Photo: hbo maxWhileAnd Just Like That…character Steve Brady is partially deaf in the HBO Max series, actorDavid Eigenbergis also experiencing hearing loss in reality.Writers Julie Rottenberg and Elisa Zuritsky recently explained that Steve has limited hearing, reflecting Eigenberg’s real-life experience.“When [showrunner] Michael Patrick [King] reconnected with David Eigenberg about the show, the very first thing that David said was, ‘I got hearing aids.’ It was literally what he led with,” Zuritsky toldVanity Fairabout the actor, who has also been on NBC’sChicago Firesince 2012. “That actually wound up being Steve’s tone about his aging [in the show].“While some longtimeSex and the Cityfans have complained about Steve’s diminished presence on the revival series as wife Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) cheats on him, Zuritsky said that no one behind the scenes is out to get Steve, noting instead: “Everyone on the show, every single person, loves David Eigenberg as a human being. We love him as an actor. We love Steve. We are really invested in the Steve-ness of him. He’s so full of life, and the Steves out there are good guys.“Still, Rottenberg added that it’s important for Miranda’s story to show “another reality out there, which a lot of people go through — the reevaluations and transitions in life.“Craig Blankenhorn/HBO MaxSteve’s presence on the show is sparse as Miranda unapologetically cheats on Steve, and tellsSarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw about her failed attempt to improve romance with her longtime love.In episode seven, Miranda informed Carrie, “I tried to revive my sex life with Steve the other day,” adding, “I’m afraid the patient is nonresponsive.“The episode also featureda dating failfor Carrie as she embarked on her new journey following the death of her husband Mr. Big (Chris Noth).“Grown couples grow apart, and people come to epiphanies about what their spouse is or isn’t fulfilling for them,” Rottenberg continued. “Miranda’s story was very representative of a certain path that a lot of women find themselves on.““We didn’t set out to make virtuous characters necessarily,” added Zuritsky. “Even beloved people have crises. Even moral, generally wonderful people make choices that aren’t necessarily admirable or virtuous. But they do them anyway because they’re going through something, or they’re working through a crisis.“RELATED VIDEO:Sex and the City StarsAre Back on the Red Carpet for World Premiere of Their New Revival ShowNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free weekly newsletterto get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.Zuritsky questioned if fans' outcry over Steve’s storyline has more to do with a “lopsided gender issue…you feel angry at her and more protective of him.““Sometimes your friends make choices that you might not agree with or that might be concerning, but you sort of have to let them make their own choices. Sometimes it’s hard,” she explained.But all hope isn’t lost for Steve. Zuritsky suggested that viewers would get to see him express his true feelings about his own desires. “You’re going to get that scene,” she said.

Photo: hbo max

David Eigenberg

WhileAnd Just Like That…character Steve Brady is partially deaf in the HBO Max series, actorDavid Eigenbergis also experiencing hearing loss in reality.Writers Julie Rottenberg and Elisa Zuritsky recently explained that Steve has limited hearing, reflecting Eigenberg’s real-life experience.“When [showrunner] Michael Patrick [King] reconnected with David Eigenberg about the show, the very first thing that David said was, ‘I got hearing aids.’ It was literally what he led with,” Zuritsky toldVanity Fairabout the actor, who has also been on NBC’sChicago Firesince 2012. “That actually wound up being Steve’s tone about his aging [in the show].“While some longtimeSex and the Cityfans have complained about Steve’s diminished presence on the revival series as wife Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) cheats on him, Zuritsky said that no one behind the scenes is out to get Steve, noting instead: “Everyone on the show, every single person, loves David Eigenberg as a human being. We love him as an actor. We love Steve. We are really invested in the Steve-ness of him. He’s so full of life, and the Steves out there are good guys.“Still, Rottenberg added that it’s important for Miranda’s story to show “another reality out there, which a lot of people go through — the reevaluations and transitions in life.“Craig Blankenhorn/HBO MaxSteve’s presence on the show is sparse as Miranda unapologetically cheats on Steve, and tellsSarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw about her failed attempt to improve romance with her longtime love.In episode seven, Miranda informed Carrie, “I tried to revive my sex life with Steve the other day,” adding, “I’m afraid the patient is nonresponsive.“The episode also featureda dating failfor Carrie as she embarked on her new journey following the death of her husband Mr. Big (Chris Noth).“Grown couples grow apart, and people come to epiphanies about what their spouse is or isn’t fulfilling for them,” Rottenberg continued. “Miranda’s story was very representative of a certain path that a lot of women find themselves on.““We didn’t set out to make virtuous characters necessarily,” added Zuritsky. “Even beloved people have crises. Even moral, generally wonderful people make choices that aren’t necessarily admirable or virtuous. But they do them anyway because they’re going through something, or they’re working through a crisis.“RELATED VIDEO:Sex and the City StarsAre Back on the Red Carpet for World Premiere of Their New Revival ShowNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free weekly newsletterto get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.Zuritsky questioned if fans' outcry over Steve’s storyline has more to do with a “lopsided gender issue…you feel angry at her and more protective of him.““Sometimes your friends make choices that you might not agree with or that might be concerning, but you sort of have to let them make their own choices. Sometimes it’s hard,” she explained.But all hope isn’t lost for Steve. Zuritsky suggested that viewers would get to see him express his true feelings about his own desires. “You’re going to get that scene,” she said.

