Sara Ramirez on Body Acceptance, Their Look on ‘And Just Like That…,’ and Embodying Che’s ‘Authentic Self’

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the original Sex and the City was in desperate need of characters who represented more of what New York City had to offer. So far, its reboot, And Just Like That…, has delivered on that front—particularly with the introduction of Che Diaz, a queer, nonbinary comedian who hosts a podcast on which protagonist Carrie Bradshaw frequently appears. Diaz is brought to life onscreen by the Mexican-American actor Sara Ramirez, who is perhaps best-known for playing Callie Torres on Grey’s Anatomy (and who publicly came out as queer in 2016 and nonbinary in 2020).

This week, Vogue spoke to Ramirez about their experience on set with the original Sex and the City stars, their favorite aspects of their character, and their gradual journey toward body acceptance through self-motivated exercise. Read the full interview below.

Vogue: First off, how have you felt about the world’s reaction to the first few episodes of And Just Like That…?

Sara Ramirez: Well, I’ve only really been around some of my castmates, which has been a really supportive environment, so that’s the energy that I’ve been taking in. I’m feeling really grateful for the experience; I just finished filming a little over a week ago.

What was filming the series like for you?

Overall, it was a really good experience. Our crew is so hard-working, and I’m particularly grateful to them. It was really surreal in the beginning, though, because I had watched the original Sex and the City 20 years ago and had dreamed of guest-starring on the show, and then the series ended. So I thought my dream would not come true anymore—I figured, “Well, that’s over”—and then this past January, Michael Patrick King offered me the role on a Zoom call. Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, and Cynthia Nixon were all so welcoming and kind to me from the beginning. At the first table read we had, Sarah Jessica Parker came right up to me and said, “What are your pronouns?” I said “They/them,” and she said “Okay, great. I really want to get this right.” Those are the kinds of experiences that I had from the beginning that signaled to me that I would be working with people who are really interested in progress, in learning, and in making space for our messy, beautiful humanity. Those are the kinds of people I want to surround myself with, so I feel really lucky.