Someone Else Was Almost Mr. Big?!?

If you're a Sex And The City fan, you likely have some very strong opinions about Carrie's eventual husband and on-again, off-again love interest Mr. Big. It's so strange to consider that someone else could have played Sex And The City's Mr. Big if the stars aligned differently. According to creator Darren Star's interview in Entertainment Weekly, Star originally wanted Alec Baldwin for the role. Instead, he ended up meeting with Noth, who was, at the time, most famous for his role on Law & Order. Once the first table read happened, Star knew that Noth was the right choice all along. Chris Noth portrayed Big as an imperfect love interest, but one you were ultimately fascinated by. Still, that's not to say that Baldwin would have been a bad choice for Bradshaw's love interest.

There are fans who are still bitter that Carrie cheated on furniture builder and dog lover Aidan with businessman Big, and other fans who, like Sex And The City romantic Charlotte, always believed that these two would find their way back to one another and finally get a relationship right. As for me, I've always been on the fence about Carrie and Big's relationship. While Carrie and Aidan were definitely not a good fit (as evidenced by the fact that Carrie broke out in hives when she tried on what would have been her wedding dress), Big always kept Carrie on her toes — something that you definitely don't want in a boyfriend but do want in a television character.

The thread that ties both Noth and Baldwin together is that they both scream "New York" — it's not surprising that Baldwin, a native New Yorker, went on to play Liz's boss Jack Donaghy on 30 Rock. (OK, so technically he was from Boston, but he seamlessly blended into the New York environment just as well as Carrie did.)

Truth be told, Jack and Mr. Big actually shared quite a big of similarities. They both randomly showed up in limos to give their respective show's main character a pep talk. They loved the romantic chase, especially when the chase involved 20-something models. And they definitely loved their jobs, because having a great job meant having lots of cash to wave around. They also routinely said things like this:

Or, sometimes, when that wasn't enough, this:

Ultimately, it makes perfect sense that Baldwin was on the list to play Big — he basically played him a few years later on 30 Rock, sans any of those romantic gestures. Ultimately, everything worked out the way it was supposed to. Unless you're an Aidan and Carrie shipper, that is.

Images: Warner Bros. Television; Giphy (3)