Miranda Hobbes
Encyclopedia
Miranda Hobbes is a fictional character
on the American HBO television comedy
series
Sex and the City
and subsequent movies. She is portrayed by actress Cynthia Nixon
.
) is a career-minded lawyer
with extremely cynical
views on relationships
and men. A 1990 Harvard University
law graduate from the Philadelphia area, she is Carrie's confidante and voice of reason. In the early seasons she is portrayed as masculine and distrustful and resentful of men, but this image softens over the years, particularly after she becomes pregnant by her on-again, off-again
boyfriend, Steve Brady, whom she eventually marries. The birth of her son, Brady Hobbes, brings up new issues for her Type A
, workaholic personality, but she eventually finds a way to balance career, being single, and motherhood. Of the four women, she is the first to purchase an apartment (an indicator of her success), which she gives up when she moves into a Brooklyn
townhouse in the final season to make room for her growing family.
, Miranda is still married to Steve, and they are living in Brooklyn with their son Brady, who is now five years old. We learn that she is still employing Magda. Sadly, we also learn that Steve's mother, Mary, is living in a home following her stroke, as she now suffers from advancing Alzheimer's. At one of their coffee dates, Miranda tells the girls that she and Steve have not had sex in six months, and shortly afterwards Steve confesses he had sex with another woman one time out of frustration. Although Steve begs for forgiveness, Miranda insists on splitting up, and she moves to the Lower East Side
. After several talks with her friends, Miranda and Steve go to couples' therapy and plan to meet on the Brooklyn Bridge in two weeks if they want to forgive and forget what had happened and start again. Both of them meet on the bridge and reconcile.
, Miranda is an overworked lawyer who barely has enough time to show up to her son's school activities. She feels that she's being taken advantage of at work, overlooked because she is a woman. When Steve suggests she quit her job, she is reluctant but does after she is overlooked—then shushed—by her misogynistic boss during a meeting. To get over the shock, she decides to accompany Samantha, Carrie and Charlotte to Abu Dhabi. While there, she is obsessed with learning the language and enjoying the traditions. She also sympathizes with Charlotte at her feeling inadequate, confessing that it's exhausting being a "good" mother. When she arrives home, after they're kicked out of the hotel, she looks for and finds a more self-fulfilling job. She is last seen at an outdoor staff meeting (having found a new position at another, more relaxed law firm) where she is obviously flourishing and appreciated.
) is a successful sports medicine
doctor for the New York Knicks
, whom Miranda meets while interviewing him with fellow members of her building's tenant board to occupy a vacant apartment. Upon Robert's arrival, Miranda is instantly charmed by him, and somewhat hijacks the interview in order to learn more about him. Robert is eventually approved to move in, and in time the two begin a short but lively romantic relationship. Despite Miranda and Robert's sparks of chemistry, Miranda cannot control her longing for her current on-again, off-again boyfriend, Steve Brady. Eventually, at her son's first birthday party, Miranda professes her love to Steve, and her relationship with Robert is ended off-screen. After a few awkward encounters, Robert overcomes his anger towards Miranda and Steve, and is last seen in the series with two scantily dressed women in his apartment.
(David Eigenberg
) and Miranda meet during the second season when Miranda is waiting for Carrie at the bar where Steve works. Although Miranda simply sees Steve as a one-night stand after they meet, Steve senses a strong connection, and he asks to see her again. Miranda refuses at first, but they become a couple after she realizes her strong attraction for Steve. The couple's difference in economic status creates tension in their relationship, and they eventually break up. However, they remain on friendly terms, often leading to a sexual relationship between the two. After Steve loses one of his testicles to cancer, Miranda sleeps with him to convince him that having one ball will not prevent women from having sex with him. This union results in her pregnancy. She initially decides to have an abortion without planning to inform Steve of her pregnancy. At the clinic, she changes her mind, and decides to keep the baby. Miranda tells Steve she is pregnant and will take on full responsibility, including raising the child and providing all the related finances, but Steve can visit whenever he wants. Steve later proposes to Miranda, which prompts her to yell at him that she doesn't want to marry him, to which Steve responds that he doesn't really want to marry her. Miranda gives birth to Brady Hobbes (an homage to their respective surnames), and the two try to raise him together as platonic partners, with difficulty. Miranda initially pretends that she doesn't love Steve, but when she attempts to admit her feelings for him, she discovers he is now seeing another woman, Debbie. Eventually, at Brady's first birthday party, Miranda ends up blurting out her love for Steve and, to her delight and surprise, Steve admits that he, too, loves Miranda, and that she is "the one." They kiss, and within three weeks they are back together; they remain together for the rest of the series, eventually getting married and purchasing a townhouse in Brooklyn for their growing family.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
on the American HBO television comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
and subsequent movies. She is portrayed by actress Cynthia Nixon
Cynthia Nixon
Cynthia Ellen Nixon is an American actress, known for her portrayal of Miranda Hobbes in the HBO series Sex and the City . She has received two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, and a Grammy Award....
