Love him or loathe him, Carrie’s boyfriend in the iconic Sex and the City, Mr Big, is the one she chose in the end.
He was controversial, because he was such a complicated character; seemingly fickle, but then also sophisticated, charming, confusing, mysterious, and most of all, very, very wealthy.
Played by actor Chris Noth, most of us understood that Mr Big was not a euphemism for the size of the man’s certain, ahem, anatomy, but a description of a character who was larger than life, and who overwhelmed Carrie’s life, too.
And now, fascinatingly, it’s been revealed that he was actually inspired by a real life figure.
Candace Bushnell, author of the series of books the show was based on, has revealed that Mr Big was inspired by her ex-boyfriend, former GQ publisher Ron Galotti.
Bushnell met Galotti at a Wolfgang Joop party in 1995.
“He was one of those New York guys with a big personality—you just notice him as soon as he walks in the room,” Bushnell told New York Magazine about their year-long relationship.
“I called him Mr Big because he was like a big man on campus.”
The pair was together for just over a year. Bushnell detailed their relationship in her Sex and the City column in the New York Observer; closely followed by her books and television show, using the same material.
To Bushnell, art imitated life, with the Ferrari-driving Galoitti seemingly living a big life, but actually preferring the comfort of a quiet one.
“Ron is much more of a well-rounded person than you’d think,” she told New York Magazine, adding that he preferred to stay at home doing quiet activities, than be out with company - just like Mr Big, especially in the Sex and the City movies.
So who exactly is Ron Galotti?
Galotti is a native New Yorker, born to modest parents who owned a liquor shop. His father died when he was only nine, and his sister died as an adult. After being in the Air Force, Galotti began a career in publishing, finally securing one of the top positions in GQ.
There was no doubt that Galotti appreciated the finer things his work afforded him. He told New York Magazine:
“You have a car and driver. You have your country club. Since you spend all your time doing business, everything is paid for."
It is even rumoured that his friend, Luca di Montezemolo, the then-president of Ferrari, sent a private plane to take him from Paris to Bologna, so he could helicopter it to the Ferrari test track in Marinello.
And, much like Mr Big, Galotti has been married twice. The first time, to ski champion Lisa Wilcox, then the second, to Hearst publisher Donna Kalajian.
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Top Comments
Following on from "art imitated life", as per real life, what I hated about SATC was hearing a woman moan on, and on, and on, about a man. Where by you swear if you hear his name one more time you are going to completely crack it. The funny thing is, when I later saw Chris Noth in crime shows, I was amazed at what a brilliant actor he actually is.
P.S. Was he actually called 'Mr Big' on the show? I thought it was just 'Big'.
Funnily, I was watching an episode of SATC yesterday, it was one in which Carrie says it is finally over with the man - yes, for the 437th time - and actually called him 'Mr Big'. I stand corrected.
The more horrifying thought is that the likes of Carrie could be based on a real person. She was literally the worst.