Sarah Jessica Parker had a lot to celebrate last night at The Public Theater premiere of Knickerbocker — after all, her brother Pippin is the director of the limited-run Off Broadway play. But Parker was also happy to have some time off, since she’s been busy shooting a few big projects, including the big-screen comedy I Don’t Know How She Does It and the second season of Work of Art: The Next Great Artist, the Bravo reality competition she produces that became a stealth hit last summer. Vulture chatted with her on the red carpet about how Work of Art is going, whether we’ll get another breakout contestant like last year’s sleepy art twink Miles Mendenhall, and where she thinks the Sex and the City franchise might go next.
You must be so proud of your brother …
I was so excited. He didn’t reveal a thing. And I didn’t want any. You want to have a fresh experience. He told me a little about rehearsals and how it’s going. I’m happy to not know too much and have a wonderful experience. And I enjoyed it very, very much. There were some wonderful performances. I don’t remember lines, I’m not good at that, this was my first time seeing it. But I loved it.
Any summer movies you’re looking forward to?
No, our lives don’t allow us, we have kids. This is a rare night out.
Where are you with Work of Art? You got picked up for a second season …
We just finished filming the second season, and three finalists have been picked, and they’ve gone off to complete their gallery shows, and I’m saying three on purpose …
Because you don’t want to give the winner away …
Exactly. And we’re pretty far along in the process. We just started editing the first episode.
When would it be on the air? Last year it was on the air around this time of the year …
I think Bravo is so heavy with programming now that they decided to push it up a little bit to the latter part of summer, early part of fall, which is actually really good for us. They’re such an enormous supporter of the show, which is really nice for a show about art, which doesn’t always naturally find a home in American television, so I’m thrilled they’ve become such great supporters of it, and we have a relationship with a museum which will be our home again for the artist gallery. So it’s great.
Are there going to be any breakout characters the way Miles was?
[Laughs.] Um, I suspect there might be one. You know, Miles had this sort of great virtue of being loved by straight men and straight women and the gay community as well. He crossed all lines. I don’t know if we have that, but we have some really provocative, interesting artists that have a lot to say, and that have an interesting point of view about art, in particular their art. I’m hoping what draws the audience is the art, but I think it’s helpful if someone is particularly intriguing. It draws them, absolutely. I think, when we were casting, we liked to make sure it’s somebody who feels comfortable working on television, in a medium that they’re not on traditionally, that we have to be expressive and conveys thoughts and ideas to the audience. So we’ll see. The most important thing for casting is the art.
So Candace Bushnell was doing a reading last night for the second The Carrie Diaries — have you read these?
I haven’t yet, no. But I’m really excited. I’ve heard wonderful things about them.
There’s some talk that they might be adapted into a Sex and the City prequel …
You never know …
Would you be involved? You’d be too old to play Carrie as a teenager …
[Mock angry.] What do you mean I’m too old?! I’m kidding, I’m kidding. I’m sincerely joking. I don’t know much about the topic [of the movie], so I wouldn’t be very well versed on it. She’ll always be close to me, but there’s no real conversation to be had at this point.
What about a Sex and the City 3? At Cannes, you said there was one more “small” story to tell.
That is true. But I would never, much like my brother never gave anything for this show away, I would never reveal even the tiniest detail of what that might be. [Smiles.] But you can guess whatever you like.
“Small” as in baby?
I would never [tell], I would never! But you’re very clever.
