Before she played Charlotte, Kristin Davis auditioned for the role of Monica on 'Friends' (original) (raw)
Kristin Davis is probably best known for playing Charlotte York Goldenblatt: Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker)'s optimistic, charming, and loyal friend on Sex and the City. But if the stars had aligned correctly, she could have ended up playing a very different "friend."
While visiting The Late Late Show With James Corden on Thursday night, Davis revealed that before she read for the character of Charlotte, she read for the role of Monica on Friends.
"I think I was about one of like 8,000 young ladies who read for Monica," Davis confirmed. While the role ultimately went to Courteney Cox, Davis also revealed that the two actresses were legitimate friends who attended the same yoga class at the time and that her discovery about Cox getting the role came in the most roundabout way possible: car shopping.
Kristin Davis and Courteney Cox. Frazer Harrison/Getty; Jean Baptiste Lacroix/Getty
"One day, Courteney was like, 'Hey guys, do you want to come car shopping with me?'" Davis recalls, telling Corden how Cox was excited because she had filmed a pilot that she was "feeling really good about" — so good, in fact, that she decided to buy a Porsche.
Later, Davis realized exactly why Cox felt so good about the pilot she shot, which was obviously the NBC hit.
Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston, and Kristin Davis on 'Friends'. NBCU Photo Bank
Although Davis didn't end up snagging the role of Monica, the actress did get to appear on the iconic show in a guest role some years later while she was carving out her own path to stardom. And as it turned out, starring in an incredibly popular show while guest-starring on another incredibly popular show came with its own set of nerves
"I remember losing sleep," she said of her role as Erin, a woman Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) and Monica attempt to set up with Joey (Matt LeBlanc). "Partly because of the live audience, but partly because you're in this world that has been created that is so alive and so specific and you're trying to make sure you're fitting yourself in there properly."
As of last week, Davis has officially returned as Charlotte in the HBO Max revival And Just Like That, which brings (most) of the original Sex and the City cast back together more than two decades later. As she told Corden, even though their characters have become cultural icons, it still doesn't feel like smooth sailing.
"It's always a risk," she said, going on to say how even when the show started, they were always "the underdog."
"With the new show, they also had to go pitch it," Davis said. "They had to convince HBO Max to do it again because now we're in our 50s, and people really don't do shows about women over their 50s. So we were all nervous and scared but we really wanted to do it because we love it."
Watch the interview above.
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