.
Character analysis
Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia NixonCynthia Nixon
Cynthia Ellen Nixon is an American actress, known for her portrayal of Miranda Hobbes in the HBO series Sex and the City . She has received two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, and a Grammy Award....
) is a career-minded lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
with extremely cynical
Cynicism
Cynicism , in its original form, refers to the beliefs of an ancient school of Greek philosophers known as the Cynics . Their philosophy was that the purpose of life was to live a life of Virtue in agreement with Nature. This meant rejecting all conventional desires for wealth, power, health, and...
views on relationships
Romantic love
Romance is the pleasurable feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love.In the context of romantic love relationships, romance usually implies an expression of one's love, or one's deep emotional desires to connect with another person....
and men. A 1990 Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
law graduate from the Philadelphia area, she is Carrie's confidante and voice of reason. In the early seasons she is portrayed as masculine and distrustful and resentful of men, but this image softens over the years, particularly after she becomes pregnant by her on-again, off-again
On-again, off-again relationship
An on-again, off-again relationship is a form of casual relationship, usually sexual, between two people. It is where the couple concerned do not see their discontinuous affair as an ongoing or formal relationship...
boyfriend, Steve Brady, whom she eventually marries. The birth of her son, Brady Hobbes, brings up new issues for her Type A
Type A personality
Originally published in the 1950s, the Type A and Type B personality theory is a theory which describes two common, contrasting personality types—the high-strung Type A and the easy-going Type B—as patterns of behavior that could either raise or lower, respectively, one's chances of developing...
, workaholic personality, but she eventually finds a way to balance career, being single, and motherhood. Of the four women, she is the first to purchase an apartment (an indicator of her success), which she gives up when she moves into a Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
townhouse in the final season to make room for her growing family.
Sex and the City: The Movie
In Sex and the City: The MovieSex and the City: The Movie
Sex and the City is a 2008 American blue romantic comedy film adaptation of the HBO comedy series of the same name about four female friends: Carrie Bradshaw , Samantha Jones , Charlotte York Goldenblatt , and Miranda Hobbes , dealing with their lives as...
, Miranda is still married to Steve, and they are living in Brooklyn with their son Brady, who is now five years old. We learn that she is still employing Magda. Sadly, we also learn that Steve's mother, Mary, is living in a home following her stroke, as she now suffers from advancing Alzheimer's. At one of their coffee dates, Miranda tells the girls that she and Steve have not had sex in six months, and shortly afterwards Steve confesses he had sex with another woman one time out of frustration. Although Steve begs for forgiveness, Miranda insists on splitting up, and she moves to the Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
. After several talks with her friends, Miranda and Steve go to couples' therapy and plan to meet on the Brooklyn Bridge in two weeks if they want to forgive and forget what had happened and start again. Both of them meet on the bridge and reconcile.
Sex and the City 2
In Sex and the City 2Sex and the City 2
Sex and the City 2 is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed by Michael Patrick King. It is the sequel to the 2008 film Sex and the City, which is based on the HBO TV series of the same name....
, Miranda is an overworked lawyer who barely has enough time to show up to her son's school activities. She feels that she's being taken advantage of at work, overlooked because she is a woman. When Steve suggests she quit her job, she is reluctant but does after she is overlooked—then shushed—by her misogynistic boss during a meeting. To get over the shock, she decides to accompany Samantha, Carrie and Charlotte to Abu Dhabi. While there, she is obsessed with learning the language and enjoying the traditions. She also sympathizes with Charlotte at her feeling inadequate, confessing that it's exhausting being a "good" mother. When she arrives home, after they're kicked out of the hotel, she looks for and finds a more self-fulfilling job. She is last seen at an outdoor staff meeting (having found a new position at another, more relaxed law firm) where she is obviously flourishing and appreciated.
