'People Bring That Comparison Up A Lot': Seema Patel Isn't Meant To Be A Samantha Jones Copy In 'And Just Like That'
Indeed, devoted fans of the show will admit that And Just Like That, the Sex and the City sequel, has a gaping Samantha-shaped hole in it that it would make sense for producers to want to fill. According to Google Trends, despite Samantha's absence — bar a now-infamous 60-second stint in the sophomore series — searches for the character have surged by 3,950% over the past year alone.
It's a comparison that Choudhury, whose character has been a constant throughout all three seasons of And Just Like That, is all too aware of. 'People bring that comparison up a lot,' Choudhury tells ELLE UK. 'But look, when you get a script, you're not thinking "Oh, that reminds me of that person" because they're just lines. So it's more bending things the way that you want them to be.'
Samantha garnered a loyal and devoted fanbase throughout her stint in the original series of Sex and the City, and Choudhury, who binge-watched the original series upon landing the part of Seema, does personally identify with the unapologetic nature of the sexually-liberated PR supremo. 'My friends would say that I'm a mixture of Samantha and Carrie,' Choudhury admits. 'But I feel like more of a Carrie because I think a lot about what I want to do, then I'll do it and it'll be entirely the wrong thing; and I feel like Carrie's like that. She's headstrong, she makes mistakes, but she owns up to them. She's unapologetic.'
As for potential seasons of And Just Like That (that have yet to be greenlit by HBO), Choudhury admits to not yet knowing. 'We keep bugging the producers,' she says, adding, 'We're like "Is there or isn't there?" We're all coming up with cheeky ways to find out because we have no idea.'
And Just Like That... season three streams weekly on HBO/NOW TV.
ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE.
Naomi May is a freelance writer and editor with an emphasis on popular culture, lifestyle and politics. After graduating with a First Class Honours from City University's prestigious Journalism course, Naomi joined the Evening Standard as its Fashion and Beauty Writer, working across both the newspaper and website. She is now the Acting News Editor at ELLE UK and has written features for the likes of The Guardian, Vogue, Vice and Refinery29, among many others.
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