Nicole Kidman has revealed she was far from reluctant about taking on erotic thriller Babygirl, and instead was excited to push herself and be part of a female-led story.
The actress, 57, will be appearing on Friday night’s Graham Norton Show, where she was joined on the famous red sofa by Wicked star Cynthia Erivo, actor James Norton, comedian Chris McCausland and singer Benson Boone.
The chatshow will see Nicole promote her racy upcoming film, Babygirl, where she plays a married high-powered boss who begins an intense affair with a kinky young intern, played by Harris Dickinson, 28.
But when quizzed about playing on such a sexual role with a slew of erotic and intimate scenes, she insisted she was not fazed.
The Oscar winner described the film as ‘weird, but in a good way’, as she explained: ‘The thing that attracted me to the film is that it’s in the voice of the female.
‘A lot of films in this genre we saw in the 90s came from the male view, but this is twisted around and told though the lens of a woman.’
Nicole Kidman has revealed she was far from reluctant about taking on erotic thriller Babygirl, and instead was excited to push herself and be part of a female-led story
The actress, 57, will be appearing on Friday night’s Graham Norton Show, to promote her racy upcoming film, Babygirl, where she plays a married high-powered boss who begins an intense affair with a kinky young intern, played by Harris Dickinson, 28 (pictured)
But when quizzed about playing on such a sexual role with a slew of erotic and intimate scenes, she insisted she was not fazed
As host Graham asked her if she was ever hesitant about filming so many steamy scenes, Nicole insisted that she was only ever excited, as she is always seeking to go beyond her ‘comfort zone’.
She replied: ‘Not at all. I loved the script, I love supporting women in the industry, and it was just really good. It is exciting and bold, and I am always looking to push out of my comfort zone.’
Nicole has not been afraid to push the boundaries during her 40-year Hollywood career, famously starring in an orgy scene in the 1999 film Eyes Wide Shut with then-husband Tom Cruise.
Writer and director Halina Reijn explained Babygirl is inspired by Sharon Stone and Michael Douglas’ sexual thriller Basic Instinct and by hearing about a woman who had never experienced sexual pleasure during her 25-year marriage.
Nicole said when she first saw Halina’s script, she was immediately intrigued, saying: ‘I read the script and I thought it was so funny. But I also was turned on by it. I was also sort of hypnotised.’
While she continued she was attracted to the project because it was ‘an area [she’d] never been’ in her career.
She explained: ‘I’ve always been on a quest as an actor, I’m always going, where have I not been? And what can I explore as a human being? And this was an area I’d never been.’
However, it comes after Nicole admitted that she had to pause shooting the intense sex scenes at one point, after experiencing ‘burn out’.
As host Graham asked her if she was ever hesitant about filming so many steamy scenes, Nicole insisted that she was only ever excited, as she is always seeking to go beyond her ‘comfort zone’
Nicole has not been afraid to push the boundaries during her 40-year Hollywood career, famously starring in an orgy scene in the 1999 film Eyes Wide Shut with then-husband Tom Cruise (pictured in film)
According to The Sun, in a revealing interview she said: ‘There was an enormous amount of sharing and trust and then frustration. It’s like, “Don’t touch me”.
‘There were times when we were shooting where I was like, “I don’t want to orgasm any more. Don’t come near me. I hate doing this.”
‘I don’t care if I am never touched again in my life! I’m over it. It was so present all the time for me that it was almost like a burnout.’
The cast convened with an intimacy co-ordinator for the racy scenes and Nicole believes she was able to act the racy moments because Halina was a female director.
She said: ‘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. There was enormous care taken by all of us.
‘We were all very, very gentle with each other and helped each other – Harris, Antonio.’
Nicole has already received critical acclaim for what is considered her raunchiest performance to date following the film’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival in August, where she was awarded Best Actress.
However, it comes after Nicole admitted that she had to pause shooting the intense sex scenes at one point, after experiencing ‘burn out’
The cast convened with an intimacy co-ordinator for the racy scenes and Nicole believes she was able to act the racy moments because Halina was a female director
The Hollywood star has been married to country singer Keith Urban for 18 years and they have two daughters – Sunday Rose, 15, and Faith Margaret, 13.
Of taking on the project, she said: ‘Unfortunately, when you have a family at home and everything, there has to be a sort of agreement that’s made where you go, “I’m now going to go into this and I’m asking your permission to let me go”.
‘So there’s a releasing of you into your artistic life and then you come back to your home and your real life. But there is a sort of letting go that’s required.’
The Graham Norton Show, BBC One, Friday 22nd November 10.40pm. Also available on BBC iPlayer.
