Sex and the City’s Blair Underwood has revealed he initially turned down a role on the show because he felt his proposed storyline ‘fetishised’ black men
The actor, 61, said he was approached to be on the show at first to play a love interest of Kim Cattrall’s character Samantha who was curious about black men’s ‘anatomy’.
In an interview on the show Q with Tom Power, he explained why he eventually changed his mind when offered a different role on the show a few years later.
He said: ‘Kim Cattrall’s character, Samantha, had a storyline where she had a curiosity about Black men and Black men’s anatomy, and she wanted to know if it was true.
‘The reason I passed – I didn’t say this to them at the time – was I did not want to be a curiosity.’
A few years later, producers offered him the part of Dr. Robert Leeds – a love interest to Cynthia Nixon’s character Miranda Hobbes.
Sex and the City’s Blair Underwood has revealed he initially turned down a role on the show because he felt his proposed storyline ‘fetishised’ black men (seen with Miranda)
The actor, 61, said he was approached to be on the show at first to play a love interest of Kim Cattrall’s character Samantha who was curious about black men’s ‘anatomy’
He said: ‘I said, ‘Well, is he the Black guy, is he the curiosity of these characters, or can he just be a human being that falls in love?’
‘And they said, ‘No, no it’s the latter.’ … It worked out and I loved it. I’m glad I did, because I almost said no.’
He has previously spoken about the role in another interview with AV Club, where he said: ‘I think it (his race) really did only come up maybe once. I did five episodes, and I think Samantha mentioned it once, saying something about ‘a Black doctor’ that Miranda was dating.
‘And that’s really been a consistent thing in my career: not wanting to be boxed as ‘the Black guy.’
‘I’ve had that conversation with many producers along the way, and they were so great. They said, ‘No, he’s just a doctor who Miranda meets in the elevator, and they have a nice little fling.’ And it was amazing.’
He also revealed that ‘Cynthia Nixon could not have been sweeter’ when he joined the cast.
In terms of Blair’s personal life, he married his long-term friend Josie Hart in 2023.
The pair got engaged 18 months after his divorce from Desiree DaCosta.
In an interview on the show Q with Tom Power, he explained why he eventually changed his mind when offered a different role on the show a few years later
He said: ‘ Samantha, had a storyline where she had a curiosity about Black men and Black men’s anatomy, and she wanted to know if it was true. I did not want to be a curiosity’
The father-of-three previously shed light on the history of his relationship as he said: ‘She’s had my back since before I even became an actor.
‘When a 41 year friendship slaps you in the back of the head & blossoms into romance, you stand up, pay attention & step forward in gratitude.’
Underwood wed DaCosta in 1994, the same year his hit legal drama LA Law came to an end after an eight-season run.
On May 31, 2021 the twosome shocked fans with a joint announcement stating they were separating.
In a lengthy message shared via Instagram, they said they would remain the ‘best of friends’ and continue to focus on their children.
The statement read: ‘After a tremendous amount of thought, prayer & work on ourselves individually & collectively, we have come to the conclusion to end our marriage that began 27 years ago.’
The message went on: ‘Our proudest achievements are our three children. Three souls to which God entrusted us. We continue to be awed & humbled by the blessings of parenting.
‘We have always put their best interests first & will continue to do so. We will continue to be the best of friends and co-parents and have the utmost respect for one another as we embark on this new chapter of our lives, separately.’
Blair went on to thank his fans for their ‘support throughout the years’ and asked for ‘privacy and understanding during this new season of change.’
