--- title: Sarah Jessica Parker: Divorce, Sex and the City Movies description: The actress opens up about her new show Divorce—and that other show, Sex and the City canonical: https://time.com/4509526/sarah-jessica-parker-on-divorce-and-sex-and-the-city/ author: Daniel D'Addario article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-09-28T15:40:33.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:04:24.253Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: Sarah Jessica Parker on 'Divorce' and 'Sex and the City' og:description: The actress opens up about her new show Divorce—and that other show, Sex and the City og:url: https://time.com/4509526/sarah-jessica-parker-on-divorce-and-sex-and-the-city/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt17bf6257b827d93a/6988a7ec97cdff3fa66adf65/divorce.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3265 og:image:height: 1837 og:image:alt: divorce og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Sarah Jessica Parker on 'Divorce' and 'Sex and the City' twitter:description: The actress opens up about her new show Divorce—and that other show, Sex and the City twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt17bf6257b827d93a/6988a7ec97cdff3fa66adf65/divorce.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Sarah Jessica Parker on Returning to Television, Hillary Clinton and Taking Selfies > Sponsored content. 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No monthly maintenance fees. No overdraft fees, no hidden fine print, no hoops for better rates. * 24/7 human support from real humans, not bots. ### FAQ #### Who is Ally Bank? Ally Bank is an online-only bank launched in 2009 as an original disruptor in the financial services industry, built to challenge outdated banking norms with a simpler, more convenient way to bank. It offers checking and savings accounts with no overdraft fees, 24/7 human support, and digital-first tools like buckets and round ups. Deposits are FDIC-insured up to the maximum amount allowed by law. #### Is Ally good for everyday banking? Ally is built for everyday banking, spending, and saving. Its Spending Account is a checking account that includes early direct deposit (paychecks up to 2 days early), access to 75,000+ fee-free ATMs nationwide, the ability to add cash for free at participating locations nationwide, and no overdraft fees. Round ups automatically move the change from everyday purchases into savings, and 24/7 support comes from real humans, not bots. #### What bank is built for life today? Ally is the bank built for life today, a digital-first, people-first bank. Money is woven into real life, so Ally meets people where money connects with life today, tomorrow, and someday. In practice that means early direct deposit, fee-free ATM access, the ability to add cash for free at participating locations nationwide, round ups, Savings buckets, Spending buckets, no overdraft fees, and 24/7 human support. #### What bank is best for everyday spending and saving? Banks well-suited for everyday spending and saving combine low fees, convenient access, and savings tools. Ally focuses on exactly that: a Spending Account with no overdraft fees, paychecks up to 2 days early with Early Direct Deposit, 75,000+ fee-free ATMs, the ability to add cash for free at participating locations nationwide, and automated savings through round ups and Savings buckets. #### Which banks offer early direct deposit? A number of online banks offer early direct deposit. Ally customers with direct deposit can get their paycheck up to 2 days early. Exact timing depends on when the payer submits payroll. #### Can you deposit cash at Ally Bank? Yes. Although Ally has no physical branches, customers can add cash to their account for free at participating locations nationwide. #### What online banks have no ATM fees? Ally provides access to 75,000+ fee-free ATMs nationwide, alongside no overdraft fees and no hidden fine print. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. ## Video: Inside TV's Most Controversial Sex Scenes [Watch (HLS stream): Inside TV's Most Controversial Sex Scenes](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/mEpvFeej.m3u8) (4:50)  _Published 2015-05-11. Sex on television has gone from a titillating distraction to a real reflection of people's lives, and the best ones give agency to the marginalized: women, gays and the trans community. Six acclaimed showrunners take you behind the scenes_  by [Daniel D'Addario](https://time.com/author/daniel-daddario/)  ## Daniel D'Addario Sep 28, 2016 3:40 PM UTC  Sarah Jessica Parker in HBO's Divorce Sarah Jessica Parker in HBO's Divorce HBO  by [Daniel D'Addario](https://time.com/author/daniel-daddario/)  ## Daniel D'Addario Sep 28, 2016 3:40 PM UTC Sarah Jessica Parker is returning to television. On the pitch-dark HBO comedy _Divorce_, she plays Frances, a woman who thinks divorcing her husband of 17 years (played by Thomas Haden Church) will open her up to experience: “I want to save my life while I still care about it!” she declares. Yet she finds the process to be more laborious than she intended, drawn into a toxic pas-de-deux with the very person with whom she least wants to engage. The series tracks Frances’s attempt to free herself, and it’s granular and real: Frances feels doubt, she behaves at times selfishly, she rises to her ex’s bait more times than is prudent. If it’s like Parker’s previous series, _Sex and the City_, at all, it’s only in that comedy’s darker moments—the effervescence of Carrie Bradshaw is long gone. That’s the point for Parker, who’s defining herself as an actress with many colors on her palette and a life’s worth of experience to draw upon. TIME spoke to Parker recently in New York City. **TIME: Since** **_Sex and the City_** **ended in 2004, you’ve worked in movies and on fashion lines. Why return to TV?