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American Morning

Interview with Cynthia Nixon

Aired September 06, 2002 - 09:55   ET

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

PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Forget about season premiers. All eyes this Sunday evening will be on the season finale of HBO's "Sex and the City," the hit series wrapping up its fifth season, nominated for 10 Emmy awards, including one for Cynthia Nixon as best supporting actress for her role as Miranda Hobbs.
She joins us now. She would have been here 10 minutes earlier if the members of Congress hadn't blocked the traffic in front of CNN...

(CROSSTALK)

CYNTHIA NIXON, ACTRESS: I know.

ZAHN: Congratulations.

NIXON: Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you.

ZAHN: Can you tell us anything about Sunday night, what might happen? You don't have to give the whole thing away, just a little bit of a tease.

NIXON: Well, I will say -- I will say it is a very magical episode. We all attend a wedding in the Hamptons, and it has a very Gatsby-esque feeling, and it has got a real broad sweep to it. It is very magical.

ZAHN: I couldn't believe when I read that you originally were going to take the Carrie...

NIXON: Oh, I wasn't going to take the Carrie role, right. I was originally scened for Carrie, and I'm usually not so proactive about auditions, but I wanted to be on the show so badly because I liked it, because it was shot in New York, which was such a big thing for me, that I said, if you didn't like me for Carrie, I will come in for any of these women. Just let me get on this show.

ZAHN: And you got it, and then some. With an Emmy award nomination to boot. Let's talk a little about -- you are not trying at all to conceal your own pregnancy, but let's talk a little bit about the story line. You weren't pregnant at the time, but you were pregnant in the series.

NIXON: I was pregnant last year, so I was pregnant for some of this season, but I was wearing a fat suit for some some of that, because we had -- we were doing Miranda, you know, having a little trouble taking off her baby weight. ZAHN: And Miranda is a little bit conflicted about being a mom.

NIXON: Yes, Miranda is not full of the glow of motherhood. Miranda is full of the anxiety and irritations of motherhood, I would say.

ZAHN: Is that kind of fun for you to get your frustrations out as a mom on TV?

NIXON: Absolutely. We have so...

ZAHN: ...feel that way at home.

NIXON: Can't I? Can't I?

ZAHN: Well, you can privately.

NIXON: Yes. Yes. No, I mean, I think we have so many portraits of glowing fulfilled mothers, it is nice to see one that is having a little bit of trouble, little bit of ambivalence about it.

ZAHN: How much control do you have to over the writing of the show?

NIXON: None, none whatsoever.

ZAHN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE), do you guys hate it?

NIXON: No. No. We never hate it. First of all, our writers are so much smarter than we are, and they are so much farther along that we are just in good hands. We don't need to interfere.

ZAHN: None of you could have imagined the success of this show.

NIXON: No.

ZAHN: That it was going to take on.

NIXON: No.

ZAHN: When you took the job, how many seasons did you think you were going to...

NIXON: It seemed like -- well, who even knows if we would ever make it past the pilot. It also seemed like such a new show, such a small -- you know, these four women in this very, very, very particular upscale world. It seemed so particular. It didn't seem like, you know, people would be able to relate to it in the way they have, it kind of crosses such a broad spectrum.

ZAHN: OK. Now, tell us the truth. You guys get along?

NIXON: Yes, we do. Very much.

ZAHN: You like each other? You really, really like each other? NIXON: We really, really do. We really do. Three of us, Kristin and Kim and I were at the "Sopranos" premier last night, having a good time. So Sarah is home, resting up. She is pregnant too, she is a little farther along than I am, so...

ZAHN: And they had to conceal hers.

NIXON: Yes, yes. But...

(CROSSTALK)

ZAHN: ... question, which is, I am understanding that surveys kind of show that part of the reason why women like to watch the show, beside funny lines and all of that stuff, is to see what you guys are wearing. You get to keep the clothes?

NIXON: We get to, yes. We get to buy the clothes at very reduced prices.

ZAHN: That's nice.

NIXON: It is, very nice.

ZAHN: Except the pregnancy wardrobe that the audience will never see. You looked so divine at the opening, and certainly don't look like you are pregnant just yet. And the new baby comes?

NIXON: Yes. The new baby comes in December. We are all at work on the, you know, the pregnant Emmy dress, since we are going to the Emmys in a few weeks.

ZAHN: So you are gathering all of your friends and families at 9:00 p.m. Sunday night? We will be there.

NIXON: Yes. OK. Thank you.

ZAHN: One of the nights we will stay up late for. Great to see you.

NIXON: Thank you.

ZAHN: Again, congratulations. Continued good luck. How many more years does the series have to go?

NIXON: I think maybe just one more, but it is not over until it's over. But at this point, probably just one more.

ZAHN: We will keep you all posted on the decisions.

NIXON: Thank you, thank you.

ZAHN: Sorry about the traffic. Wasn't our fault, it was the members of Congress.

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