Nicole Kidman says erotic thriller 'Babygirl' was 'liberating' but left her feeling 'very exposed'
Nicole Kidman opened up about pushing her own boundaries while starring in her new erotic thriller "Babygirl."
In the movie, the 57-year-old actress plays powerful CEO Romy, who puts her family and career in jeopardy when she embarks on a torrid S&M affair with her much younger intern, Samuel (Harris Dickinson).
During a press conference for "Babygirl" at the 2024 Venice Film Festival, Kidman described the film as "obviously about sex, it’s about desire, it’s about your inner thoughts, it’s about secrets, it’s about marriage, it’s about truth, power, consent."
"This is one woman’s story, and this is, I hope, a very liberating story," the Academy Award winner said, per Variety.
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"It’s told by a woman through her gaze," Kidman continued, noting that "Babygirl" was written and directed by Dutch filmmaker and actress Halina Reijn.
"That’s to me what made it so unique, because suddenly I was going to be in the hands of a woman with this material," she added. "It was very dear to our shared instincts and very freeing."
Kidman explained that working with a female director enabled her to feel more comfortable while filming the movie's racy sex scenes.
"That's what made it so compelling, was being in the hands of Halina, because I knew she wasn't going to exploit me," Kidman said during the press conference, per People magazine.
"I mean, however anyone interprets that, I didn't feel exploited," she added. "I felt very much a part of it. It's the story that I wanted to be a part of, that I wanted to tell. And every part of me was committed to that."
"Babygirl" also stars Antonio Banderas as Romy's devoted husband, Jacob, and Sophie Wilde as her ambitious executive assistant, Esme, who begins her own relationship with Samuel.
Along with Reijn, Kidman was joined by Dickinson, Banderas and Wilde at the press conference, which was held Aug. 30.
"It was four of us together on a journey, and it was really, really intimate," Kidman said of her co-stars, per the Associated Press. "Enormous care taken by all of us, we were all very gentle with each other and helped each other."
While speaking at the press conference, Kidman admitted that she felt some trepidation over screening "Babygirl" for audiences.
"This definitely leaves me exposed and vulnerable and frightened and all of those things when it’s given to the world, but making it with these people here was delicate and intimate," the "Moulin Rouge" star said. "Right now, we’re all a bit nervous. I was like, I hope my hand’s not shaking."
"Babygirl" is not Kidman's first foray into the genre of erotic film. Twenty-five years ago at the Venice Film Festival, the actress debuted "Eyes Wide Shut," the Stanley Kubrick-directed erotic mystery drama that also starred Kidman's husband at the time, Tom Cruise. In the 1999 movie, Kidman and Cruise played a married couple whose union is rocked by jealousy, infidelity and sexual obsession.
Since then, Kidman has headlined a number of other films and TV shows that feature racy scenes, including "To Die For," "The Paperboy," "Big Little Lies" and "The Undoing."
However, the Australia native recently shared that she considers "Babygirl" to be the most "exposing" project of her career. During a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Kidman told the outlet that she hadn't yet seen the film and wasn't sure if she would have the "bravery" to watch it for the first time with the audience at the Venice Film Festival.
"A lot of the themes in my movies have been explored through the lens of sexuality," Kidman noted. "I’ve not eliminated that or tried to pretend it isn’t there."
"I’ve made some films that are pretty exposing, but not like this," she said.
While speaking with Vanity Fair, Kidman reflected on filming the movie's explicit sequences, which she and Dickinson choreographed precisely with the assistance of intimacy coordinators. The scenes were rehearsed with changes made as needed during filming.
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However, Kidman told the outlet that she and Dickinson were completely absorbed in their performances once the cameras started rolling.
"I never came out of it, really," Kidman admitted. "It left me ragged."
She continued, "At some point I was like, I don’t want to be touched. I don’t want to do this anymore, but at the same time I was compelled to do it. Halina would hold me and I would hold her, because it was just very confronting to me."
Kidman told the outlet that she was finding her anticipation ahead of the movie's release just as daunting as its production.
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"It’s like, ‘Golly, I’m doing this, and it’s actually now going to be seen by the world.’ That’s a very weird feeling. This is something you do and hide in your home videos. It is not a thing that normally is going to be seen by the world," she said.
"I felt very exposed as an actor, as a woman, as a human being," Kidman added. "I had to go in and go out like, I need to put my protection back on. What have I just done? Where did I go? What did I do?"
Kidman told the outlet that she was apprehensive about the reactions to "Babygirl," explaining that she still felt like she was forging ahead without her "armor" on.
"That’s vulnerable, but I’m never going to shy away from that to my dying day," she said. "I’ll place myself in a vulnerable position and see where that takes me."
According to Deadline, the film received a seven-minute standing ovation when it premiered last Thursday at the Sala Grande Theatre in Venice. Kidman's performance was met with critical acclaim and sparked early speculation of an Oscar nomination.
"Babygirl" will be released in theaters on Dec. 25.