WhenSex and the Citydebuted onHBO25 years ago today, a few things about the now-classic comedy were different.
And then there was Skipper.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: BeforeSATC, you had appeared in two big movies TwisterandThe Mirror Has Two Faces.
Sarah Jessica Parker on ‘Sex and the City’.HBO
Had you done any TV?
BEN WEBER:No, and it was all new to me.
I had been in a movie, but I was an extra, pretty much inTwister.
Sarah Jessica Parker and Ben Weber on ‘Sex and the City’.HBO
I had a tiny part in that, and the same withMirror Has Two Faces.
I was learning how to act on those jobs.
And the medium of [cable] television was still being sort of invented also.
Cynthia Nixon and Ben Weber on ‘Sex and the City’.HBO
HBO hadn’t done [much] original content before, so it all felt so new and exciting.
What do you remember about your audition?
I don’t remember it being that big of a deal.
Cynthia Nixon and Ben Weber in the ‘Sex and the City’ season 1 finale.HBO
It felt kind of lower stakes who is this, HBO?
It didn’t feel like that big of a deal.
Obviously, what was being discussed in the scripts, that was a revelation and that was exciting.
At the time, the goal was to get on some big web connection show or something.
HBO wasn’t even on the menu for my young mind.
When you got the part, what was your understanding of how often you’d be on?
I was totally winging it.
I had not gone to New York to be on Broadway.
I really had gone to New York because I was a funny guy and I wanted to do comedy.
My vision was, I wanted to be like a writer onSNLor something.
It was never even in the plan to be an actor.
She had a bunch of really big clients, it was way outta my league.
[Laughs] But I got theSex and the Citymeeting, and I got the job.
It was the greatest New York job to get.
Skipper and Miranda go on a date in the pilot and then have sex in episode 2.
Did you know much about their story arc when you joined the show?
This was, like, the first or second episode.
[Laughs]
But it, it was great.
But how the show was talking about sex was so funny and so fresh and so forward-thinking.
Do you have a favorite Skipper moment?
They are European and they were slightly more forward in their attitudes about sex on television.
But it was still the funniest way to have to watch it.
And at that time, I had just met my wife, we had just started dating.
Her folks are from eastern Pennsylvania and super conservative.
They were like, “Oh, okay honey.
I hope you’re making good choices.”
I didn’t, really.
It was all just gravy to me.
I was so young, too, and I had no expectations about the show.
I was just really happy for anything.
But I was 25, 26 or something.
Yeah, I did.
I understand where they went with the show, but yeah, it was sad.
How did you find out that Skipper wasn’t returning?
I don’t remember.
I think I did go to the [season 2] premiere or something.
I was auditioning for other things.
Every actor at that time was like, “The real money is on the internet shows!”
Yeah, I have definitely gotten work because of it.
And I have a great agent, Jodie Bowman, because of it.
She’s aSex and the Citysuperfan.
I’m very appreciative and grateful.
Did decide to remain focused on TV because of your experience doingSATC?
I don’t think I’ll ever get a chance to do something like that again.
That was sort of a similar experience in that we were not really expecting it to break out.
I get Skipper a lot and then I also getBroken Hearts Cluba lot.
Have either of your teenage sons seenSex and the City?
I don’t think so.
That would be so funny.
I think the word they would use is “cringey.”
