Why Nicole’s got a hit film in her DNA
Nicole Kidman has been discussing bringing her portrait of dna pioneer Rosalind Franklin to the big screen. Kidman has read a script about Franklin, written by anna Ziegler, author of the play, Photograph 51, that tempted the actress back to the West end.
Her return, after an absence of 17 years, won rave reviews from critics this week; there was praise for her co-stars, too, and director michael Grandage.
Grandage told me he and business partner James Bierman plan to make the film version of Photograph 51, with nicole in the main role of molecular biologist Franklin, who was pivotal in decoding ‘the secret of life’: the structure of dna.
He said the film would not simply be a movie of the play. ‘ it’s going to be a proper picture,’ he told me.
nicole insisted the film project was ‘a way off ’; and said she wanted to enjoy being back on the london stage first: ‘ The opening night’s over and i couldn’t be more relieved!’
The oscar winner said the entire cast had been ‘nervous and excited’ before the press performance, ‘but i think i was a bit more terrified.
‘We just played it the best we could, but were so eager to get through it that we lost several minutes of the running time.’
looking around the first-night reception at the national Portrait Gallery, she pointed out her fellow players. She was warm about all of them — particularly Stephen campbell moore, who played scientist maurice Wilkins, who worked with Franklin, though not as closely as he would have liked.
She also joked with Will attenborough (a star in the making), edward Bennett, Patrick Kennedy and Joshua Silver.
The group got to know each other pretty well during weeks of rehearsals, which would often begin with exercises t hat involved jumping up and down, Grandage said.
‘You’ve not met nicole Kidman until you’ve seen her rolling around on the rehearsal room floor,’ Grandage told me solemnly. ‘She was game for it all.’
nicole’s husband Keith Urban flew in from the U.S. for monday’s first night. ‘i’m so proud of her,’ he said, adding that he will catch the play a few more times before the run ends.
‘i’m having the time of my life,’ nicole told me, adding that she would like to play Franklin on stage ‘in another city’ before taking her on to the big screen.