Stephen Colbert has had a number of cameos in his lifetime. Most notably, he played “Broccoli Rob” in The Office, and “Lake-town spy” in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

It turns out Colbert was very nearly cast as Miranda’s date in Sex And The City, too, but unfortunately didn’t get the part. Colbert reminisced about his audition while speaking to Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis, who played Miranda and Charlotte on the hit HBO show, and who’ll be reprising their roles for And Just Like That, the revival which launches this week on HBO.

Fans of the show might recall the episode — “Pick-A-Little, Talk-A-Little”, Season 6, Episode 4 — where Miranda is discussing a date with a guy over drinks with Charlotte, Carrie, Berger (Carrie’s boyfriend and the guy behind the “I’m sorry. I can’t. Don’t hate me” break-up note). Miranda asks Berger his thoughts on the fact her date kissed her but didn’t come upstairs. “He’s just not that into you,” was Berger’s un-sugar-coated contribution to the chat. Berger then drops another truth bomb by stating that there’s no such thing as “mixed messages.” Oh….

Armed with this new dating advice, Miranda goes on a date with a man who declares “that was one spicy Biryani” before declining Miranda’s offer to go for a post-dinner coffee. “I wish I could but I really should call it a night,” her date replies.

“Hey, it’s fine, I understand. You’re just not that into me and it’s OK. I get it,” Miranda says.

Her date proceeds to explain that it’s very much not the case. “No, no, no, I like you, I just really…..have to go.”

“Come on, you can stop lying,” Miranda says.

“I have diarrhea,” her date informs her.

That poor guy was very nearly played by Colbert. Still, the Late Show host isn’t too distraught about it. And he confessed that he does whip out the Biryani line a lot.

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