March 24--The fight for Carrie Bradshaw's heart on "Sex and the City" would have been different if show creator Darren Star had cast his initial choices for Bradshaw's boyfriends.
Star said he considered Alec Baldwin for the role of Mr. Big, Bradshaw's main love interest on the HBO show, and Chicago native Aidan Quinn for the role of Aidan Shaw, a furniture designer who also proposed to Bradshaw (played by Sarah Jessica Parker).
Longtime "Law and Order" star Chris Noth played Mr. Big while "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" star John Corbett played Shaw.
"I don't really watch 'Law and Order,' but I met with Chris Noth and thought he was perfect. I remember the first table read, how good he was. I'm not saying that Chris was Mr. Big, but he brought a lot of his own persona to the role," Star told Entertainment Weekly in a story posted online Wednesday.
"We initially were thinking about Aidan Quinn for Aidan, but I think he wasn't available. I loved John Corbett in 'Northern Exposure,' and we were like, 'Well, what's John Corbett been up to?' He just had the laconic, dudish vibe. But we kept 'Aidan' because we loved the name."
The show, which aired from 1998-2004, spawned film sequels in 2008 and 2010.
Parker and Noth reprised their roles for both films while Corbett appeared in the second movie. It's unclear if there will be a third film in the series.
Quinn, who spent part of his childhood living in the Ravenswood neighborhood and trained at the Piven Theatre Workshop in Evanston, went on to appear in "Practical Magic" and "Jonah Hex." He stars on the CBS drama "Elementary."
Baldwin starred on "30 Rock" and appeared in "Still Alice" and "Concussion." He's set to star in the upcoming film "Drunk Parents."
