Sex and the City is an essay collection by Candace Bushnell that forever changed the cultural conversation about womanhood, relationships, and, yes, sex. Bushnell moved to New York City at the age of 19, set on becoming a writer. She began writing for The New York Observer in 1993, and in 1994, she created the column "Sex and the City," framed as a humorous take on dating in Manhattan, based on her own experiences. If that sounds familiar, you’re on the right track. Yes, it was exactly like the column Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw wrote on the hit television show Sex and the City, which made its dazzling entrance on HBO in 1998 and still hasn't left the pop culture scene.

The essays in Sex and the City often revolve around finding romance and passion as a contemporary woman living in one of the most populous, diverse, and exciting cities in the world. But as Bushnell has stressed, her column was about so much more than sex. It was about ambition, work, power, partying, fashion, and the friendships we build along the way. 

While Bushnell's Sex and the City is nonfiction, the author created the alter ego of "Carrie" to write about her own dating experiences in Manhattan. She also wrote about "Mr. Big," who in her essays is more of an archetype—the driven business power broker who jumps from relationship to relationship without ever getting too attached—than a single character. Bushnell also interviewed other woman about their dating experiences, which provided the inspiration for characters who would later be expanded for the show. There's "Samantha," a representative of the successful woman in her 40s who is able to have sex "like a man," without all the messy emotions. The book also introduces us to minor characters "Charlotte" and "Miranda."

Want to know more about Bushnell's Carrie and others? Read on for our Sex and the City character guide.


 

Who are the main characters of Sex and the City?

Carrie Bradshaw 

  • The Sex and the City book and, of course, the television show would be nothing without Carrie Bradshaw, sex columnist and hopeful romantic. The Carrie Bradshaw in the book is based on the author herself, Candace Bushnell. In the TV version, Carrie Bradshaw is relatively close to the kind of person she was in the essay collection—just slightly exaggerated. Carrie adores designer clothes and shoes, and strives never to be seen in the same outfit twice. Carrie's story is just as much about her love for the city as it is about her search for the love of a man. She loves going out and exploring New York, always hitting up the hottest night clubs and restaurants. And just like Candace Bushnell in real life, eventually television’s Carrie Bradshaw had her newspaper column turned into a full-length book. 

Samantha Jones 

  • In the Sex and the City book, Samantha is the symbol of a successful and slightly older woman still living it up in the city. Samantha is a wealthy film producer who isn't afraid to have casual sex and isn't really concerned with long-term relationships. The television series expands on the Samantha character significantly. Samantha Jones in the television show is a publicist rather than a film producer. And while she does have a few long-term relationships in the series, they're still less conventional than the relationships her friends have. For instance, Samantha's longest and arguably healthiest relationship is with a much younger man. She also has a same-sex relationship with an eccentric artist. 

Charlotte York 

  • In the book, Charlotte is a sex-crazed English woman and a minor character, merely an acquaintance of Carrie. The TV show changes the character dramatically and gives her a full and fascinating story. On the hit series, Charlotte is an art dealer who grew up in a wealthy, privileged family in New England—specifically, Connecticut. And while Charlotte might love sex, she's actually the most conservative of the four friends. Charlotte believes sex should be reserved for people with whom you have an emotional connection. She also very much subscribes to following the rules of dating. In fact, she pretty much has set rules for every part of her life, including how many soulmates every person gets and how long you should wait to recover from one relationship before moving on to the next. 

Miranda Hobbes 

  • In the book, Miranda is a cable TV executive and a workaholic who snorts cocaine. The television series keeps the workaholic side of Miranda Hobbes, as well as her toughness and her love for TV. The cocaine habit, however, is gone. TV's Miranda also has a different demanding job: she's a lawyer. Miranda is the type of no-nonsense person who doesn't want to focus on fluffy romance. She's extremely cynical and distrusting of men, and it takes a whole lot to get her to let her defenses down. When she first meets her love interest, Steve, she tries to blow him off as a one-night stand—but he refuses to give up on her that easily. Eventually, through her relationship with Steve, Miranda starts to reveal a softer side. 

Mr. Big 

  • Like Carrie, the "Mr. Big" in the book was inspired by a real-life person. As Bushnell told New York Magazine, her Mr. Big was “one of those New York guys with a big personality—you just notice him as soon as he walks in the room. I called him Mr. Big because he was like a big man on campus." While Carrie Bradshaw ends up with "Big" in the television series, Candace Bushnell did not end up with the man he was based on. Therefore, as the author has shared, it was never her intention for Carrie Bradshaw to end up with Mr. Big—either in her book or on the TV show.


 

Sex and the City Updated: And Just Like That…

Fans dying to catch up with their favorite, fabulous friends in New York City got their wish with 2021's And Just Like That… This long-awaited continuation to the original television series features returning cast members Sarah Jessica Parker (Carrie), Cynthia Nixon (Miranda), Kristin Davis (Charlotte), Chris Noth (Big), and David Eigenberg (Steve), as well as Mario Cantone, Evan Handler, and the late Willie Garson. Newcomers Sarita Choudhury, Nicole Ari Parker, Karen Pittman, and Sara Ramirez join the star-studded cast. 

We don’t want to reveal too much about the buzzy new series, now streaming on HBO Max—there have already been a number of jaw-dropping twists that left viewers shattered and stunned. You'll just have to tune in and see for yourself. So, whip up a Cosmo, slip on your highest heels, and, whether you choose to watch with your girlfriends or indulge alone, get lost again in all things Sex and the City. Yes, Carrie and her besties are older and (maybe) wiser, but they're still smart, funny, sexy—and such great company.

We recommend starting with the book that started it all, narrated by our very own Miranda, Cynthia Nixon—who also narrates Bushnell's sizzling novel, Lipstick Jungle. And if you'd like to hear more essays from Candace Bushnell on love and dating in the city—for today's 50-somethings—then Is There Still Sex in the City? is a must-listen. Julia Whelan, winner of the 2019 Best Female Narrator Audie for her performance of Educated, narrates, impeccably. And if you're in the mood for a romance binge listen, Julia Whelan also narrates Candace Bushnell's latest novel, Rules for Being a Girl, coauthored with Katie Cotugno.