Kim’s performance is so iconic that it’s shocking — unthinkable, even — to consider the possibility that it almost never happened at all. But, as it turns out, we came pretty damn close to that after all.
In a new interview with the Times of London, the actor revealed that she actually turned down the role of Samantha Jones four times before eventually accepting the gig. Yes, really.
In the interview, Kim revealed that she initially said no to the part because of “self-inflicted ageism,” before acknowledging that the cultural outlook “changed” after the show began airing. “40 became sexy,” she said. “It became, ‘Man, let’s have more of that.’”
Kim also went on to explain how she guided the ways in which Samantha was depicted onscreen. “[Samantha] wasn’t a nymphomaniac — well, some people might have thought she was — but she was just enjoying the main course,” she said. “Everyone else was nibbling on the appetizers when she was going for the steak.”
“And it was always on her terms — that I always insisted on.”
And just like that…we finally know the whole story. You can read the rest of the interview right here.