“I was kind of pissed off”: A Dark Role Took Such a Toll on Nicole Kidman She Did Something She Never Would Have Done
The critically acclaimed HBO series Big Little Lies has been one of the most popular shows on HBO and has managed to win hearts with its wonderful performances and captivating storylines. At the center of the show is Nicole Kidman, who has done a brilliant job playing the character of Celeste Wright, a woman victimized by her husband’s physical abuse.
As a show that has always tried to portray women’s aspirations and struggles, the series discusses issues of domestic violence, trauma, and human strength. Kidman was doing her best, offering the emotion and spirit to the role that made the character very popular among viewers.
Nicole Kidman Reveals the Toll Big Little Lies Took on Her
As the story progressed and focused on the traumatic past of the protagonist Celeste, the physical and mental stress accumulated on Nicole Kidman and tested the limits of her acting skills while affecting her psychologically.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Kidman disclosed the consequences of shooting the series for her emotions and psyche. In one of the most dramatic scenes, she describes an incident where she went to the extreme and became almost psychotic. She said,
I threw a rock because [the door] was locked, and I couldn’t get in. I’d never done that in my life…I obviously [had a lot] pent up. I broke the whole thing. It cost a fortune.
And then I went back the next day and I said to Alexander [Skarsgard] and Jean-Marc [Vallée], ‘I threw a rock through the window,’ and they were like, ‘Whoa …’ I said, ‘I was kind of p*ssed off.’
Citing the demanding job of being an actor, Kidman further said that she didn’t get enough time to take a break and think about her actions during that time. She said,
But there’s a way in which we operate where the show must go on, and so you just keep going — you show up and you do it and do it and do it and do it.. And a lot of times, it’s six months of 12-, 14-hour days and there really isn’t the time to go, ‘I need to take care of myself.’
Kidman’s admission reveals how she stored all the rage that she gathered from playing the character of Celeste Wright in Big Little Lies and how it was an act of sacrifice, while her actions turned out to be scary at times due to the emotional toll of the character.
Will There Be Season 3 of Big Little Lies?
Although the pressure of her role was concerning to Kidman, she continued to remain committed to her role, and Big Little Lies viewers might not have to wait much longer. Speculations about the third season of the show are circulating, and recently there have been rumors that Kidman and Reese Witherspoon have discussed interesting plots.
In an interview with Elle, Nicole Kidman talked about the possibility of another season. She said,
There’s the richness of the storylines, which we’d always discussed, but it needed time because there’s actual unbelievable depth to the next chapter of these women’s lives and their children’s lives — because children grow up, and that’s kind of fascinating.
Moreover, Kidman revealed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that her daughter is also somewhat responsible for talks of a new season. She said,
My daughter is the one who watched both of the [seasons] and went, ‘OK, there’s just no question, there has to be a third.’ She’s like, ‘Celeste, she’s not coping in the second one, what is she doing? I could kind of see the point of view of Mary Louise.’
Laura Dern, who plays Renata Klein in the show, also talked about her desire to revisit the role during an interview for the Golden Globes Awards. According to Harper’s Bazaar, Shailene Woodley, who played Jane Chapman, also expressed her excitement over the possibility of a third season. Iain Armitage, who played Jane’s son, Ziggy Chapman also said to People that he would be honored to be back.
On the other hand, HBO president Casey Bloys and the show’s creator, David E. Kelley, have no plans for another season, according to TV Line and Harper’s Bazaar, due to the busy schedule of the actors and actresses involved and also the closure of the second season being a satisfying ending, according to Kelley.
