As And Just Like That … comes to an end, one thing is clear: Che Diaz isn’t so much a character as a lifestyle. They’re a self-admitted narcissist, an unfunny stand-up comedian, kind of a nightmare boss, and, most important, the most hated character on the Sex and the City revival. And in case you were wondering, yes, actor Sara Ramirez knows just how much Che is disliked, thank you very much.
“I’m very aware of the hate that exists online,” they said in an interview with the New York Times. “But I have to protect my own mental health and my own artistry.” The Grey’s Anatomy alum stayed loyal to the controversial character, adding, “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.”
Good thing they’re not here to be liked, because they sure are not. Che has been a polarizing figure ever since the premiere of And Just Like That … As Carrie’s nonbinary shock-jock podcast boss, their sense of humor — or lack thereof — was immediately picked apart. (Even Kristin Davis agreed that Che Diaz isn’t funny!) But it was as Miranda’s love interest that Che really started to get to fans, especially those on #TeamSteve, something executive producer Michael Patrick King anticipated. “People are going to look for who’s the villain. Che is, in my estimation, honest, dangerous, sexy, funny and warm. 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,” he told Variety. I and many other fans who marveled at how unfunny Che Diaz — a professional stand-up comedian — is would beg to differ.
As for what Che would think of the backlash, Ramirez couldn’t say. “I imagine Che would have something very witty and silly and funny as a rebuttal; something that ultimately reminds everyone that they are human,” they told the Times. “And maybe just a little reminder that no one’s perfect.”
Che as an imperfect character is key, according to And Just Like That … co-executive producer Rachna Fruchbom. “Miranda is making choices to be Miranda, and Che is a conduit to that, and making Che not perfect highlights that,” Fruchbom told Vulture. “Che is not the perfect solution, but the representation is that Miranda is embracing chaotic change.”
Well, if dyeing your hair red, quitting your job, and moving across the country to be with a self-proclaimed narcissist isn’t embracing chaotic energy, I don’t know what is.
