Sara Ramirez Confirms What We Suspected All Along About Che Diaz
It's safe to say that "And Just Like That..."'s Che Diaz has been a pretty polarizing character in the HBO Max "Sex and the City" spin-off series. Played by Sara Ramirez, Che has most certainly ruffled the feathers of some fans of the original series and newbies alike, with one particularly divisive storyline seeing Cynthia Nixon's character Miranda leave her husband to pursue a relationship with Che (which didn't go down too well with everyone).
Then there was the fact that Che was billed as a comedian in the series, but didn't seem to tell any funny jokes during a stand-up routine. Charlotte actor Kristin Davis addressed that backlash during an appearance on "Watch What Happens Live" in January, hitting back, "Oh Andy [Cohen], don't put me on the spot. You're going to get me in trouble with [director] Michael Patrick [King]! You know, I think it's meant to be more like 'hmmm' type comedy, you know, 'oh, oh.'"
And as if that wasn't enough, the non-binary character has also been slammed by some outlets over issues surrounding representation, with Digital Spy describing the introduction of Che as a "clichéd take."
But what does Ramirez really make of all the controversy surrounding their character? Well, they just confirmed something we suspected all along...
Che Diaz 'is not here to be liked'
Don't like Che Diaz? No problem! Because Sara Ramirez (and Che, probably, if they existed in the real world) doesn't care, as it turns out that Che wasn't necessarily created to be liked.
Former "Grey's Anatomy" star Ramirez explained they were "really proud of the representation that we've created" while speaking to The New York Times in February, noting they've "built a character who is a human being, who is imperfect, who's complex, who is not here to be liked, who's not here for anybody's approval. They're here to be themselves."
Ramirez added they are "very aware of the hate that exists online," but appeared to suggest they don't look at it too much in order "to protect [their] own mental health and [their] own artistry." But while there's certainly been some negative comments about Che across social media and beyond, Ramirez also pointed out that the character "has their own audience that they speak to who really get a kick out of what they're doing."
Michael Patrick King (who's admitted Kim Cattrall likely won't ever return to the show) previously defended the divisive character, calling Che "honest, dangerous, sexy, funny and warm" while speaking to Variety. "What everybody else is projecting on that character has a lot to do with what they want to have happen to Miranda in the story. It has so little to do with Che," King added. So there!