with the lot of people. He did a lot of works.

And now ask you.

This, do you feel when you think back is it. Is it something where you can think about, Oh, I remember when you know, Willie and I were doing this and I was observing him and I learned this.

Or are you all just like soaking it up wherever you go?

Just you know, you're just it's day to day. It's a different an experience every time you're on that set.

Which is what I love about acting.

It's absolutely it's a different experience. You're feeling different things, and you're you know, you're more anxious one day and a little less anxious another day, and care too much one day, and then one day you're like, I don't have a cat today. I'm no, I don't.

I know you better than that?

No, I don't. I don't, I don't never you know what I mean? You feel different things?

Well, you have you have to.

I think the interesting thing is you have to manage where you your personal self are that day, but then you also have to manage yourself into where.

Your character is that day, right, which absolutely.

Like take some work sometimes does yeah, yeah, And you have to figure that out as you go.

Because sometimes when not not that I mean, I don't give a shit one day, it's like I I care a little less, which relaxes me more. The same person going through the day in the same way, but I'm a little bit more relaxed. You happened later and right.

But it's a great thing because you you don't need to be as anxious as you are.

Yeah, they make jokes about Charlotte's wedding.

Your wedding was, oh my gosh, my sisters, my real sisters. You don't really see as close to them, but you see two women. I remember this down the island, both my sisters, and one of them passed away in twenty nineteen. She died a cancer. So yeah, but she got to walk me down the aisle.

That sounds pretty great. With the swans and.

With the swans, and I always say, I always go like this. I always say, I go up. When I was like, I danced Chang the single ladies, and I danced so high that I stamped on a swan and broke its snack. It was an accent, and I was like, who said, who has swans at their weddings? I didn't have swans at my real wedding. My real wedding was very I'm sure people on my roof. That was it. And then we went to dinner, after.

Which you were in like a wedding by Michael Patrick King, which is a situation. It was like a musical from the forties.

Oh yeah, that's set.

I know. It was huge with the water and the Swans.

We were all out in our trailers and you guys were in there for days, and we'd all be like, hey, hey, does anyone know what's going on in there? Does anyone know what's going on in there? And then we would walk in like, hey, you guys, what are you doing? And it was like Eliza. It was Eliza Show was amazing. So we would stand in the back and watch the Eliza Show. And then it was the Swans and there was a gay man's health course and that was you guys.

We were like, well, some someday they'll need us, and the four of us was shot back out.

Yeah, I know.

I don't think the studio was very happy with us, though they were a little annoyed.

Well, the show, it did well. It did, we did well. It did. Both movies did well. It's true. Financially the first movie did super great, super great.

Second movie we caused too much, but that's okay. We're not here to talk about that it's okay, it's.

Not globally they all do well.

I know that's right, and we're lucky.

We are so lucky because theoretically, comedy and women are not supposed to travel.

Ha oh no, it's a huge globe.

I know, baby Maria, what are you?

You are? Charlotte part of me is yeah, I think I I like things in their place. I uh, I like lovely things. I definitely have high anxiety. I definitely yeah, oh yeah, and I definitely have to like, you know, control things. That's that's definitely do you love? Oh yeah, I do believe minutes happily married, haply married. And I'm a lucky lucky man because I would marry me. But yeah, yeah,

Right, really only two important one really only, But I mean Charlotte has had a bunch.

Of because I'm always I always think about them, of course, because she's you know, single now and I guess you know, uh, I'm partly samantic because I'm a smart ass, and if for sure, and I don't think, I don't think I'm a Miranda.

Miranda, would you kind of do tell things like like it is Miranda, that's true, it is.

I just think she's so such an intelligence about her too so but you're intelligent sometimes. But yeah, I think there's a lot of me and Charlotte, and I never thought that. That's very interesting.

I keep forgetting to ask people the question.

It's a good question.

Why.

I know it's psychologically it's a great question.

You're joy, Thanks for being here, okay by everybody. Yes,