Che Diaz hasn’t been the most popular character since joining Sex and the City’s reboot And Just Like That. And after the character performed a stand-up comedy set for Netflix in the third episode of the series, fans of the show were quick to take to Twitter to express how un-funny they thought it was.
One account wrote: “Me watching a Che Diaz standup #AJLT” and linked to a RuPaul meme, and another joked: “How much are they paying these extras to laugh at Che Diaz’s ‘jokes’?!?!”
But it took fellow cast member Kristin Davis to set the record straight, and explain to viewers that Che Diaz’s jokes weren’t necessarily meant to be ‘laugh-til-you-cry-funny’, but instead thought-provoking.
The actor told Andy Cohen that it was “meant to be more like ‘hmmm’ type of comedy” after he asked her about the stand-up performance during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live. She then mimed being in deep thought, saying “oooh, oh”, to show viewers how the jokes were actually meant to be interpreted.
Che’s character (who is played by former Grey’s Anatomy star Sara Ramirez) features in the show as a non-binary comedian who hosts a podcast called X, Y, and Me, with Sarah-Jessica Parker, who plays Carrie Bradshaw. But while Che’s character has been widely unpopularised since their entry, the noisy backlash they've received has actually drowned out why they’re such an important addition to the cast.
The former Grey’s Anatomy star, who is also non-binary has spoken about the character, telling People: "Che is someone who came out as non-binary later in life and who speaks their truth unapologetically.”
She continued: "I thought, 'This character will teach me a lot about how to embrace the power that you have even against systems that would have you shut down.'"
Sara has even opened up about their own non-binary identity, saying they knew from a young age, but just didn’t have the words to describe it. They shared: “I felt quite limited in the way that I could exist given that I was assigned female at birth”, continuing with: “I grew up under these conditions where I had to wear my hair a certain way or dress a certain way, things that felt really rigid and not right for my body."
Sara has also shared their gratitude to be able to play the role, sharing: “I am floating on air. And I'm so grateful for the experience I had with everybody. It felt like a really organic, natural fit.”
And Just Like That is available on NOW, Sky, and HBO Max
