Spoilers for And Just Like That… below.
When we first meet Natasha Naginsky in season 2 of Sex and the City, she’s clutching hands with Mr. Big at a Hamptons party (hoe-down, to be specific). To quote Carrie, Natasha is “shiny hair, Styles section, Vera Wang”—the kind of woman who will wear white and never spill on it, even if she doesn’t know the difference between “there” and “their.”
The stunning 26-year-old brunette, played by then-newcomer Bridget Moynahan in her first big TV role, was the ultimate threat to Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie. Natasha was everything Carrie wasn’t: tall, steadily employed, from a well-to-do family with a summer home. In contrast to the complicated, curly-haired Carrie, Natasha was a simple girl with straight hair. And she had found the one thing Carrie was searching for the whole series—love—with the one man she desperately wanted to love her back.
It was doomed to be a tumultuous relationship from the get-go. As Natasha and Big’s romance progressed from weekends away to engagement announcements in the New York Times and, ultimately, a wedding, Carrie brands Natasha “The Idiot Stick Figure With No Soul” until she gets her own twisted revenge by having an affair with her ex-boyfriend—and Natasha’s husband—in season 3.
For a show that’s supposed to highlight female friendships, and the ways women can support other women, Natasha gets the short end of the stick. SATC fans will never forget the horrifying moment in “Running with Scissors” (season 3, episode 11) when she comes home early to find Carrie in her and Big’s apartment. Natasha chases her out the door and trips down the stairs, losing a tooth, which, we later learn, after much painful dental surgery, still remains a different color than her other teeth.
While Carrie feels remorse over the situation, after a half-assed apology and a restaurant run-in, we never see or hear from Natasha again—until now. In the latest episode of the Sex and the City revival And Just Like That…, the 5’10” woman is back, and she’s got some things to say. “The show doesn’t shy away from anything,” Moynahan said by phone. “Whether it’s death, loss, grief, age, or relationships, every single character is going through something that is timely.” Here, more from Moynahan about the SATC reboot, Big’s death, and why flats are better than heels (no shade to Carrie!).
What made you want to come back and revive the character?
Well, they had multiple movies that came out, as you know, and I was kind of feeling left out of the party. I was thrilled when I got the phone call. Sex and the City is beloved by millions of people and it’s a fun, fun show and a fun character. Growing up in my twenties and thirties in New York, it was part of my life. I’m so happy to be back.
Is Natasha where you imagined she would be?
I think she’s got a very nice life. She moved on and met somebody else and has beautiful children and the life that she always imagined for herself. It’s a really wonderful moment that she gets to share with Carrie of, “I don’t know why he ever wanted to marry me. He’s always been in love with you.” I think that was probably a really hard thing for her to admit, but also really great that she shared that. That’s part of her growth, to be able to take the high road.
Unfortunately, her storyline resonates with so many women who’ve been cheated on. What initially drew you to Natasha?
I don’t know if there was a storyline that was presented. It was an audition, and it was one line: “Nice to meet you.” If the writers had a flushed out idea of who Natasha was at that time, I don’t remember that ever being shared with me. This was one of my first jobs. I got Sex and the City at the same time as Coyote Ugly, and I had no idea what I was walking into; I didn’t understand the hugeness of this opportunity, I didn’t really understand how big and iconic the show had already been at that time, let alone where it was going. I was in the right place at the right time and maybe had the right look.
If you go back to the Natasha episodes, she never really had that much dialogue until that lunch where Carrie shows up and [she gives] the explanation about her tooth. Her presence in the show was bigger than the actual screen time.
That was a big year for you! Would you be down to bring Coyote Ugly back too?
Yes! I just don’t know if I could dance on the bar like that anymore; the knees, the hips, you know what I mean [laughs]. You’re going to have to get a new generation of coyotes.
What was it like filming that bathroom scene in the coffee shop with SJP? It was so chaotic to watch.
