Orange Is The New Black star Lea DeLaria has opened up about the Sex and the City revival, and its polarising character Che Diaz.
In December 2021, HBO Max dropped the highly anticipated reboot series, And Just Like That.
The new show follows Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte (Kristen Davis) as they navigate their life in their 50s.
The revival also introduces an array of new characters, including non-binary comedian Che Diaz (Sara Ramirez), documentarian Lisa Todd Wexley (Nicole Ari Parker), Columbia law professor Dr Nya Wallace (Karen Pittman), and real estate broker Seema Patel (Sarita Choudhury).
While most of the new additions have been welcomed by viewers, the reception of Che Diaz has been noticeably mixed.
In an interview with Page Six, DeLaria revealed that she has often been compared to the fictional podcast host.
She also gave insight into why fans seem to dislike the character so much.
“People have a real problem with non-gender-conforming individuals. Always have, hopefully always won’t,” she explained.
“I think the show appeals to a certain generation of people who have issues. I don’t think it’s the show’s fault. I think it’s the audience’s fault.”
The 63-year-old added: “It’s pretty much how I’ve been treated my whole life.”
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“Any drag queen can talk to you at length about this and [how] Black trans people just have a target on their back in our society,” she said.
This isn’t the first time that DeLaria commented on those fan comparisons.
On 25 January, the comedian released a “public service announcement” regarding the character.
“I just want to put it out there, I’m not Che Diaz,” she exclaimed.
DeLaria comments come a few weeks after Ramirez said Che isn’t here “for everyone’s approval.”
“Che Diaz isn’t here to represent an entire community. The nonbinary community is not a monolith, and I think it’s important for people to hear that,” they told Glamour.
“Che Diaz is not here for everyone’s approval. They are a three-dimensional human being who is complex.
“Che is all about speaking their truth… and they inspire some of the other characters to do the same and, in fact, inspire certain characters to question their own internalized oppression.”
You can watch And Just Like That on Sky Comedy and NOW in the UK.
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