Nicole Ari Parker Reveals Her Divisive And Just Like That Take

Nicole Ari Parker never knows what to expect going into a new season of And Just Like That... “I read the scripts and I say, ‘What's happening?’” Parker tells Bustle. “I'm laughing and screaming and crying and just have my breath taken away, with just the words on the page.”

The 54-year-old actor plays Lisa Todd Wexley, a documentarian whose child attends the same prep school as Charlotte’s (Kristin Davis). As Lisa and Charlotte grow closer, they become partners in crime, getting up to shenanigans like stalking a college advisor and trying to climb up a student’s “MILF” list.

While some longtime Sex and the City fans might groan at Carrie’s relationship decisions or the show’s outdated scenes, Parker is a relative newcomer to the SATC universe, and still happily watching with rose-colored glasses. “Sarita [Choudhury] and I always joke about this — we didn't have HBO. We were starving actresses in New York City,” she says, explaining why she didn’t follow the series when it first aired. As a result, she says, “I don't have the same negative, weird judgment of the show.”

Though Parker’s character is also a newbie, she’s become a fixture in the friend group, alongside Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) — and has been given her own major life events to navigate. On the July 3 episode, for instance, Lisa’s father (Billy Dee Williams) dies before she gets the chance to say goodbye, leaving her grappling with guilt and wondering how she’ll carry on his legacy. “I was devastated because [I lost the] chance to work with such an icon like Billy Dee Williams,” Parker says. “When I was a kid, my parents watched his films. I grew up with him.”

But with every devastating moment comes a new source of joy for Parker, such as working with Jenifer Lewis or spending more time in Lisa’s stunning closet. “Even her tchotchkes are cool,” she quips.

Below, Parker opens up about Lisa’s Season 3 journey, her favorite deleted scene, and what she really thinks of Aidan (John Corbett).

You get the chance to work with the iconic Jenifer Lewis, who played Lisa’s father’s theater director and paramour, in the latest episode. What was she like to work with?

Oh, everything and a bag of chips. It was the best time ever. She's so deep, so funny, so real, so Broadway. She has so much history and wisdom, so we did a lot behind the scenes, talking to her, laughing with her, breaking out into song, doing side skits, having sidebars. She is just a living legend. She is a force in terms of acting, so I had to really be very present in the scene and use all my skills to just keep up with her.

I know your characters disagree over the funeral, but it ultimately turned out to be fabulous.

Twenty minutes were cut [from the episode]. There was a dance number, a poetry slam. It was like that character had really gone above and beyond for her lover. It was spectacular.

How do you think Lisa's father's death will influence her journey over the rest of the season?

The show is so loaded, so I don’t think that will [be revisited] this season. I think it’s a wound she’s going to carry just like anyone else. It gives her strength to finish her film [and] to make the right decisions about her family.

Before she gets this terrible news, she seems to be forming a little crush on her editor, played by Mehcad Brooks. What do you think she's really feeling?

It's one of those crossroads in a person's life. Usually, it happens when you’re very stressed out, and [you feel] relief if [someone is] really nice or flirting with you. I don’t think she would ever betray her husband. It's a lovely human moment when something naughty feels like it’s right for three seconds. I’m just glad that the writers know that this marriage is the center of her life, even though Mehcad Brooks is delicious in real life, too. I've known him for many years. We laughed the whole time, and it was so much fun to work with him.

I love seeing Lisa and Charlotte getting up to their school mom shenanigans.

Dressed in vintage Christian Dior or whatever.

Exactly. What do you think is the most ridiculous thing they've worn?

All of it has a bit of ridiculous whimsy in every scene, whether it's the necklace everyone can't stop talking about while mashing potatoes, or crossing Fifth Avenue in 15 feet of red silk chiffon by Valentino. That's part of the show’s longevity.

Speaking of these fabulous clothes, Sarah Jessica Parker recently said it’s part of her contract to keep all of her clothes. Have you been able to keep any of Lisa's wardrobe?

No!

What is your favorite memory of working with Kristin Davis for the past three years?

I love shooting scenes with her, she's so fun. But we work on stuff where you don't really get sad — so when I watched the scene where she breaks down in the pharmacy with Carrie, I got choked up. Charlotte is always lighthearted and positive because her kindness is her strength, and yet she couldn't be strong anymore. I realized why the show lasted 25 years, seeing that tenderness between the two of them.

Were there other moments that moved you?

A lot of the Aidan and Carrie story [tugs at] my heart. I'm kind of Team Aidan. I know. It's terrible. There's something there where they both can click out of a pattern and see each other fully. They're always bordering on 95%, and I really need the 5% to kick in.

The fans notice everything, like how in Season 1, Lisa tells Charlotte that her dad passed away before we meet her dad in Season 2. I was curious if you had a theory about this?

They take all the notes. I don't have a theory about that. He was estranged from her. I don't know why that was written that way. I just went with it.

Have you ever had any suggestions about Lisa's storyline?

I do all the time, [while] laughing hysterically on the floor with [showrunner] Michael Patrick King. But he still does what he wants, rightfully so. He knows what he's doing.

If And Just Like That does get renewed for a fourth season, where do you hope Lisa's journey takes her?

I would love for the families to spend more time together, for the husbands to get to know each other more, and for the girls to have more lunches together. It's always a joy to work with the whole group on those days.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.