Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon on ‘Big Little Lies’ Season 3, their exciting new projects and their “lifetime” collaboration
Kidman: That is lulu [Wang] and I, we both said, “Wow, did you see that Ji Young [Yoo] and her audition?” And then Lulu said, “Yeah, but I want her to do it again, because it was so sexy.” And then I remember that we both love each other Brian [Tee], so we said, “We have to get him. Please, Brian Tee,” and he just came to deliver it to us. And Sarayu [Blue]—we know she can be funny, but she’s also dramatic. She had it. However, it’s you. You too. You can learn stone slab dialogue, literally, on the spot. I was learning it a few weeks ago, and Reese would go—and then she would riff!
Wither: Well, since I didn’t really study it, I just winged it.
Kidman: It’s like crazy. How? [Pause] She doesn’t want to talk.
Wither: I don’t want to talk about it because I don’t understand either. I don’t have any process. I didn’t study. That’s another thing. You didn’t go to acting school, right?
Kidman: No, I was. When I was 14 years old, I attended a local theater school.
Wither: But you didn’t go to Juilliard or RADA.
Kidman: The directors I’ve worked with, George Miller was one of them, asked me not to come NIDA, because I want to go to NIDA. They said, “You’re working in the industry and then you’re gone for three years. Please, don’t do that, stay with us and we promise you…” And they gave me the guidance that I needed, because the other actors had left. I would train with different people who were teaching at NIDA, or I would take a workshop on Shakespeare. But I also went to drama school every weekend. Did you do that?
Wither: I just didn’t go to acting school. I did small local things in Nashville, and then I got a big role when I was 14, and I never went back to school, because I thought, “I’m making it here and I’m going to cancel whatever is natural.” .”
Kidman: Our paths always cross and that’s one of the things I love about us. We started working together and said, “Okay, from this point on, it’s life.” We’ll play bridge and I’ll be older than you, but we’ll sit there. I’d say, “Can you get me the cover?”
Wither: We always joke that we’re going to be those old ladies standing on the front porch singing that song. What song?
Kidman: Oh, don’t! “Dream.” We don’t know all the words yet, do we?
Wither: We are still illiterate.
Kidman: Jean-Marc Vallée wanted us to sing all the time.
Wither: One time we were on vacation and they started playing music and we got up and sang. We can’t remember it. I said, “Come on.” We can’t remember any words. Stevie Nicks will be horrified.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
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