When I first read the script, I just read my scenes—we weren’t allowed to read the whole script. I read the scenes and I was like, “Okay, this is gonna be fun!” Sarah Jessica Parker is such a pro. Her comedic timing, her expressions, the way she makes adjustments...she really is so good. My first day on set was the scene where Natasha is up in her office looking down and seeing the three characters on the street pointing up. As an actor watching those three actresses walk down the street, having their conversation—which I couldn’t really hear—and then seeing their reactions and how they changed them every single take…oh my gosh, it was such an incredible lesson in being free. They have so much fun doing their job. So when I had to do the scene in the bathroom, I just tried to have fun with it.
How did you feel about Big’s death by Peloton when you found out?
I thought it was okay. It made sense. It’s part of life—it’s part of the lives of women and men of a certain age. It’s what’s happening. To me, it was like, “Okay, this is the way that they’re jumping into it, ripping off the Band-Aid.” Good for them [for] being bold and being real. I’m seeing friends of mine have real emotional, grieving responses to the first two episodes. Like, sobbing. These characters have been part of people’s lives for so long and they have really gotten invested in the characters’ lives; they are grieving for someone they feel like they have known.
The timing is tricky given the accusations of sexual assault that have emerged against Chris Noth.
I don’t know anything about…it would be inappropriate for me to comment on things I don’t have any knowledge of.
Okay. What do you think the money in Big’s will was for? What was the “unfinished business”?
It could’ve been something somebody put in a long time ago and he’s never addressed [in] his will since. Or it could’ve been an “I’m sorry.” Who knows.
Do you think Natasha’s dislike of Carrie is justified?
I think it’s a yuck factor. That’s the person she found having an affair with her husband in her apartment, who then ends up with him. It was warranted. It’s nice to see that Natasha has moved on and has the life that she probably had imagined that she and Big would’ve been having: getting married, having kids, having the kids in private schools, going to the Hamptons, whatever that fantasy was for her, she’s created it with somebody who does love, honor, and respect her. For her to be able to recognize that it wasn’t all Carrie’s fault—Big loved Carrie, he always was in love with Carrie—for her to say that to Carrie and say it out loud feels like a nice close for them.
As a viewer, do you like Carrie?
I do like Carrie. I like them all. They’re fun and loyal friends and they’re also flawed. They see their mistakes or their bad behavior at times and their friends correct them. All of those feelings can exist at the same time: Carrie could be having an affair with Big, be in love with him, and feel bad that she’s just done that to Natasha. Even though they’re comical and fun and flirtatious, the characters are also human. It’s part of what makes the show so wonderful; you really have it all there.
I found it interesting that Charlotte, of all people, defends Carrie’s affair.
That’s the thing: They are so loyal. I thought it was hilarious when Charlotte says, “I can’t believe she’s wearing flats.” She’s going to be loyal even if it doesn’t ring true or make sense—she’s going to support her girlfriend. Every time I see Sarah Jessica in a pair of those heels, I bow down. I don’t know how she does it. I cannot wear heels like that anymore, and it breaks my heart.
AJLT definitely seems more reflective of the world we live in, with more diverse characters. But Natasha had one of the only Black friends in the history of the show—the woman who was with her at the restaurant in season 3 when she first runs into Carrie after she catches her with Big.
I’d have to go back and watch, but I imagine there was diversity with the girls’ boyfriends.
Not really. Miranda dated Dr. Robert Leeds and Samantha briefly dated a music exec named Chivon, but that’s about it.
Ah. Well we’re certainly doing it now, and I think it’s great—giving a broader representation. It should be a community [of people].
I have to ask: Have you ever blocked anyone on Instagram?
Yes, I have blocked people before, for sure. But honestly, somebody has to tell me “somebody’s saying this” because I don’t read any comments on social media whatsoever. I post what I want to post and move on with my day. I’m kind of just blocking everything at this point [laughs].
Do you think Natasha’s arc has come to a close?
I wish it was more left open, but I don’t see that they go back to that. Nobody’s expressed anything. It felt like a nice closure, but it wasn’t so final as a heart attack. If they wanted to bring something back, they certainly could. I’m just plugging away at Blue Bloods for now. We’re in season 12, so we’ll wrap that up and hopefully they’ll bring us on for a lucky 13.
That’s way more seasons than Sex and the City.
Yup. But with less cute outfits.
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
