Who Is Annabelle Bronstein? All About Samantha Jones’ ‘Sex and the City’ Inside Joke from Her ‘AJLT’ Cameo

Warning: This post contains spoilers from the season 2 finale of Max’s And Just Like That…

Talk about a throwback! Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall) returned to the Sex and the City universe during the season 2 finale of its Max spinoff And Just Like That… and made a joke that resonated with longtime fans of the series.

During an on-screen phone call, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) teased her pal about using a British accent after her move to London. Samantha then jokingly referred to herself as Annabelle Bronstein from “Indja,” a callback to her British alter-ego in a season 6 episode of Sex and the City.

Samantha concluded her conversation with Carrie by saying, “Ta and cheerio, and have a great night.” 

Kim Cattrall’s ‘And Just Like That…’ Finale Cameo: All About Samantha and Carrie’s Long-Awaited Call

Kim Cattrall on ‘And Just Like That…’.

Courtesy of Max 

In the original Sex and the City episode titled “Boy, Interrupted” — which aired on HBO exactly 20 years ago — Samantha tried to get to the Soho House and its exclusive rooftop pool during the a hot New York summer by pretending to be Annabelle Bronstein.

The idea for the identity swap was hatched after a staff member asked if had left behind her membership card. Carrie narrated, “Since they didn’t seem to know who she was at the Soho house, she figured she could be Annabelle Bronstein. The next day, Samantha tested the waters with her fake ID.”

The next day at the pool, a staff member foiled her scheme and told it was “impossible” for her to be Annabelle Bronstein because she was in London for the week and she was British. In response, Samantha used a caricaturish British accent and insisted she was “absolutely” Annabelle Bronstein.

“I venture to guess you are not in fact from the U.K.,” the staff member responded and she tried to salvage her lie, explaining. “Well, that’s true. I was raised in India” (pronounced “Indja” for comic effect). 

Carrie summed up the scheme in voiceover: “On any given day, there are a lot of versions of crazy right here in New York. Today, Annabelle Bronstein had multiple personalities and at least two accents.”

Kim Cattrall’s Sweetest Moment During Her ‘AJLT’ Cameo with Sarah Jessica Parker Was Improvised

Kim Cattrall as Samantha Jones on Sex and the City season 6, episode 10 where she’s at the Soho House pool.

HBO/MAX

Cattrall reprised the role after her character was mentioned throughout the first and second seasons of And Just Like That… — but not seen on screen. In the first season, Carrie slowly reconnected with Samantha after her move to London, thanks to a text conversation here and there, flowers sent to the funeral of Mr. Big (Chris Noth) and an off-screen drinks reunion.

Samantha’s presence was slightly less felt throughout season 2 — though viewers got a glimpse of her in episode 8 when Charlotte was looking through old photos — but excitement for her appearance hit a fever pitch when the season finale trailer showed Carrie receiving a phone call from her.

‘And Just Like That’ Finale Recap: Samantha Returns as Carrie Lets Go of Expectations — and Her Apartment

Kim Cattrall attends “Modern Love With Kim Cattrall” premiere during the 2023 Tribeca Festival at SVA Theatre on June 14, 2023 in New York City.

Jamie McCarthy/Getty

Despite Cattrall vowing to not return to the series, she had a change of heart finally when she allegedly received a call from the “head of HBO saying, ‘What can we do?’” with regards to appearing on And Just Like That….

One of those demands included bringing back longtime friend and original Sex and the City costume designer Patricia Field, who is not working on And Just Like That…. “I just thought that if I’m going to come back, I’m going to come back with that kind of Samantha style,” she said on The View in June. “I’ve got to push it. And we did.”

According to Variety, Cattrall filmed the cameo on March 22 in New York City. She did her scene “without seeing or speaking with the stars of the series,” including Parker, Nixon and Davis, and she reportedly didn’t interact with King.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

And Just Like That… seasons 1 and 2 are streaming on Max.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education