Nicole Kidman is no stranger to bold and provocative roles, but her upcoming A24 film has pushed her to new extremes, going full Fifty Shades. The Oscar-winning actress stars as Romy, a high-powered CEO who becomes entangled in a provocative relationship with a younger intern, played by British actor Harris Dickinson. In a recent interview, Kidman opened up about the intense experience of shooting the erotic thriller and revealed the toll the steamy scenes took on her both physically and emotionally.
Halina Reijn’s Babygirl, set for the 2024 movie schedule, follows Romy as she navigates a relationship that moves from the boardroom to the bedroom, where she submits to her intern’s dominating desires. The film’s erotic tension escalates with scenes that see Romy kneeling to lap milk from a saucer and gagging herself with a tie, pushing boundaries for both the Cold Mountain actress and her audience. Per The U.S. Sun, Kidman admitted that filming those intimate scenes left her emotionally drained, to the point where she needed to step back from the physicality of it all. The Moulin Rouge! veteran had this to say:
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.’
The Rabbit Hole alum shares the screen with Antonio Banderas, who plays her husband, and Dickinson, the younger man who upends her life. The film, directed by 2022 horror comedy director Bodies, Bodies, Bodies Halina Reijn, draws heavily on themes of power, control, and sexual submission. Kidman’s role in Babygirl is already being hailed as one of her best performances and most daring roles, with the early critical buzz from critics speculating about potential awards recognition.
The Batman Forever actress credited Reijn for creating an environment of trust that made shooting the film’s intense scenes bearable. The Hours actress said she doesn’t believe she could have done the role had it been directed by a man. The 57-year-old Hollywood A-Lister continued:
I don’t think I could have done it, working with a man. I actually think the only way I could do this was with her because the two of us would sit and talk. We talked about so many things and still do, that is so secretive and vulnerable — but it’s safe.
This isn’t the first time Nicole Kidman has explored sexuality and power dynamics on screen. From her iconic role in Eyes Wide Shut to the unsettling bedroom games in the excellent revenge movie Killing of a Sacred Deer, Kidman has never shied away from roles that demand emotional and physical vulnerability. But Babygirl is being touted as her most sexually charged role yet, one that required The Perfect Couple star to push her boundaries like never before.
Despite the challenging nature of the scenes, the Bombshell actress said that the process was liberating in a way. With a female director at the helm, she felt safe and able to explore the character without fear of exploitation, even as the film’s eroticism intensified.
Using an intimacy coordinator on set helped establish clear boundaries, but the Being the Ricardos performer explained that the process remained collaborative, ensuring that everyone felt comfortable while shooting the film’s more explicit moments.
As Babygirl approaches its December 25th release date, Kidman’s daring performance will likely spark much conversation, as audiences can expect her to deliver yet another unforgettable–and, yes, spicy– performance.