The Nicole Kidman movie that made her squirm in her seat
Having worked with acclaimed directors such as Stanley Kubrick and Lars von Trier, Nicole Kidman has made very few missteps during her illustrious career. Ranging from The Killing of a Sacred Deer to The Portrait of a Lady, Kidman’s filmography is filled with numerous gems that deserve the attention of global audiences.
Even in recent years, Kidman has continued to deliver strong performances in a wide variety of new projects. Her rendition of Lucille Ball in Aaron Sorkin’s drama Being the Ricardos earned her widespread acclaim, cementing her status as one of the most talented actors in the modern landscape of cinema.
Despite Kidman’s success as a performing artist, there are some projects that she favours less than others. According to the actor, there’s one particular film which still bothers her due to her bizarre performance in the production. Titled Australia, the feature is an adventure epic directed by Baz Luhrmann, a project which explores events in northern Australia during World War II.
Initially, Luhrmann wanted to create a project about Alexander the Great with Kidman and Leonardo DiCaprio, but he changed his mind after the release of Oliver Stone’s Alexander. Instead, Australia came into existence which gave Kidman the opportunity to star alongside Hugh Jackman.
During the Sydney premiere of Australia, Kidman became very uncomfortable after watching her work in the film. Although she praised the performances of Hugh Jackman and Brandon Walters, the actor admitted that she had no personal connection to the project, and it made her “squirm” in her seat.
Kidman said (via The Sydney Morning Herald): “I can’t look at this movie and be proud of what I’ve done. I sat there, and I looked at Keith and went, ‘Am I any good in this movie?’ But I thought Brandon Walters and Hugh Jackman were wonderful. It’s just impossible for me to connect to it emotionally at all.”
Shortly after the premiere was over, Kidman didn’t stick around to find out about the critical reception. She added: “We ran because I didn’t want to read anything. I didn’t want to know. I saw my sister and my family, and we saw Keith’s family, and then we were straight on a plane.”
