Nicole Kidman on value of working with, spotlighting dynamic women

It’s helpful to have friends in high places. It’s why on a gorgeous day in Monterey, California, Nicole Kidman sat down with an actress who knows her craft. She has a few little gold statues, and why not? Her name is Meryl Streep.

Kidman wanted a little professional advice.

Specifically, should Kidman, 52, take on the role of newscaster Gretchen Carlson in the new film “Bombshell?”

“I said to Meryl, ‘I can think of ten other actresses that would be better.’ It’s this thing I always do,” Kidman said to her “Big Little Lies” costar. “But Meryl jumped in there and said, ‘Absolutely. You should absolutely do it.’

“She said, ‘You need to be a part of something that marks a time in history,’” recalled Kidman who added, “That was the moment when I said, ‘Yeah, that’s so right.’ ”

Now there is Oscar buzz for Kidman who joins powerhouse actresses Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly and Margot Robbie in the story that spurred on the #metoo movement. It’s Carlson who accused Fox News head Roger Ailes (John Lithgow) of sexual harassment before he stepped down as Fox News CEO in 2016.

For Kidman, the raves for “Bombshell” wrap a big year that also included the “Big Little Lies” sequel. The red headed beauty is also a busy working mom whose hubby Keith Urban starts a residency in Las Vegas in 2020.

What is your ideal Sunday?

Nicole Kidman: I’m home with my husband and girls (Sunday Rose, 11, and Faith Margaret, 9) in Nashville. We go to church together and maybe later we’re biking in the park. It’s a family day of just being together, putting on some music, cooking, taking walks and enjoying each other. What could be better?

What drew you to “Bombshell?”

It’s such an important story. For me, it’s about the misuse of power and abuse. These women were able to stand up and speak out. They actually instigated a massive change. Even though these are very complicated issues that we’re dealing with, I think we do so in “Bombshell” in a really entertaining way, an accessible way and a way that is visceral. And it’s all told from a female point of view.

You’ve mentioned that you’re a big fan of Charlize Theron.

I wanted to work with her for a decade now, and also I wanted to work with Margot. Obviously, we’re both Australians, so there was that strong pull. Connie Britton (as Beth Ailes) is in the film and she’s a good friend, and I love Allison Janney (as Susan Estrich). And then you have John Lithgow. This combination is really amazing.

This isn’t always a story of women supporting women.

With this story, it wasn’t like a sisterhood. It wasn’t, “Oh, we all got each other’s backs.” There is a scene with all of us in that elevator. There isn’t that feeling of “I got you.” I found the complications of this story so compelling. Everyone had their own lanes. They’re all jockeying. You also see that the women were pitted against each other.

You’ve said that one of the reasons you did this film was for your two daughters, Sunday and Faith.

I don’t want this to someday happen to my child. I don’t want it to keep happening in the world. The film is not just meant to be about Fox News. It is about a much bigger scale of abuse. This has to stop happening in the world as we make the world a much safer place for all of us.

Perhaps the film will encourage other women to speak up.

I would hope that it would cause someone to feel that they can speak up and be heard and be believed. There’s power in numbers and strength in standing together. It’s part of the reason to stand together with these women to do this film. Because the more we stand together, the stronger and more powerful we are, and the more we’re heard and the more we can create change.

You grew up in a female centric family.

I come from a family of primarily females, plus my Dad. We’re complicated women. I have a sister who is like my twin. I’m deeply close to my mom, aunt and cousins. We work through things together. When the rubber hits the road, we hang in. We’ll get there together.

What was the reaction when you announced that you wanted to become an actress?

Oh, they knew. I started acting as a child. I was shy, but when I was on stage, dancing or acting, I really came out of my shell. I studied acting and then got my first real job as a teenager in the holiday film, “Bush Christmas.” The best part of it back then was being able to get out of school for about six weeks. Now that was exciting! As I got older, acting became about exploring the human psyche. I had no idea at the time that acting would take me on this amazing life journey.

You’re about to film “The Prom” with Ryan Murphy co-starring Meryl Streep.

I just can’t leave that woman alone!

Do you ever get nervous when starting a new project?

I still think I’ll never be good. But then a director will say ‘Action.’ Something ignites. And I’m off.

What’s the best part of the gig?

I’m still very curious about exploring the world. I’m not interested in what I know. I’m interested in what I don’t know. I want to see the world through different eyes. It makes me feel more a part of the world. Above all, I’m drawn to the human condition. I’m truly interested in people.

How do you and Keith make it work when you’re both so busy?

We’re just two peas in a pod. And we make family a priority with our daughters. I love my life. Like any working mom, it’s all about juggling. I’m always wondering if I’m juggling properly. You feel a little bit behind and then you’re racing to catch up.