Evan Handler Unpacks Harry’s Cancer Diagnosis On And Just Like That

On a show that’s filled with polarizing love interests, And Just Like That... viewers have often found solace in Harry — Charlotte’s sweet (and a little sweaty) divorce lawyer-turned-doting wife guy, played by Evan Handler since his introduction on Sex and the City in 2002.

But sadly, in the June 26 episode of the Sex and the City revival series, Harry reveals to Charlotte that he’s been diagnosed with prostate cancer. While he assures her that the disease was caught early and he has an excellent prognosis, it’s no less of a shock.

Handler sees the turn as a “vehicle” for Charlotte’s character development, not his own. “This is one of the few shows on the air — now or ever — dealing with women in their 50s, and the things that they go through, and how their lives are different from when they were in their 30s, and how relationships affect them,” Handler, 64, tells Bustle. “I have long existed on Sex and the City and in that world in service of the women in their storylines. And I think that’s the way it should be.”

Harry’s fate may be up in the air, but there’s every reason to believe that this chapter will only bring the fan-favorite couple closer together. After all, looking back at his tenure in the world of Sex and the City, Handler sees his character as a source of “stability” in a world of ever-present relationship drama. “The natural result of that is that Harry endures,” he says. “That Harry and Charlotte endure.”

Below, Handler opens up about his character’s diagnosis, zealous fan encounters, and an unexpected pitch for Harry and Charlotte.

What was it like learning about Harry’s storyline this season?

This is actually the only time [showrunner] Michael Patrick King called me in advance, and said: “This is what we’re cooking up for Harry. How do you feel about it?” And that’s because of my own personal history, having gone through a serious cancer diagnosis when I was a much, much, much, much, much younger man than Harry. That’s not the reason MPK gave for it — he said it’s because of how many men he knows of going through a diagnosis like that, and he presented it as something that Harry wrestles with.

Sex and the City author Candace Bushnell has said that in the debate over Team Big or Team Aidan, she’s actually Team Harry. What does that mean to you, to have her seal of approval?

That’s great. Harry’s mensch-like personality was by design from the beginning. One of the more genius strokes in the history of Sex and the City was bringing Harry on for Charlotte, because it so perfectly epitomized the struggle that a lot of younger women have of measuring the men they meet versus their idea of the man they should have. So many women still come up [to me] today and say, “I’m looking for my Harry.” And I wonder, “How many Harrys have you turned away?”

I love that there’s still so much more to learn about this world, in part because of things like Kristin Davis’ podcast, where we get to hear behind-the-scenes stories. What’s a special memory from Sex and the City that people may not know?

I happened to meet the woman who became my wife when my first episodes from Sex in the City started to air. On our first date, walking in New York from Lincoln Center to Times Square, we barely made it to the theater on time because the first couple of episodes had just aired, and crowds had amassed, screaming, “We love you, Harry!” This woman had only been in the United States for two years. She’s from Italy. English was not her first language. She had never watched the show. She didn’t know me as an actor. We were meeting as two human beings, and I was having an experience that had never happened to me before.

And as our relationship grew, I would travel to her hometown, and eventually the show reached that small hometown. We would laugh as people responded to me there. We got to witness the show's impact as it penetrated deeper and deeper.

Have you ever been able to suggest things for Harry’s storyline?

The only storyline [idea] I had for Harry and Charlotte would be completely antithetical to the whole show. Let me put it this way. My wife and I, some years ago, went to a financial planner, and they praised the amount of money that we saved — and then told us that we’d be broke in 17 years. And I thought it’d be interesting if Harry and Charlotte had something like that happen, and their presumed wealth was thrown into question, and they had to reassess their lifestyle. But I don’t think assessing one’s wealth is what they’re after in the world of And Just Like That.

Another curveball that fans theorize about is Trey’s return, and what that would look like for Charlotte and Harry. Do you think that could rattle their dynamic — or do you think they’re just too strong at this point?

The version of it that I heard would not have rattled Harry and Charlotte’s world whatsoever. I don’t think they’re looking to do that in bringing Trey around. Trey actually did appear in an episode of Sex and the City that was never used — the party on Long Island that Samantha threw, and was invaded by some women that she didn’t want there. I don’t think that was rattling Harry and Charlotte, either. So I don’t have a fear of this. I feel secure in Harry’s relationship with Charlotte. But who knows what’s in store?

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.