Zoë Kravitz isn’t shy about her Sex and the City fandom, but she wasn’t eager to declare a winner between the franchise’s spinoffs. In a Vanity Fair interview published Thursday, Kravitz’s Caught Stealing costar Austin Butler challenged her to pick the better spinoff between The Carrie Diaries and Just Like That. Kravitz shot back, “Neither, leave that show alone. Everybody, just stop.”
What Kravitz didn’t realize is that Butler actually starred in The Carrie Diaries, playing Sebastian Kidd—the on–off boyfriend of Carrie Bradshaw during her high school years in Castlebury, Connecticut. AnnaSophia Robb portrayed Carrie, later stepping into Sarah Jessica Parker’s iconic role. The moment prompted Kravitz to laugh and admit, “Oops.”
Butler has carried fond memories of The Carrie Diaries, a CW prequel that aired in the mid-2010s and followed a younger Carrie before her move to New York City. He recalled to Variety’s Award Circuit podcast in February 2023 how that job helped him settle into life in New York for two years: “I never lived in New York before and I was able to move to New York for two years and make that show.” He even remembered winding down with a bath and Sex and the City as if he were a “middle-aged woman” with wine and candles.
Robb, who played Carrie in The Carrie Diaries, has spoken warmly about Butler in Us Weekly, noting he’s “such a dedicated, focused actor and a kind person.” She said she knew from the moment they met that he was destined for big things and later lauded his transformation into Elvis, praising not only his looks but his dedication and craft: “He spent two years of his life studying the man and getting into his bones.”
The thread running through these exchanges is clear: Sex and the City continues to connect the people who made it, across different generations and projects. Kravitz’s playful shake‑off of the spinoff question sits alongside Butler’s personal memories of moving to New York for The Carrie Diaries and Robb’s unwavering support for his career. It’s a reminder that the SATC universe remains a shared touchstone for fans and actors alike, fueling collaboration, nostalgia, and mutual admiration as their careers evolve. If you’re hoping for a positive note, the growing respect among these actors suggests more savvy, heartfelt storytelling could emerge from this enduring legacy.
Summary: A light-hearted exchange reveals Zoë Kravitz’s stance on SATC spinoffs, while uncovering Austin Butler’s earlier role in The Carrie Diaries and the lasting camaraderie and admiration among the cast, underscoring the franchise’s lasting cultural resonance.