Matthew Broderick Explains Why He Chose Not To Appear On ‘Sex And The City’

As the longtime husband of Sarah Jessica Parker, actor Matthew Broderick would’ve seemingly had a leg up in landing a role on “Sex and the City” alongside his wife ― but it never happened.

Appearing on Thursday’s episode of the SiriusXM show “This Life of Mine,” Broderick confirmed that he was asked to appear on the era-defining HBO series, which ran for six seasons and spawned two big-screen films as well as a successful, if divisive, revival show. However, he never actively pursued the opportunity.

“Whenever there was a part that I could do, I couldn’t do it,” he said. “But also sometimes, it was like, ‘Do you want to do two days as the premature ejaculator?’ And I’d be, you know: ‘Well, I don’t know. You know, it’s just kind of embarrassing.’”

Given how closely aligned Parker is with the “SATC” franchise, Broderick said that appearing on the show himself ran the risk of being “stunty.”

Listen to a clip of Broderick’s “This Life of Mine” interview below:

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“That was her thing,” he said. “It just never work worked out. I love that show, and I would have been delighted to be in it. But it just never lined up right.”

Broderick, who has recently appeared on Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building” as well as in the film “No Hard Feelings,” previously hinted at turning down the role of Vaughn Wysel, a man grappling with premature ejaculation while dating Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw, on Season 2 of “Sex and the City.” Actor Justin Theroux played the part instead.

In a 2020 interview with The New York Times, Parker acknowledged feeling uneasy when her husband would swing by the “SATC” set as an observer.

“I’d get so nervous,” she said. “Like, Matthew’s here! Don’t look at me!”

Though Broderick never appeared with Parker on “Sex and the City,” they have worked together on Broadway. In 1996, the pair co-starred in a revival of the musical “How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” They shared the New York stage together once again in 2022 when they led the Neil Simon comedy “Plaza Suite,” later reprising their roles for the play’s London production.

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In 2006, Broderick appeared alongside one of Parker’s “Sex and the City” co-stars, Kristin Davis, in the Christmas comedy “Deck the Halls.”

Actors Matthew Broderick, left, and Sarah Jessica Parker are pictured in 2000.
Actors Matthew Broderick, left, and Sarah Jessica Parker are pictured in 2000.

Jason Kirk via Getty Images

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