2023-06-27 13:24:43
Ms. Ramírez, first, let’s take a quick look back at Sex and the City. Do you have a personal connection to the television series?
Sure, I was one of the fans. That was when I came to New York for drama school. The series helped me understand the city a little better. But what appealed to me most was that the stories always focused more on friendships than romantic relationships. In general, “Sex and the City” gave all of us, who do not identify as men, permission to celebrate and live out our sexual self-determination. I found that to be quite progressive, even if the series ultimately offered entertaining, humorous escapism that took us into a privileged world of people who could indulge in consumption without restraint. That didn’t have as much to do with the reality of my life as it probably has for the majority of the audience. But it was still fun!
In the sequel And Just Like That, the familiar characters were joined by a few new ones, including stand-up comedian Che Diaz, played by you. Were you amazed at how much Che divided fans?
I have always found it important to keep the opinions of others and such discussions away from me as much as possible. It’s not meant to affect my creativity or cloud my empathy for the character I’m playing. So I haven’t really followed the Che Diaz controversy. But from the moment I met series creator Michael Patrick King and spoke about the character, we knew Che Diaz was going to stir things up.
In which sense?
Well, Che triggers reactions in some of the women that make them question themselves and push boundaries. This person, who is so different from the sworn circle of friends, shows them what they may be suppressing in themselves or where they may be unnecessarily limiting themselves. Miranda questions her marriage, and of course I knew this would lead to heated discussions among viewers. I’ve always been a fan of Steve and didn’t want her to break up with him. But from a creative point of view, someone who suddenly turns everything upside down is of course more exciting than if everything just stayed the way it was. And what can be better for a series character than everyone talking about them?
Are there many parallels between you and the character?
You mean beyond the face and the hairstyle? Well, we’re both non-binary. And the writing team took a story of my coming out, which I love to tell, as the basis for the story of Che’s coming out in the first season. But that’s about it. There are far more differences between Che and I than similarities. While I’m more of an introvert, Che is an extrovert, loves attention, and doesn’t hide the fact that he’s narcissistic.
Will we see other sides of Che Diaz in the new season?
Definitely, which was also very important to me. The first season was something like the cover and table of contents of a new novel, now the second also opens this book and we look much deeper into the individual chapters. Faced with the realities of Hollywood, where Che has moved, completely new facets of personality open up. In the first season, the character served a specific purpose. Now she becomes a real, three-dimensional person full of abysses. Which of course has consequences for the relationship with Miranda.
Speaking of Miranda, you work more closely with Cynthia Nixon than with anyone else in the ensemble. The chemistry has to be right, right?
Luckily she does. Cynthia Nixon is a dream, I couldn’t have wished for someone better at my side. Not only is she a fantastic actress, but she is also an excellent director and one of the executive producers of the series. It doesn’t surprise me in the least that she won several Emmys and came close to becoming governor of New York. To work with someone who knows so well what they want or can do and yet is so collegial and lovely is a great gift.
Published/Updated: Recommendations: 2 Andrea Diener Published/Updated: Recommendations: 17 Julia Schaaf Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 11
Does it make you proud to see someone like your character – ie queer, non-binary, Latinx – on such a popular series?
This kind of representation is enormously important, yes, I am proud of that. It’s clear to me that not everyone can relate to a character like Che Diaz. This is not necessary either. A single non-binary character cannot possibly represent all non-binary or queer people. But for those who recognize themselves in it, it is of great value. And like I said, if it has what it takes to be a topic of conversation, that’s great. Especially in times like these, when the health and lives of trans and non-binary people are more at risk, every conversation has the opportunity to attract attention.
You’ve made your way into the LGBTQ history books with a series character before. Does Grey’s Anatomy bisexual Callie still play a role in your life today?
She does, because to this day I keep getting reflected on how important this character was and is for many viewers. Many people in their 20s and 30s who identify as queer, trans, or non-binary tell me how important it was for them to see a queer person on a mainstream hospital series from a young age. She was also a role model for many queer people in the medical field, who realized through her that something like this is not mutually exclusive. In short, Callie has, in a way, pioneered and created space where queerness wasn’t visible before. It was only in retrospect that I realized how important this is.
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