Before Keith, I was scared...
The Aussie actress is ready to drop another Bombshell in the box office
Nicole Kidman is one of those actresses who is now so woven into the fabric of Holly wood, it’s easy to forget how prolific she is. To date she has starred in 63 films, won countless awards, and was named the fourth-highest-paid actress in the world in 2019. Not only that, she has also ventured into producing on multiple occasions – famously teaming up with Reese Witherspoon in 2017 on the brilliant Big Little Lies.
An icon for female actresses – Margot Robbie recently called her “magical”, saying, “I remember thinking, ‘Holy shit, that’s why she’s Nicole Kidman’” – the 52 year old seems to have the Midas Touch when it comes to her film choices. So, it’s no wonder she chooses her projects carefully. Her latest choice, Bombshell, is based on the true story of the women at US TV channel Fox News, who set out to expose their CEO Roger Ailes’ sexual harassment. Starring alongside the aforementioned Margot Robbie and Charlize Theron, we’re pretty sure this will be yet another hit in Nicole’s very long list of successes…
How did you get involved in
Bombshell? I was in the middle of shooting Big Little Lies and I was… tired, but projects like this don’t come along very often, and I’d wanted to work with Charlize for over a decade. And then I spoke to Meryl Streep – just to name drop – and asked her, “Should I play Gretchen Carlson [the news anchor whose law suit bought down Ailes]?” Because I trust Meryl’s taste. I was also thinking – as I always do – that there are ten other actresses who would be better, and she went [imitating Streep’s voice], “Absolutely, you should, because you need to be part of something that marks a time in history.” How would you describe the story? For me, it’s about the misuse and abuse of power and the way in which these women were able to stand up and speak out and actually instigate the process of change. Even though these are very complicated issues we’re dealing with, I think the film presents the story in an entertaining way, it’s visceral, and it’s told from a female point of view. One of the surprising aspects of the story is how the three female protagonists don’t form a united front against sexual harassment – at first… You really do see that it wasn’t like a sisterhood with the women at Fox. The women were often pitted against each other – there wasn’t this sense of, “Oh, we’ve got your back.” Especially in the scene where the other women come to [Gretchen’s] house and none of them are stepping up. You also see that in the image of the three women standing in the elevator [looking very stonyfaced], and that image speaks so powerfully, because there clearly isn’t that sisterhood.
It seems like it was important for you to make this film for political reasons – as well as for your career – is that true? I wasn’t interested in making a preachy film, I was interested in getting in there emotionally. I respond viscerally to the issue of sexual harassment and discrimination. It’s not right. I don’t want this to happen to my children. I don’t want this to continue in society and so I’m interested in how we change it. This film is about so much more than just Fox News. This behaviour has to stop so that the world is a much safer place for all of us. Was it an added bonus that you got to work with such incredible actresses?
I’ve wanted to work with Charlize for probably over a decade, and Margot – obviously with both of us being Australian – and, of course, Allison Janney [who plays Ailes’ defence lawyer]. And I also looked forward to working with John Lithgow, who plays Roger Ailes.
We’ve recently seen you in some very demanding roles, in both Big Little Lies and The Goldfinch. Do you find these jobs physically exhausting as well as emotionally? A lot of times when you’re acting scenes that are very traumatic, your body doesn’t know the difference. You take it on, and you become that person, and the tough part is then trying to shed that. It’s something that I’m exploring – just as an actor with other actors right now – because how do you keep doing these sorts of things for a lifetime? It’s so important to be telling these stories, but how do you actually stay healthy yourself, so that you can keep giving?
You went from playing a desperate mother in indie film The Killing Of
A Sacred Deer to playing the Queen of Atlantis in the big-budget Aquaman. Was that a conscious choice? I needed to do that. After doing stuff like Big Little Lies, Top Of The Lake and Sofia Coppola’s film [The Beguiled], I needed to do something very different. So, I left for Australia with the girls [her youngest daughters, Sunday Rose, 11, and Faith Margaret, nine], who I could bring to the set of Aquaman. I definitely couldn’t do that on The Killing Of A Sacred Deer or Big Little Lies, for example. But now, after watching me work on Aquaman, Sunday Rose wants to become a director. How proud are you of having helped bring to life Big Little Lies, a project that you produced and starred in? Actors rarely get to choose their projects – we are chosen by others and we don’t exercise any control over our destiny. So Big Little Lies was born out of our frustration. Reese Witherspoon and I were looking for female roles that really interested us and dealt with more current issues, and Big Little Lies spoke of the reality we were experiencing. Big Little Lies was part of a whole wave of TV shows that seemed to eclipse cinema in terms of their success. Do you think that TV and streaming services are going to increasingly displace cinema? As an actress and producer, I’m grateful that more women’s stories are being told, whether it’s in the movies or on TV. Now, I’m doing a series for Amazon called
‘I responded viscerally to the issue of sexual harassment’
The Expatriates, and I have other projects with them. And thanks to streaming, there are so many more opportunities for actors. But I still love film and sitting in a cinema with other people, sharing the experience. I started skipping school at age 14 to go and watch movies in the cinema. But I also love sitting comfortably, curled up on my sofa at home, where I can watch TV and enjoy a lot of the great series that are being made now. I think that both film and TV are going to be around for a long time. How have you maintained your passion for acting over the years? When my kids were younger, my family became more my priority and I wasn’t as eager to work. But the kinds of characters I’ve been able to play lately – experiencing their journeys in difficult, risky situations – have given me so much energy and satisfaction that I want to keep finding these kinds of demanding roles. It’s exciting. Do you enjoy being able to keep your public and private lives separate by escaping home to your husband, Keith Urban, and your kids? I’m an introvert by nature. I’m someone who would rather stay at home. I’m very sensitive, so my capacity to deal with a lot of tension makes me want to withdraw from stressful situations. When I get home, the thing I look forward to the most is being able to hug my children and Keith, and that’s the kind of feeling that will always keep us connected. How do you balance family life with a Hollywood career? I do wish I had more time. I have two little girls, and I have a husband who I’m deeply in love with – a cool guy and a good man – and we have a very strong family unit that requires an enormous amount of time. So, I don’t have the chances to go and support all of the artistic endeavours I would love to do. I want my family and I want the balance. I’m glad that when I got pregnant with Sunny, I didn’t give everything up. Because I was like, “That’s it, I’m done now.” I was in that sort of pregnancy euphoria going, “Yes, this is it – I’m retiring!” And my mom actually said, “Don’t do that. Just keep a little toe in the water.” Apart from your family, who are the people in your life who help you stay grounded? I’m very lucky to have a group of friends, many of whom have been in my life since I was three. They are always there for me. It makes me want to cry, because of the gratitude I feel for them. when you’re escaping the pressures of being a globally renowned actress, how do you like to relax? I like to relax by meditating, but what makes me feel most comfortable and secure is being with Keith. Having a partner by your side, someone you can talk with, who loves you and whom you love, balances everything. Before I met him, I was more scared. Now I feel protected thanks to this great friend and wonderful partner I have. n
Bombshell is in cinemas from Friday 24 January