Nicole Kidman has said she felt 'vulnerable' while filming certain scenes in her new movie, Babygirl.
The movie made its global premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Friday (30 August).
It explores an age-gap relationship in which Kidman plays CEO Romy, who is having an affair with her intern, Samuel - played by Harris Dickinson.
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While Romy is trying to navigate her demanding career with her marriage to director, Jacob (played by Antonio Banderas), things get complicated when she and Samuel begin to explore an intense affair.
Kidman, 57, has described the erotic thriller as one of the 'most exposing' movies of her career.
The actor has also said she felt 'exposed and vulnerable and frightened when it comes to giving it to the world' explaining: "I think this film is obviously yes about sex, but it's about desire it's about your inner thoughts, it's about secrets, it's about marriage, it's about truth, power, consent.
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"... I don't think there's a judgement attached (about the character). It's for each person to react to Romy and the way she behaves."
Kidman explained that the whole experience felt very 'authentic' and 'protected' adding: "There was enormous caretaking by all of us, we were all very gentle with each other and helped each other. It felt very authentic, protected and, at the same time, real."
Speaking to IndieWire, Kidman said that the she didn't want to 'shy away' from feeling 'vulnerable' in her movies, despite it being 'exposing'.
“I’ve made some films that are pretty exposing, but not like this,” she said.
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“I just work with abandonment. […] A lot of the themes in my movies have been explored through the lens of sexuality. I’ve not eliminated that or tried to pretend it isn’t there. […] That’s vulnerable, but I’m never going to shy away from that to my dying day. I’ll place myself in a vulnerable position, and see where that takes me.
“It left me ragged. 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.
“I felt very exposed as an actor, as a woman, as a human being. 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?”
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Also starring in the movie is Sophie Wilde, Antonio Banderas, Jean Reno, Victor Slezak and Esther McGregor.
Babygirl hits movie theaters in the US on December 25 and in the UK on December 20.
Topics: Film and TV, Nicole Kidman, Sex and Relationships
Lucy Devine