Kristin Davis reveals paltry amount she was offered for Sex and the City pilot in 1998

Kristin Davis has revealed the paltry amount she was offered for the Sex and the City pilot in 1998.

The actress, 59, who has played Charlotte York in the series, two films and spin-off And Just Like That... said she was given a $5000 offer to be a 'recurring character' on the now iconic HBO series.

Speaking on the debut episode of her podcast, Are You A Charlotte?, the star said it threw her into jeopardy after she was suddenly offered a new contract while filming the pilot alongside fellow stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall and Cynthia Nixon.

She said: 'I was never a fan of the pilot. It didn’t seem smooth. It seemed kind of choppy and hectic. But I also feel my personal theory on pilots in general is that if they’re too good — if the pilot is too formed — the show might not be good.

'One day, I’m in my trailer and she [a producer] knocks on my door and I opened it and she says, "Oh, well, we have this paperwork we need you to fill out.”

'And I was like, "OK." I take the paperwork and I look at it and it seems to be a new contract, but it’s only two pages long, and I’m like, "What is this?" And it says, "You will be a recurring character and you will be paid $5,000.”'

Davis said she had immediately called her lawyer who told her not to sign, adding: 'I know that the pilot’s costing a lot and that they’re stressed at HBO about it. I think the pilot cost like $2.5 million roughly, which at the time was a lot because no one really filmed in Manhattan.'

She said series creator Darren Star hadn’t said anything to her about a new contract at the time either.

'So I thought, "Well, if Darren’s not saying anything to me about it, then everything must be okay,”' 

'I don’t know. I was scared. But it was also very clear from the book and from the script and from the pilot that Charlotte’s point of view was a different point of view than the other girls.'

Kristin, Cynthia, Sarah and Kim all starred in Sex & The City from 1998 to 2004 and it became a critical and commercial success - spawning two films.

Kristin, Cynthia and Sarah reprised their roles for the reboot of the series - called And Just Like That... - with Kim opting to not be in it.

Kim ended up briefly reprising her role in And Just Like That during the season two finale and season three is set to air this year.

Cynthia plays Miranda Hobbs, Sarah is Carrie Bradshaw and Kim plays Samantha Jones. 

Kim and Sarah have been in a rumored feud that seemingly began during Sex & The City - so sometimes between 1998 to 2004.

Sarah has previously touched on the so-called feud - during an episode of the Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter, she said: 'There isn't anyone else who's ever talked about me this way, so it's very painful.' 

In 2017, Kim told Piers Morgan that she thought Sarah could have been 'nicer' to her since she was the executive producer for the second SATC film.

It was rumored that the second film was delayed due to contract issues with Kim.

'Nobody ever picks up the phone and tries to contact you and say, How you doing? That would have been the way to handle it. This is, it feels like, a toxic relationship,' she said.

'This is really where I take to take the people from Sex and the City, specifically Sarah Jessica Parker. I think she could've been nicer. I really think she could've been nicer. I don't know what her issue is.'

Following her remarks, Sarah said she was 'heartbroken.'

In  2017, Sarah released a statement revealing that there wouldn't be a third SATC, writing: 'I'm disappointed. We had this beautiful, funny, heartbreaking, joyful very relatable script.

DailyMail.com's sources revealed at the time that placed blame on Kim for not having a third film. 

The next day, Kim addressed the source story and said that her 'only demand I ever made was that I didn't want to do a 3rd film.... & that was back in 2016.'

In 2018, Kim's brother Chris was found dead at age 55 due to suicide; she posted the announcement on her Instagram.

After Sarah sent her love and support, Kim shared a follow up message directly to Sarah - writing: 'I don't need your love or support at this tragic time @sarahjessicaparker.'

She added in the caption: 'My mom asked me today "when will that @sarahjessicaparker, that hypocrite, leave you alone?" Your continuous reaching out is a painful reminder of how cruel you really were then and now. Let me make this VERY clear (if I haven't already.) You are not my family. You are not my friend. So I'm writing to tell you one last time to stop exploiting out tragedy in order to restore your "nice girl" persona.'

Kim added a link to a New York Post story titled 'Inside the mean-girls culture that destroyed Sex and the City.

In 2023, Kristin address the so-called feud between her co-stars Sarah and Kim, while speaking to The Telegraph.

She was asked if she has spoken to Kim or is in touch with her, to which she said: 'You have to respect people's wishes.'

Adding: 'I'm not gonna waste energy on it. I can't change anybody. I do understand fans' feelings - they they're upset... I wish I could fix it, but I can't, it's not in my power.'