John Corbett, forever connected to his role as Aidan Shaw on "Sex and the City," has had a career marked by both initial reluctance and significant transformations. This article explores Corbett's journey with the series, focusing on his initial hesitation to take on the role, the weight loss he underwent at the request of producers, and his highly anticipated return in "And Just Like That."
Corbett's Initial Hesitation
Despite becoming a cultural icon, "Sex and the City" faced initial challenges in securing its cast. Sarah Jessica Parker initially turned down the role of Carrie Bradshaw, and Kim Cattrall refused to audition multiple times. Similarly, John Corbett, who now appears as Grady Bello in Rebel, almost didn’t portray Aidan at all. Casting agents wanted Corbett on the show, but he initially passed on the job. He had never seen "Sex and the City" and disliked the bathtub scene that writers had included in the script sent to him. According to Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, the author of "Sex and the City and Us," Corbett was initially concerned about how his mother would react to the scene. Born and raised in West Virginia, Corbett was building a new house in his home state when he received the script. Reportedly he didn’t want to put the project on hold for something like Sex and the City.
So how did he end up on the series? Reportedly, Sarah Jessica Parker convinced him to join the cast after a visit to her Manhattan home. The team behind "Sex and the City" needed to woo Corbett to get him to take on the role.
The Aidan Shaw Makeover
Between seasons 3 and 4 of "Sex and the City," producers asked Corbett to go on a diet to lose some weight. Amy B. Harris, a producer on the series, once told E! Aidan’s slimmed-down physique, shorter hair, and overall glow-up shocked Carrie Bradshaw. His new look, at least partially, led to Aidan and Carrie rekindling their romance.
On the Writer’s Room podcast, Michael said, “We gave him a makeover,” “No, it’s true. I said it to John; John knows,” he told them. Despite how it may seem, Michael then insisted that the changes to John’s appearance were not for aesthetic reasons, arguing, “It’s not an aesthetic choice to come back differently, because I thought he was perfection; it was a story choice.
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Aidan's Return in "And Just Like That"
Last week, Corbett revealed that he would be returning to reprise his role as Aidan. This would be the third time Corbett reprised the role of Aidan in the “Sex and the City” universe. His original storyline extended over season 3 and 4 of the original series. He would later return in Season 6. His last appearance was in the movie “Sex and the City 2” when they ran into each other in Abu Dhabi, went out to dinner and shared a kiss.
Not all fans are thrilled, with many wondering if Aidan’s sudden reappearance will spell doom for Carrie and her love, Mr. Big. Fans will likely need to wait for the limited series to premiere to find out what has become of Aidan, Carrie, and Mr. Big. While rumors are swirling that John James Preston, better known as Mr. Big, is off to prison, HBO Max is staying quiet. Big was introduced in the very first episode of the show back in 1999, while Aidan made his debut in Season 3. Big ended up forgiving Carrie for the indiscretion, and this was the last time we saw Aidan on our screens.
King went on to explain why Aidan’s appearance was so important for the storyline. “If we’re bringing somebody back, we have to find some way to bring them back in a new way,” he explained. “So here we are now, bringing Aiden back again,” King continued, “and we have tricks up our sleeves as to how he is new and what we can actually do with the storyline considering - and it’s a very big consider - all the water under the bridge, all the pain they’ve already been through, how much Carrie has hurt him in the past - according to fan boards, right? - and now twice and how badly he took the breakup.
“I tend to trust Michael, almost implicitly, about his instincts,” Parker previously told TheWrap.
Viewers who watched the episode may have caught a line by Aidan that may have been a gesture to King’s demand.
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Others were upset that Carrie would bounce back to her old flame after her husband’s death, and that Aidan would let her. But the team stood by their decision to bring Aidan back on the podcast, with Julie saying, “In the discussion about bringing Aidan back for Season 2 of And Just Like That, for me it had to be about what would really happen and I believe it.
“Let’s face it: You have fewer and fewer really powerfully strong people in your life who have known you for a long time,” she added.
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