The directors Nicole Kidman is desperate to work with: “I’m always open to the discovery of new people”
Surely one of the greatest aspects of being an actor is the opportunity to work with filmmakers you admire—iconic directors you may have grown up watching. Nicole Kidman, one of Hollywood’s most recognized modern actors, has been fortunate enough to collaborate with many prestigious names throughout her career, helping her become one of the most established figures in the acting world.
She began acting in Australia – where she grew up – before appearing in Hollywood productions. One of her first major movies was Days of Thunder, in which she starred alongside her future husband, Tom Cruise, under the direction of Tony Scott. It received mixed reviews, but after starring in a few more movies, like Far and Away and My Life, she landed a role in Batman Forever, exposing her to a wider audience.
Since then, Kidman has appeared in a mixture of commercially successful movies and more experimental productions, working alongside a wide range of filmmakers. After working with Gus Van Sant on To Die For and Jane Campion on Portrait of a Lady, she found herself appearing in her biggest project yet – Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut.
It was the legendary director’s final film, and Kidman starred with Cruise as a couple, Alice and Bill, whose stability is threatened after Alice admits she sometimes fantasizes about other men. Bill finds himself at odds with this information and subsequently enters a world of corruption, power, obsession, and sex.
The shoot took a lot longer than anticipated, but Kidman was happy to be working with such an extraordinary and unique director for such an extended period of time. She once told the Los Angeles Times, “I would have stayed a third year. Does that mean I’m crazy?”
Following Eyes Wide Shut, Kidman has worked with everyone from Baz Luhrmann to Jonathan Glazer, Lars Von Trier, Park Chan-wook, Werner Herzog, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Sofia Coppola. However, there are many names she would love to work with that she has not yet had the chance to be directed by, although there is still plenty of time for Kidman to land a role with one of her dream directors.
Talking to Vanity Fair, Kidman revealed, “I’ve always said I want to work with [Martin] Scorsese if he does a film with women,” before adding, “I’d love to work with Kathryn Bigelow. I’d love to work with Spike Jones.”
It’s easy to see Kidman working with these filmmakers, and considering her status as one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, we’re sure her wishes will likely be fulfilled. “I’d love to work with PTA [Paul Thomas Anderson]. I’ve always wanted to work with Michael Haneke,” Kidman continued before highlighting her love of working with smaller auteurs.
Concluding: “And there’s a whole slew of new up-and-coming directors—there’s so many, and I’m always open to the discovery of new people. And I find it really exciting when you go, ‘Here’s someone that’s so experienced and has been working and working, but they’ve now really hit their stride.’”