Skipper Johnston
Skipper Johnston (Ben Weber) is a 27-year-old website developer with whom Miranda enters into a tentative relationship in the first season. Originally introduced through Carrie, Miranda finds Skipper young and immature, and becomes somewhat annoyed with his romantic view of life and love, which contrasts sharply with her cynical outlook on men. Although she occasionally engages in an on-again, off-again sexual relationship with Skipper, she never plans for him to become a serious interest. In contrast, Skipper is terribly smitten with Miranda from the start, even going so far as to break up with a girl in mid-intercourse after Miranda calls, as he believes it means that "the woman he loves most" wants to be with him. Skipper eventually disappears from the show in later seasons with little explanation.Dr. Robert Leeds
Dr. Robert Leeds (Blair UnderwoodBlair Underwood
Blair Underwood is an American television and film actor. He is perhaps best known as headstrong attorney Jonathan Rollins from the NBC legal drama L.A. Law, a role he portrayed for seven years. He has gained critical acclaim throughout his career, receiving numerous Golden Globe Award...
) is a successful sports medicine
Sports medicine
Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness, treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise...
doctor for the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, whom Miranda meets while interviewing him with fellow members of her building's tenant board to occupy a vacant apartment. Upon Robert's arrival, Miranda is instantly charmed by him, and somewhat hijacks the interview in order to learn more about him. Robert is eventually approved to move in, and in time the two begin a short but lively romantic relationship. Despite Miranda and Robert's sparks of chemistry, Miranda cannot control her longing for her current on-again, off-again boyfriend, Steve Brady. Eventually, at her son's first birthday party, Miranda professes her love to Steve, and her relationship with Robert is ended off-screen. After a few awkward encounters, Robert overcomes his anger towards Miranda and Steve, and is last seen in the series with two scantily dressed women in his apartment.
Steve Brady
Steve BradySteve Brady
Steven 'Steve' Brady is a fictional character on HBO series, Sex and The City, played by David Eigenberg.-Background:Introduced in the second season, Steve is a bartender who has an unconventional on-again, off-again relationship with Miranda throughout the remainder of the series.-Season...
(David Eigenberg
David Eigenberg
David Eigenberg is an American actor. He is known for his role of Steve Brady on the HBO comedy Sex and the City.-Personal life:Eigenberg was born in Long Island, New York and grew up in Naperville, Illinois...
) and Miranda meet during the second season when Miranda is waiting for Carrie at the bar where Steve works. Although Miranda simply sees Steve as a one-night stand after they meet, Steve senses a strong connection, and he asks to see her again. Miranda refuses at first, but they become a couple after she realizes her strong attraction for Steve. The couple's difference in economic status creates tension in their relationship, and they eventually break up. However, they remain on friendly terms, often leading to a sexual relationship between the two. After Steve loses one of his testicles to cancer, Miranda sleeps with him to convince him that having one ball will not prevent women from having sex with him. This union results in her pregnancy. She initially decides to have an abortion without planning to inform Steve of her pregnancy. At the clinic, she changes her mind, and decides to keep the baby. Miranda tells Steve she is pregnant and will take on full responsibility, including raising the child and providing all the related finances, but Steve can visit whenever he wants. Steve later proposes to Miranda, which prompts her to yell at him that she doesn't want to marry him, to which Steve responds that he doesn't really want to marry her. Miranda gives birth to Brady Hobbes (an homage to their respective surnames), and the two try to raise him together as platonic partners, with difficulty. Miranda initially pretends that she doesn't love Steve, but when she attempts to admit her feelings for him, she discovers he is now seeing another woman, Debbie. Eventually, at Brady's first birthday party, Miranda ends up blurting out her love for Steve and, to her delight and surprise, Steve admits that he, too, loves Miranda, and that she is "the one." They kiss, and within three weeks they are back together; they remain together for the rest of the series, eventually getting married and purchasing a townhouse in Brooklyn for their growing family.