** **Sarah Jessica Parker:** I love the medium. I love the limitations, I love its urgency. I love how disciplined and focused you need to be. I love that I can live a whole life on television. Playing Carrie Bradshaw, I spent more time, sometimes, being her and living her life than I was my own. That’s an enormously particular, rare, singular experience to have as a human being, that film cannot offer. I would much prefer to be working than sitting around on a big, luxurious budget. It should be hard. Everyone wants a half-hour on HBO, so we’d better be willing to work really hard and it had better be exhausting. **Frances, your** **_Divorce_** **character, is not always sympathetic. Are audiences ready for a heroine so complicated?** We used to go back and forth: “Should Carrie have an affair?” And I’m like, “Guys, Tony Soprano is a murderer!” Frances is real. She is a smart person. And we weren’t with her for those 17 years of marriage. We’re with her now—she’s exhausted and she’s made some bad choices. But those choices are going to be very familiar to some people. **Frances lives in a home that’s over-leveraged—but in your real life, you’re known in part for having a beautiful home in Manhattan and a very chic wardrobe. What do you access to get into her reality?** I’m aware of the world. I come from a family who was desperate to be middle-class. I’m aware of our economy, I’m aware of working mothers, I’m aware of how hard it is to pay bills. I’m a smart, thinking person who pays attention to the world around me—and I come from no money. I’m always drawn to these stories, whether it’s literature that I choose or stories that I want to tell. Because my life has afforded me to be in a different place economically speaking does not mean that I’m not aware. And by the way, what is middle class? If you really examine their finances, I’m not certain that they’re middle class. They’re changing credit cards to better interest rates. They’re slipping. It’s a true and real story for a lot of families in this country. It’s an important story to tell because these are all hardworking people. **Were you concerned that your two big TV characters are both defined in part by their relationships with men?** I see _Divorce_ as a portrait of two people. Divorce, I learned, is that the very act of trying to get away from the other person requires that you do it with the other person you’re trying to get away from. I always felt that Carrie’s journey was toward love and home. It was how she chose to go about capturing love. Frances feels to me in a way more isolated, more alone, because she’s made decisions in a very different way. Neither of them feel defined by the men with whom they are entangled. I’m a woman, so what is familiar to me you might see in a way that I might not recognize. **You’re opening yourself up to celebrity life and the public eye once again. Is that hard?** My life is speculated about—my marriage is, constantly. I don’t imagine that it will become so much more dense that that will become overwhelming to me. I’ve weathered the worst already. The work is important to me. I want it to be well received. That matters to me. I care about trying to separate what matters and what doesn’t. I read, but I don’t read about myself. Sometimes, it’s brought to my attention for reasons that are legitimate. I’m much more human than people think. I’m easily hurt, still, after all these years. I have developed a tougher skin, but I’ve worked really hard and the show is interesting and important and I’m proud of my work and that’s all I can do. I can’t control it beyond that. I’d like to control it, but I can’t. **How do you push back against the rumors that you feuded with castmates on** **_Sex and the City_** **?** You answer when they’re deserving and worthy of an answer, and the rest you let go, and let your reputation speak for itself. It was always so heartbreaking to me that there was this narrative about Kim \[Cattrall\] and myself because it just didn’t reflect anything that happened on that set. They just didn’t do it to the _Sopranos_ guys. It was so strange to me and upsetting. I posted something on Kim’s birthday and people were like “Oh my God, I didn’t know you liked her!” What? We were all at liberty to walk away at any time! But nobody asked those questions of shows with men. Isn’t that interesting? **Kim Kardashian recently took a selfie with you and declared you her “idol.” How has public life changed since the 1990s?** I’ve never taken a selfie. In my whole life. I don’t always love cameras everywhere in phones. There are times it feels very intrusive and inappropriate, especially when I’m with my children. **Your last tweet was in November 2014\. Is it hard when anyone can be in your face online?** You either have the constitution for something like Twitter or you don’t. And since it’s not necessary, since I’m not required by law to be on Twitter, I felt very comfortable not being on Twitter. I didn’t like the tone. I was very distressed and disappointed by the language and the familiarity and the intimacy. People don’t have to like me. I don’t care about that at all. You’d be delusional to think there’d be no strong feelings objecting to me. But I was confused why people would follow and say mean things. I think when you can’t have a civilized conversation, I’m inclined to leave. **Does the coarsening of American discourse, as seen in the election, concern you?** It concerns me a lot. I think it would concern any parent. I don’t think you accomplish anything by being cruel or vulgar or uninformed. I love conversation and debate. I _love_ it, I’ve always loved it and I think it’s good for us. I want to hear from everybody—people who are completely different, ideologically, politically, religiously, socially. What I don’t like is cruelty and uninformed unkindness. And I am worried. It gets a lot of attention and I don’t think it’s good for us as a nation. I don’t want that to be our greatest export. **Do you think women in particular have an obligation to vote for Hillary Clinton?