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CNN Live Today

Interview with Darren Star

Aired July 17, 2002 - 10:47   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: For more on the ladies of "Sex and the City," and some of the secrets, we hope, behind the popular series, we're joined this morning by the show's creator, Darren Star, who checks in with us from New York. How are you doing this morning?

DARREN STAR, CREATOR, "SEX AND THE CITY": I am great, how are you?

HARRIS: Not bad. You kind of tired? I heard you guys had a pretty big party last night.

STAR: We had a great party last night.

HARRIS: Tell us about it.

STAR: Fun time. You know, we had all the girls there, most of the cast, and about -- seemed like about half of New York City joined us, and we partied. It was great.

HARRIS: You know, what surprises me, you know, when I found out that it was a guy who created this show, man, that blew me away. This -- from what you see in the show, and from what you read about it, it is all about women, it is about their loves. It is about their shopping. It is about their shoes. I would never think a guy was behind this.

STAR: You know, I'm actually amazed that a woman didn't get to this first, but I think there's something about being a guy, and maybe having the perspective on women's lives that maybe women don't have themselves, and -- you know, as a writer, it is always fun to sort of imagine yourself in someone else's shoes, and you know, women are really emotional creatures, and they kind of -- you know, men are kind of closed in terms of emotions, and I think women are just a lot more out there, and it's a lot -- I find it a lot more fun and entertaining to write female characters, especially these women.

HARRIS: Especially these. All right. Let's look at some more of these. We have got a clip here about an often-discussed topic on this show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, it's tragic that you were in love and it didn't work out, but you have got to emotionally cut him out of your life and move on, and the sooner the better.

Everyone knows you only get two great loves in your life.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everyone who? Where did you get that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I read it in a magazine.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What magazine? "Convenient Theories for You Monthly?"

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What does that mean?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It means last year when you were married, you believed a woman only got one great love.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, and that braves (ph) great love. What does that even mean?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It means a love that changes you, that shakes you to your core, after which you are never the same.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: You know, I am sitting here watching you. I must say, I got to tell you I cheated. I'm watching you on another monitor as you watch this, Darren, and you are sitting there, shaking your head as you watch this, in agreement.

STAR: I don't know about that. I mean, yes, I think that certainly that -- you know, looking for love is a big part of the show, but I think that if there's one thing that sort of -- is -- is different about "Sex and the City" and the message that I think has resonated with viewers, especially women, is that you don't need to get married. You don't really need that love to be fulfilled, and I think that, sure, they're looking for that love, and certainly in that scene, that's sort of the -- that is the premise of that scene is -- is that that's the question that sort of -- that is raised in that scene, but I think as the show progresses, and the question is answered, I think these women have each other. And they have themselves, and I think that if they find love and if they get married that's great, but it is not -- finding that person is not going to define them. They define themselves by who they are.

HARRIS: Yes.

STAR: And their happiness isn't necessarily dependent upon finding a man.

HARRIS: Yes, and you have to speak in terms of reality. That really does resonate with people because that has been so much like life nowadays. Let's talk about some other changes, because I know you can't really tell us exactly about what to expect this season, with all the big changes.

STAR: Thank you. Yes. I am not -- can't give it all away. HARRIS: Right, and I know you -- you are probably tired of being asked about all that, too. But I have got to ask you something. I am not going to ask you the question about Sarah Jessica Parker, we all know she is pregnant, OK. I am not going to get into all that. But let me ask you this, are designers like chomping at the bit and stabbing each other in the back to get a chance to do her outfits?

STAR: Yes. There's a lot of blood on the streets, definitely. Yes, designers want to get on this show, and I have to say that is the one aspect of this show that -- really, I have to give so much credit to Sarah Jessica Parker and Patricia Field (ph), the costume designer. I mean, their sense of fashion and -- is just extraordinary, and the fact that the show has sort of caught on -- has become a fashion phenomenon as well is something that surprises me, and I think is amazing.

HARRIS: And with her being pregnant now, that is going to be a real challenge for any designer. We are going to watch and see how well you guys do at covering that up.

STAR: Yes. We have very clever costume designers.

HARRIS: OK. OK.

STAR: They have their work cut out for them this season.

HARRIS: That is a good enough tease for me. All right. Good deal. Darren Star, thanks for spending some time with us this morning.

STAR: Thank you very much.

HARRIS: Appreciate it. All the best to you, OK?

STAR: Thank you.

HARRIS: Although you don't need our best wishes. You guys have been doing pretty well as you have been going along for the last five years.

STAR: Yes, we have been having a good time. We've been very lucky.

HARRIS: All right. You are on a good roll. Keep it going.

STAR: Thank you.

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