Kristin Davis Enters Her Carrie Era

SEX AND THE CITY MADE HER A CULTURAL ICON, BUT THIS WOMAN ISN'T JUST A CHARLOTTE.' NOW SHE'S PROVING SHE HAS MAIN-CHARACTER ENERGY AS SHE NARRATES HER OWN JOURNEYAND A NEW PODCAST

- JASON SHEELER

Davis, who turns 60 later this month, is known for her supporting roles in decade-defining shows. But now she’s front and center, leading the iHeartRadio podcast Are You a Charlotte?, where she revisits Sex and the City episode by episode. And this time it’s Davis who’s doing the narrating.

Her latest role as a storyteller has put Davis in a nostalgic mood. Raised in South Carolina, Davis studied acting at Rutgers University and after graduation—and getting sober—quickly nabbed small parts on ER and daytime soaps before her big break on the nighttime one, Melrose Place. Looking out over the city, the mom of two pauses and takes a deep breath: “Well, here’s a story I’ve never told.”

Moving into Melrose

Almost exactly 30 years ago Davis was up for the role of Brooke Armstrong on Aaron Spelling’s series, starring Heather Locklear, about a group of twentysomething Angelenos all living around a pool. “I had just opened up a yoga studio; that was my backup plan,” she recalls. Her audition came down to her and two other actors, one of whom now has two Oscars. “Hilary Swank walked out and was like, ‘Oh, I totally blew it.’ ” Davis walked in. “Mr. Spelling was there. He had this huge office, this curvy long couch and fish tanks.” She got the part and was on the show in 1995 and 1996, “but they did not know what to do with me,” she says. “I would get my script, and I would just be like, ‘Oh, Jesus, what am I gonna do this week?’ My character was very conniving!”

Tucked into a cozy chair at Soho House in West Hollywood, Kristin Davis sips a decaf latte and makes a confession. "I'm a little nervous!" She's never wanted to talk much about her personal life or costars, but, then again, she hadn't yet had her own podcast.