Forget about the sex, the fashion and even the cosmopolitans. Kim Cattrall, who starred as the lusty, confident, successful Samantha Jones in Sex and the City, is back with her second season of HBO’s Emmy-nominated Sensitive Skin as Davina. A shocking role change from Cattrall’s character that many loved (and still do) for so many years.

While both female characters are strong, as well as Cattrall’s acting being impressive in the black comedy series, the differences still abound.

“Davina is a parent and has been in a very long-term relationship,” says Cattrall, over the phone, where she sounds much more serious than her character Samantha ever sounded.

“Samantha has never been married and doesn’t have children,” she continues. And, yes, Davina is much less confident at this point of her life, in Sensitive Skin, especially when compared to the age-be-damned attitude of Cattrall’s Sex and the City character.

“Davina is a more of an observer and less of a game changer. Samantha knows what she wants. Davina is still trying to figure it out,” she explains.

And diehard fans might be shocked to learn that Cattrall doesn’t sit around bars, enjoying cocktails and Jimmy Choo shoes.

In the real world, Cattrall is much more serious and down-to-earth. 

“When I get together with my friends, we just have fun,” she says. “We talk about current affairs. Sometimes issues will come up that are in the show. Davina had been married to her husband for 35 years, before she left him. One of my girlfriends is going through it. I’m just there to be a supportive friend and listen. Giving advice is a difficult place to be in. My role is to listen.”

Speaking of roles, this series and the role of the mid-life Davina spoke to Cattrall.

“There still aren’t many roles for women at this age, especially in film,” says Cattrall. “I think the role of Davina is in unchartered territory. It looks at the attributes of aging, without being clichéd about it. I think there’s enough out there featuring 20-year-old angst and meeting the right guy. I think there are more stories to tell.”

Unlike Samantha, who couldn’t wait to share every juicy tidbit of her sex life, Cattrall is tentative when speaking about her two marriages, which didn’t work out.

In the first season of Sensitive Skin, her character is definitely unhappy about the state of her marriage.

“I think it’s clear in Sensitive Skin what’s wrong in the relationship. Davina doesn’t exist to her husband. It’s evident she’s going though a change, but he doesn’t notice her anymore,” she explains, when asked about the secret of a successful marriage and the 30-year marriage Davina had.

“She had her hair done in one episode and he didn’t notice at all. She’s become more of a mother figure to him.”

Cattrall has a sense of humour when it comes to lasting relationships and marriages, however.

“Relationships turn bad when there’s a disconnect. Davina isn’t getting what she needs in a relationship. It was her mother’s death that pushed her into a younger man’s arms. But, hey, I’ve never been married for that long,” she says and laughs. “So what do I know?”

Sensitive Skin, which is written by Bob Martin, of Drowsy Chaperone fame, and is directed by Don McKellar, who also stars as Cattrall’s ex-husband, delves into what it’s like to suddenly find yourself in middle age. It can be very funny and relatable and sometimes very dark.

Cattrall, who will turn 60 in August, says, “It’s still ongoing,” when it comes to changes as she ages. “I realize that I’ve been successful. But I’ve earned my stripes. I don’t care about stuff, like getting grey hairs or menopause. What’s changed for me is that I get to work with people I really want to work with and walk away from situations that aren’t fulfilling to me. At my age, you know who you are and what you want to do and who you want to spend your time with.”

Of course, people want to know how Cattrall keeps so enviably fit.

“You know what I love? Swimming. It doesn’t matter if it’s a pool or an ocean. It’s really great to just move around, without any gravity bearing you down and just to float. I love that.”

Asked if she thinks men deal with mid-life differently than women, Cattrall says, “Some men do. But I think, in many different ways, people go into hiding or they reinvent themselves or they change professions and mates.” She continues, “You realize  that time is finite, especially as your parents get older. As you get older, you ask, ‘Who am I now?’ A lot of us are taking time now for ‘me.’ ”

For her, she adds, “I’d now rather sit back than be the centre of attention.”

The series is filmed in Toronto, a city Cattrall enjoys visiting, especially when it comes to checking out the latest fashions.

“I love Queen Street West. I love walking around there on Saturdays and seeing all the new designers,” she says. In the series, she wears many Canadian designers’ outfits, and Cattrall is a big supporter of Canadian designers.

And how will she be celebrating her 60th? “Hmm. I don’t know yet. I’m sure I’ll get together with some girlfriends and do a bonfire at a beach or something laid-back like that,” she says. “It will be a celebration without a lot of noise. Just chillin’.”

Sensitive Skin airs Sunday evenings on HBO Canada.