Kim Cattrall celebrates 67th birthday ahead of her And Just Like That appearance

Kim Cattrall was feeling fabulous on her big day.

The former Sex and the City lead celebrated turning 67 with a string of photos on Instagram just three days before she is set to appear in the And Just Like That season two finale. Cattrall seemed more relaxed than ever in her 21 August posts, donning a three-quarters length striped long sleeve shirt and capris pants as she lounged on a smooth throne with her hands placed atop two lion heads.

“Imagine where you will be, and it will be so,” her caption read – a quote from the Academy Award-winning 2000s film, Gladiator. In her follow-up photo, she spliced the image of her on the stone chair with one of her holding two brownies on a plate with birthday candles. With the still picture, she added The Beatles’ “Birthday” song, prompting handfuls of fans to wish her well on the occasion.

There is much to celebrate with Cattrall’s big day and her highly anticipated cameo on Max’s Sex and the City reboot series taking place less than a week apart. The star – who assumed the role of Samantha Jones, a successful businesswoman for six seasons – originally refused to revive her character on the new show herself. While she never physically popped up in the first season, Samantha returned electronically when Carrie was seen texting her after Big’s unforeseen death.

As teasers inevitably released for the second season, Cattrall was revealed to have returned to set for just one scene, a phone call between her and Sarah Jessica Parker’s character. The finale part two trailer gave fans a quick glimpse at Cattrall’s part in the upcoming episode, when Carrie was seen picking up her phone to find “Samantha Jones” calling.

The Canadian actress didn’t agree to the cameo without her own stipulations. In fact, sources told Page Six that Cattrall allegedly had a few non-negotiables the show had to accommodate. First, Cattrall supposedly refused to film with her former costars Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, and director Michael Patrick King.

“Kim had two stipulations - one, that she would not act with any of the other girls, and two, she did not want to see Michael Patrick King,” the insider reported to Page Six. In addition, Cattrall requested that Samantha be brought back the right way: dressed by Patricia Field, the Sex and the City stylist.

Though the Mannequin star was hesitant to officially bring Samantha back after the previous Sex and the City seasons and two successive movies, she’s never fully let go of her on-screen persona. “I don’t think I’ll ever say goodbye to Samantha. She’s like a lot of other characters that I’ve done over the years. I get very emotionally attached and protective of my characters,” she told Today show hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager.

She continued: “She gave me so much, and I’m so appreciative of her.”

The And Just Like That season two finale premieres on Thursday, 24 August, only streaming on Max.