Long before AnnaSophia Robb kept Us guessing on NBC’s Grosse Pointe Garden Society, she stepped into Carrie Bradshaw’s oh-so-fashionable shoes.
From 2013 to 2014, The CW aired a two-season Sex in the City prequel chronicling Carrie’s high school years in Castlebury, Connecticut. The Carrie Diaries, inspired by Candace Bushnell’s SATC novels, was also adapted from a Young Adult novel in Bushnell’s franchise.
Robb’s Carrie was an aspiring writer, who finds an affinity for fashion and the Big Apple all while balancing school, family and romance with resident bad boy Sebastian Kydd (played by Austin Butler, long before Elvis fame).
“They told me that I got the part because I did a little chicken dance at the end of my audition after they asked me about my prom,” Robb told Teen Vogue in 2013. “I’ve got rhythm, but not the moves to go with it, and I guess they liked that I wasn’t afraid to be goofy.”
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At the time, Robb was hesitant to even audition for the role.
“When I was younger, I didn’t want to be on TV, I wanted to play different kinds of roles and have the freedom to choose my projects,” Robb explained. “So when my agent called about this job, I said no way. TV was too much of a commitment. I realized it was actually a really strong story. It had a lot of heart and integrity, and Carrie seems like a character that I can grow with.”
Stepping onto the Manhattan-based set, Robb totally transformed into an ‘80s version of Carrie — bright colors, funky prints, major curls and all. Plus, who could forget her custom “Carrie” handbag? (As noted in the pilot, Carrie’s sister accidentally spilled nail polish on the purse that belonged to their late mother. Carrie, in a stroke of ingenuity, came up with a creative solution to continue using the heirloom clutch.)
Look back with Us at Robb’s early TV days bringing the ever-iconic Carrie Bradshaw to life:
What Happened:
Following the success of HBO’s SATC (and two feature-length films) starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Bushnell wrote The Carrie Diaries and Summer in the City in 2010 and 2011, respectively. The two-book series took fans back to Carrie’s high school years.
On the CW show, Carrie’s crew was rounded out by friends Mouse (Ellen Wong), Maggie (Katie Findlay), Walt (Brendan Dooling), Donna (Chloe Bridges) and mentor Larissa (Freema Agyeman). Carrie’s father, Tom, was played by Matt Letscher opposite Stefania LaVie Owen as her younger sister, Dorrit.
In the pilot, Carrie was struggling to deal with her grief after the death of her mother, Grace. As a result, Tom and the school’s guidance counselor allowed Carrie to tackle an internship in NYC at a law firm. Carrie, however, found her own opportunity as an assistant at Interview magazine, which she took unbeknownst to her father.
By season 2, fans saw Carrie’s SATC bestie Samantha Jones arrive in town, brought to life by Lindsay Gort. In the season opener, Carrie and Samantha (who happens to be Donna’s older cousin) met by chance after Carrie was locked out of her NYC apartment during her summer in the Big Apple. The shenanigans soon led the pair to become roommates and eventually foster a tight-knit friendship.
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Why It Was a Big Deal:
Considering SATC is one of the most famous TV dramedies, it’s no secret that there was a market to discover what Carrie was like (to quote the show opening) “before there was sex” and “before there was the city.”
“It feels surreal, and I don’t think I’ve quite processed it yet,” Robb told Elle in 2013 of taking over the mantle. “Carrie lives a dual life in the show, and I definitely felt that way in high school, balancing work and life as a student.”
What People Said:
Parker herself even approved of Robb’s casting.
“She sent me a letter! I wrote her one back, too,” Robb exclusively told Us Weekly in 2013 ahead of filming. “She was just very encouraging about it all. It was really cool! I know everyone’s going to compare it to Sex and the City, but we’re never going to be that. The show is more for my generation, but it’s set in the ’80s, so it’s fun.”
Later that year, Parker told Net-A-Porter’s The Edit that the prequel premise felt “odd.”
“You know, I think it’s one of those tests of your generosity,” Parker said. “[AnnaSophia] is a lovely girl and I want her to feel good about it, but it’s … odd.”
What Happened Next:
By the end of The Carrie Diaries, Carrie opted to forgo college to pursue a dream writing job as a journalist in a move that disappointed her dad. Episodes earlier, she found a specific penchant for writing about her real life (namely losing her virginity to Chris Wood’s Adam Weaver) that would eventually inspire the sex column and memoirs penned in SATC.
Parker, meanwhile, reprised her role of Carrie in 2021’s And Just Like That series on Max, which picked up post-pandemic and after the death of her husband, Mr. Big (Chris Noth). Robb has since moved on to star in NBC’s Grosse Pointe Garden Society, playing Alice.