WhileAnd Just Like That…character Steve Brady is partially deaf in the HBO Max series, actorDavid Eigenbergis also experiencing hearing loss in reality.

Writers Julie Rottenberg and Elisa Zuritsky recently explained that Steve has limited hearing, reflecting Eigenberg’s real-life experience.

“When [showrunner] Michael Patrick [King] reconnected with David Eigenberg about the show, the very first thing that David said was, ‘I got hearing aids.’ It was literally what he led with,” Zuritsky toldVanity Fairabout the actor, who has also been on NBC’sChicago Firesince 2012. “That actually wound up being Steve’s tone about his aging [in the show].”

While some longtimeSex and the Cityfans have complained about Steve’s diminished presence on the revival series as wife Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) cheats on him, Zuritsky said that no one behind the scenes is out to get Steve, noting instead: “Everyone on the show, every single person, loves David Eigenberg as a human being. We love him as an actor. We love Steve. We are really invested in the Steve-ness of him. He’s so full of life, and the Steves out there are good guys.”

Still, Rottenberg added that it’s important for Miranda’s story to show “another reality out there, which a lot of people go through — the reevaluations and transitions in life.”

Craig Blankenhorn/HBO Max

Cynthia Nixon in And Just Like That…

Steve’s presence on the show is sparse as Miranda unapologetically cheats on Steve, and tellsSarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw about her failed attempt to improve romance with her longtime love.

In episode seven, Miranda informed Carrie, “I tried to revive my sex life with Steve the other day,” adding, “I’m afraid the patient is nonresponsive.”

The episode also featureda dating failfor Carrie as she embarked on her new journey following the death of her husband Mr. Big (Chris Noth).

“Grown couples grow apart, and people come to epiphanies about what their spouse is or isn’t fulfilling for them,” Rottenberg continued. “Miranda’s story was very representative of a certain path that a lot of women find themselves on.”

“We didn’t set out to make virtuous characters necessarily,” added Zuritsky. “Even beloved people have crises. Even moral, generally wonderful people make choices that aren’t necessarily admirable or virtuous. But they do them anyway because they’re going through something, or they’re working through a crisis.”

RELATED VIDEO:Sex and the City StarsAre Back on the Red Carpet for World Premiere of Their New Revival Show

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free weekly newsletterto get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.

Zuritsky questioned if fans' outcry over Steve’s storyline has more to do with a “lopsided gender issue…you feel angry at her and more protective of him.”

“Sometimes your friends make choices that you might not agree with or that might be concerning, but you sort of have to let them make their own choices. Sometimes it’s hard,” she explained.

But all hope isn’t lost for Steve. Zuritsky suggested that viewers would get to see him express his true feelings about his own desires. “You’re going to get that scene,” she said.

source: people.com