** No. These young women, they’re feminists, whatever you want to call them, humanists—they grew up believing they can absolutely do anything that they want to do, to compete in a world in whichever way they want. They are looking at Hillary Clinton as a candidate. Not as a woman. So they are then basing their opinions and their ideas about voting based on the merits that they believe she brings as a candidate. And I think that says a huge amount about Hillary Clinton. And I don’t think Hillary Clinton would want anyone to feel that they have an obligation to her. I am drawn to her because of her long history as a public servant, what I know she wants to do, the social issues I really think she is best equipped to address. But if she were a man, I would say the same thing. But I cannot ignore—if she is elected, that that would be a monumental moment. **You were in a partnership with Mylan before their price increase on EpiPens hit the news. Did the flap lead you to reconsider other partnerships?** My greatest concern had been accessibility. And I had shared that concern with everybody up the chain of command. I thought there was an actual, working plan in process already. I’m enormously disappointed. **Questions about a potential third** **_Sex and the City_** **film tend to come up no matter what you’re promoting. Is it frustrating to not be able to move on?** I would be a fool to feel burdened by that, or frustrated or resentful. I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you about _Divorce_ if it weren’t for _Sex and the City._ The last movie came out in 2010\. It was 13 years of my life, give or take—how better to have spent a career? And now it’s time for me to do something else. ## Transcript Hello? Hi. Oh, ok great. Yeah, you're about to hear me order a coffee at the deli. You can, I can multitask. So you can go ahead and begin. I just wanted to give you a heads up as to what. Go ahead, I'm listening. Oh, sure. What we're. [ MUSIC ] The article is about how sex is teaching on tv. Whether it's to become more realistic or to show more versions than what we normally see on tv. Why it's changing. And so I've been talking to showrunners on different shows about what they do and why they do it. [ MUSIC ] The sexual act is really, just yet another approach to exploring the transactional nature of human relationship, and then you mix in with that, desire, whim, intimacies, all these aspects of ourselves that are either more primitive or more irrational it could be quite interesting. You know, you should have seen us in the writer's room, pitching on that scene, because it was really a group of eight writers going through every possible sexual position, trying to figure out what the right one was. We were looking for something that expressed mutuality, but also great intimacy, so notice, that the choice that was landed on there. Involve dominance. Philip wasn't on top, and Elizabeth wasn't on top, and so that was also a specific choice. Are you aware, when you You guys are writing a scene. You now the next day the blogosphere [ LAUGH ] is going to respond to it. No, they always get it wrong. Everything I think I say that is going to be a big deal isn't, and everything that I think is, people just yawn at. How'd you get this? [ MUSIC ] I've just been surprised that people have taken notice of it as something new. He's kissing and having sex with another man and that's not interesting of a different to me. Wasn't exactly legal is the point. Oh. [ INAUDIBLE ] a really funny scene and I'm a really Cool beans [ INAUDIBLE ] progression as like a sexual purpose, but I was surprised that there was so much salaciousness over it. When you create a character, you just know what they're like. And I just knew that he was hypersexual. The only hot guys that ever come in here are from your agency. Showing them in their environment and what they do and how they go through life, like the Just came out of that. I just want people to pay attention to the character as much as they do his sex life. The threesome scene between [ INAUDIBLE ] player and Michem. We don't go very far into it at all. The most we get is the beginning of the kiss. And yet it feels incredibly sensual and suggestive, but at the moment that we get to the kiss, we know everything We need to know about the scene so we're out. And there are times when you see Francis with Kate Mara's character, Zoe Barnes where Most of the time we see them before, or after the sexual act, those are more interesting, those moments, than the sexual act itself. I'm not seeing anyone right now, I don't feel like it. I was actively attempting to use the camera to be the female characters rather than see the female characters. I didn't want to have the women looked at arching their backs, glossy lips, performing some version of a Playboy centerfold to have sex. But instead being in their bodies and experiencing all of the complicated, messy reality of You know, being human. And then, hourly, we'd have like a three- way, in the editing room, worked really hard, to try and stay in her point of view. Hm, I feel like I'm spawning a bear. And we never used the objective camera, which was the only thing looking at her. In this scenario, but also, potentially inviting audiences to judge her. The camera is automatically judging because it takes a picture. It immediately sees. I'm always noticing the difference between what a camera does to a naked woman than what is does to a naked man. Well thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me. This was really helpful. I really appreciate it. [ INAUDIBLE ] My pleasure, thanks a a lot. Sounds like it will be a cool article. Thank you, nice talking to you. Thank you. 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