In a new interview, the 'Grey's Anatomy' alum defends their character on the 'Sex and the City' revival, noting that Che Diaz is only 'a human being, who is imperfect' and 'complex.'
- Feb 4, 2022
AceShowbiz - "And Just Like That..." star Sara Ramirez has addressed the criticism against Che Diaz, their character on the HBO Max show. In a new interview with The New York Times ahead of the "Sex and the City" revival's season 1 finale, the actor, who came out as non-binary in 2020 and uses the pronouns they/them, defended the character.
"I don't recognize myself in Che," Sara said of the character, whose affair with Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) leads to the end of Miranda's marriage with Steve (David Eigenberg). "I'm very aware of the hate that exists online, but I have to protect my own mental health and my own artistry."
Sara continued, "And that's way more important to me because I'm a real human being." They added, "I'm really proud of the representation that we've created. We have built a character who is a human being, who is imperfect, who's complex, who is not here to be liked, who's not here for anybody's approval. They're here to be themselves."
They also noted that they are "not in control of the writing," adding, "I welcome the passion that folks are bringing to the table around this representation. But in real life, there are a lot of different human beings who show up to the table, speaking truth to power in myriad ways. And they all land differently with different people. And Che Diaz has their own audience that they speak to who really get a kick out of what they're doing."
They were later asked about how Che would likely respond to the public reaction. To the question, they said that the people who brought Che to life might have a better answer for that. "[Showrunner] Michael Patrick King and the writers' room would probably answer that best since they wrote the character of Che Diaz," the "Grey's Anatomy" alum opined.
"I imagine Che would have something very witty and silly and funny as a rebuttal; something that ultimately reminds everyone that they are human; something with a sprinkling of self-deprecation, because I think they know they're a narcissist," they added. "And maybe just a little reminder that no one's perfect."
Meanwhile, Michael also weighed in on the backlash surrounding Che Diaz and Miranda's sexual reawakening. "I said in the writing room, 'Uh, get ready. Because what's coming is outrage about Miranda calling out her marriage.' Whoever is in the activating of that will be an issue," he said.
The showrunner revealed he already predicted that "people are going to look for who's the villain." He added, "Che is, in my estimation, honest, dangerous, sexy, funny and warm." He continued, "What everybody else is projecting on that character has a lot to do with what they want to have happen to Miranda in the story. It has so little to do with Che."
