Nicole Kidman's Most Heart-Rending Interview Yet: Actress Tells How She Regularly Wakes Up 'Crying and Gasping' About her Mortality, Marriage and Late Mom
The Hollywood star is still grieving the death of her mom, Janelle.
Nov. 18 2024, Published 1:40 p.m. ET
Nicole Kidman has opened up about her own mortality.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the actress confessed in her most candid and raw interview yet that she often wakes up "at 3 AM crying and gasping" over the realization of getting older, parents dying and raising children.
Kidman, 57, reflected on how she's become more "open to emotions" with age while discussing her latest boundary-pushing film, Babygirl.
Kidman said she considers herself more 'open to emotions' as she's grown older.
The 57-year-old Australian actress admitted she cries more now than ever before in an interview for GQ's Men of the Year issue.
While discussing films that pulled at her heartstrings – including Past Lives and Inside Out 2 – she said: "I cry, I do. I consider myself open to emotions."
She added: "More so now. Even more so."
The role in 'Babygirl' proved tougher for Kidman than her iconic work with Kubrick.
Kidman went on to explain how hitting milestones in life over the last two decades – including turning 50; marrying husband Keith Urban in 2006; raising daughter Sunday Rose, whom she shares with the country singer, as well as her adopted children, Connor and Isabella, whom she shares with ex-husband Tom Cruise; and parents dying – made her more aware of her own mortality.
When asked why she thought feels "everything all the more now" at 57-years-old, she replied: "Mortality. Connection. Life coming and hitting you.
"And loss of parents and raising children and marriage and all of the things that go into making you a fully sentient human."
The 'Babygirl' star said she has to apologize to her neighbors for her jump-start on decorating for Christmas.
She added: "I'm in all of those places. So life is, whew. It's definitely a journey. And it hits you as you get older how –"
Kidman took a "sharp, dramatic breath" as she continued: "it's a wake up at 3AM crying and gasping kind of thing.
"If you're in it and not numbing yourself to it. And I'm in it. Fully in it."
Kidman confessed she starts decorating for Christmas in November.
The Eyes Wide Shut star went on to discuss how she leans into her emotions in her roles.
While she hesitated to consider her practice "method" acting, she added: "I'm willing to go to whatever place to make it real and deep. And certain things just click and it’s cellular."
Kidman noted the importance of feeling the same emotions as her characters, saying: "You can absolutely tell when people are phoning something in.
"For me, that doesn't work. I'm not moved by that."
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Even when the cameras stop rolling and she's home from set, Kidman confessed she continues to feel her characters emotions.
She revealed: "I get sick or I get disturbed.
"It penetrates my dreams, I don’t sleep well, I shake, I have all sorts of different physical manifestations from it.
"Your body is just going, Oh right, this is happening, and I’m responding as anyone does to stress."
While reflecting on how her acting affected her when playing a domestic abuse victim in the HBO series Big Little Lies, she said: "(It) was pretty shattering.
"It short-circuits your brain."
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