Mr. Big (Sex and the City) Mr. Big (Sex and the City) John James "Mr. Big" Preston is a recurring character in the HBO series "Sex and the City", portrayed by Chris Noth. He is the primary on-and-off love interest of the series' protagonist, Carrie Bradshaw, who usually simply refers to him as "Big". According to accounts in the press, the Mr. Big character was based on publishing executive Ron Galotti, former publisher of "GQ" and "Talk". Bushnell told "New York Magazine" in 2004, "He was one of those New York guys with a big personality—you just notice him as soon as he walks in the
Mr. Big (Sex and the City) room," and "I called him Mr. Big because he was like a big man on campus." Big appeared in Comcast's list of TV's Most Intriguing Characters. "Big" appears in the first episode of "Sex and the City" as a very attractive stranger who helps Carrie pick up the contents of her purse (notably cosmetics and condoms) after she is accidentally bumped by a stranger on the streets of Manhattan. The nickname "Big" refers to his status as a "major tycoon, major dreamboat, and majorly out of [Carrie's] league," according to the show's dialogue. (His real name is not revealed to