Sex/Life lead star Sarah Shahi declares she won't work for Netflix again, slamming the filming of season 2 in a candid new interview. Having made its debut in March, the second installment of the steamy drama continues to follow the character of Billie Connelly (Shahi), her best friend Sasha Snow (Margaret Odette), and her tumultuous relationships. On top of Billie's established love interests Cooper (Mike Vogel) and Brad (Adam Demos), Sex/Life season 2 introduced Majid (Darius Homayoun) as another suitor.
In an interview on the Sex/Life season 2, and the decreased role of Brad. Shahi reveals that she was disappointed not to work as much with Demos, who is her real-life partner, and she its that she did not feel as ed as she was during season 1. In the quotes below, via Variety, Shahi also describes Sex/Life as "gimmicky" and "challenging," making a point to stress that she's "never gonna work for Netflix again now after saying all this":
“I’m not going to put it down, but I definitely did not have the that I did the first season from the people involved in the show. It became a much different thing for me, and I’m not afraid to say that. I struggled with the material. I just felt the thing that it had the first season — I mean, I’m never gonna work for Netflix again now after saying all this, but I can’t lie. And it was definitely a challenge.
“I was bummed that I wasn’t able to work with him as much because I really liked our stories and I like working with him. He was a brilliant scene partner. Also, what ended up happening is I was working so much and he was working so little. He’s like, in 60 seconds of the entire thing. I never saw him.
“In Season 2, I felt like there were more moments that felt very gimmicky. Those kinds of things for me are always really hard to read… But I didn’t have to do them. The boys did. There were other things that I just felt I couldn’t get behind, and it was just challenging. But that’s part of what I do! I’m not always gonna get along or agree with a filmmaker. I’m not always gonna like what I have to do or say. But that’s my job, to make it believable.”
Could Sex/Life Return For Season 3 With Shahi?
Shahi seems to be suggesting that Sex/Life season 3 is unlikely. When discussing the possible renewal in the podcast interview, the Black Adam actor says that it depends on Netflix and the level of viewership the series provides. In its debut week, Sex/Life season 2 earned the second spot in the streaming service's Top 10 charts with 43.9 million hours viewed. At the time of this writing, a little over a month after its premiere, Sex/Life is no longer in the Top 10 globally or in the U.S.
Shahi has her next role ready. She's been tapped to headline the ABC pilot Judgement. If the pilot is picked up, it'll unfold over two timelines and focus on Mia Bahari (Shahi), who is being vetted for a Supreme Court seat fifteen years in the future. As this happens, she shares her experience and memories of working at a prominent D.C. law firm in 2023. Much like Sex/Life, some of those memories include a messy love life.
It was noted in the initial reporting that Shahi could do both Sex/Life and Judgement, if the latter moves forward, but that Shahi's first commitment would be to the ABC show. It could be the case that Shahi's honest interview is the first sign that she won't be back as Billie. Netflix, for its part, hasn't commented on Shahi's remarks.
Source: Not Skinny But Not Fat (via Variety)