Sara Ramírez did not take kindly to a recent profile of them published by The Cut that they felt drew unnecessary comparisons between them and their “And Just Like That” character.
The actor, who plays Che Diaz on the “Sex and the City” revival series, issued a scathing response to the June 20 article ― which bore the headline “Hey, It’s Sara Ramírez” ― on Instagram Tuesday.
“Been thinking long and hard about how to respond to The Hack Job’s article, ‘written’ by a white gen z non-binary person who asked me serious questions but expected a comedic response I guess,” Ramírez wrote in a post that included two photos that had been featured in The Cut’s story, but didn’t name the reporter directly.
They went on to note: “I trust that those of you who matter, who are not petulant children, who are smart enough to catch on to what was actually going on there, can perceive it for what it is: an attempt to mock my thoughtfulness and softness, while dismissing a valid existence and real human being in favor of tv show critiques that belonged elsewhere.”
In the article, writer Brock Colyar ― who, like Ramírez, is nonbinary ― notes that Che Diaz has garnered “plenty of eye-rolling from the (mostly younger) queer people I know, who found the character a hyperbolized, hypercringe representation of nonbinary identity.”
Colyar also spoke with Ramírez’s “And Just Like That” co-star Cynthia Nixon for the story, and suggests both actors believe that the polarizing reaction to Che Diaz “has more to do with a societal discomfort around gender-nonconforming people, rather than a hope coming from actual queer people that we be portrayed as less lame.”
Ramírez, whose acting credits also include “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Madam Secretary,” appeared to respond to those criticisms in their Instagram post.
“I am not the fictional characters I have played, nor am I responsible for the things that are written for them to say,” they wrote. “I am a human being, an artist, an actor. And we are living in a world that has become increasingly hostile toward anyone who dares to free themselves from the gender binary, or disrupt the mainstream.”
They concluded their post with “some friendly reminders,” including: “When a cis man is in charge and has ultimate control of dialogue actors say, and you have a valid problem with it, perhaps you should be interviewing him.”
Interestingly, their post coincided with news that “And Just Like That” had been renewed for a third season on Max, the streaming platform formerly known as HBO Max. The series’ second-season finale debuts this Thursday.
The Cut declined to comment to HuffPost on Ramírez’s remarks.
Ramírez joins a handful of stars, including Selena Gomez and Madonna, who have publicly expressed their displeasure with the content of recent profiles. Their responses are perhaps indicative of a broader conversation about the value of such coverage in an era when many public figures aim to exert their own narrative through social media.
Still, the actor has made a point to distance themself from Che Diaz ― who remains the most divisive addition to the “Sex and the City” universe nearly two years after “And Just Like That” premiered ― while also defending the character in previous interviews.
“I’m very aware of the hate that exists online, but I have to protect my own mental health and my own artistry,” they told The New York Times last year. “And that’s way more important to me because I’m a real human being. I’m really proud of the representation that we’ve created. We have 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.”