Nicole Kidman: At the end! Erotic drama pushed her to her limits

Nicole Kidman
Incredible revelations about her film “Babygirl”

Nicole Kidman, 57, has been in front of the camera for over 40 years. The actress is a Hollywood star who has played countless roles. But in the past four decades, Kidman has never made a film that was as intimate, erotic and as formative for her as the film “Babygirl” by director Halina Reijn, 48. In an interview with “Vanity Fair”, Nicole Kidman reveals how “unique” the collaboration with Reijn was and why she had scruples about the world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

This is what the movie “Babygirl” is about

In the erotic drama, Kidman plays the successful businesswoman Romy, who, despite an outwardly happy marriage, begins a forbidden affair with her younger intern Samuel (played by Harris Dickinson, 28). The focus of the film is on exploring female passion, the borderline with animalistic desire and a sexual tension between two people that reaches a dimension of submission and abuse of power.

“In films, you still see so often that a woman on screen has an orgasm that is anatomically impossible,” explains screenwriter and director Halina Reijn to “Vanity Fair”. Authenticity was essential for her, especially in the erotic sequences. For Nicole Kidman, that meant giving herself over to the film physically, but also mentally. A situation that she struggled with.

Nicole Kidman: “I don’t want to do this anymore, but at the same time I was forced…”

The intimate scenes had reached an intensity that the 57-year-old was not always comfortable with. “At some point I said to myself: 'I don't want to be touched. I don't want to do this anymore' – but at the same time I was forced to do it. [Regisseurin Halina Reijn] held me tight and I held her tight,” she reveals in an interview. Safety and comfort were central to filming – but the actress had to go beyond her limits. Intimacy coordinators worked with Kidman and Dickinson on the procedures. Signals were established that could be used to indicate discomfort. “I never actually fell out of character,” says Kidman.

The filming triggered something in her. “I felt very exposed as an actress, as a woman, as a human being,” she confessed to journalist David Canfield. The thought of the screen and the audience in particular weighed on her. “I thought: 'My goodness, I'm doing this and the whole world is going to see it.' It's a very strange feeling.” She knows that her films often contain sexual tension, she has never denied that. But this erotic drama is “unique” for the actress – especially because of the collaboration with Reijn.

Kidman and director Halina Reijn work closely together

Nicole Kidman was heavily involved in developing the scenes. She met with Halina Reijn again and again, not only to discuss the film, but also to get to know each other personally. A level of familiarity that seems almost essential for such an intense film. “It was the opportunity to speak incredibly honestly and vividly – from woman to woman, whether you're sitting on the bed talking to your sister or your best friend,” says Kidman about the collaboration.

The Dutch director has a strong “motherly instinct” that she passed on to the actors in the film. It was a safe and “protected” atmosphere. And yet, months after filming was completed, Kidman feels uneasy. “Babygirl” is a film that men “hide in their home videos. It's not something that the world will normally see,” she explains. She often asked herself: “What did I just do?”

Vanity Fair has already described the actress' performance in the film as outstanding. Kidman has finally been given a “deep” role again that would show her “at her best”. “Babygirl” celebrated its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival (August 28 to September 7, 2024). In the USA, the erotic drama will be released in cinemas on December 25, 2024.

Source used: vanityfair.com

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