IT’S TIME TO PUT FAMILY FIRST
Nicole Kidman eyes up a much-needed break from the spotlight
The Hollywood history books show that Aussie icon Nicole Kidman doesn’t shy away from gritty roles. And the past three years have taken more of a mental and physical toll on her than most, with the 53-year-old recently opening up about secret health issues she’s been dealing with away from the cameras.
After settling in Australia since the middle of last year, sources close to Nic say she’s been forced to “slow down and take stock” of her health after playing a domestic violence victim in two seasons of Big Little Lies, and, more recently, the wife of a mentally ill killer in The Undoing.
Thankfully, her “hyper-concerned” husband Keith Urban couldn’t be more supportive. “When Nicole takes on a role, she’s all in,” says a source. “And putting herself in such a harrowing state of mind has hurt her health – anyone can see it. Keith has been begging her to slow down for years as he feared she’d end up having a breakdown from taking on too much.”
And now the actress has admitted that Keith, also 53, was right.
SECRET HEALTH BATTLE
Speaking on the WTF With Marc Maron podcast, Nicole confessed the dark roles had a “disturbing” effect on her immune system.
“[I became] really sick. I went down for a week, because your immune system doesn’t know the difference between acting and the truth when you’re doing [these intense roles],” she said. “Even on The Undoing it kind of happened where I just like suddenly was in this place of… there was a sort of disquietness to my personality.”
She also complained of often feeling “not well” and “unable to sleep”.
For concerned Keith, hearing her say the words out loud was “an utter relief”, according to a friend.
“He feels like they’ve turned a corner,” says the source. “For years, he’s watched Nic pour her heart and soul into her work. Now that she’s finished filming Nine Perfect Strangers in Byron Bay and they’re all back in Sydney, she is doing so much better.
She’s making more time to spend as a family – they go on dates, they go to the beach with their daughters [Sunday and Faith]. The girls are growing up so fast, and Keith was worried Nic was sleepwalking through their most precious years. He’s thrilled Nicole is embracing this special time together in Sydney.” Now, the couple are looking to extend their stay in their home country, with Keith’s concert commitments on hold as the US continues to be ravaged by the pandemic. “For now, Nicole seems to be done with filming in Northern Ireland for her next movie, The Northman, so she and Keith feel free as birds,” says a source.
‘Keith has been begging her to slow down for years’