Entertainment

Nicole Kidman Said What?!

by Rachel Simon

The last time Nicole Kidman made headlines, it was two months ago, and she was going ballistic on a paparazzi who'd accidentally knocked her over with his bike. So when, this week, we heard the actress was back in the press, we weren't too optimistic — that is, until we read the surprising interviews. In a seemingly out-of-character move, the typically reserved Kidman shared honest, funny, and intimate details about her life, from her "intoxicating" marriage to Tom Cruise to her history of being "the girl who would dance on the table with a snake." Say what?

Kidman, whose newest movie, Grace of Monaco , was pushed back last month from a November release date to one next March, has spent the last week giving interviews to promote both the movie and her spokeswoman role for Jimmy Choo. Whether it's comparing her media-hounded relationship with Cruise to Brad and Angelina's in Vanity Fair, reminiscing on being "the party girl of all party girls" in an ad for Jimmy Choo, or, through the proxy of her husband, Keith Urban, revealing that she's not unfamiliar with sexting, Kidman's recent quotes have made waves for their candidness, an uncharacteristic trait from the ultra-private actress.

Kidman's choice to open up may seem surprising at first, but it makes a lot more sense when you consider one fact: She's happy. She's married to her "great love," has two adorable daughters, and, at 46, is one of the few middle-aged actresses still getting quality roles. With a life that good, it's no wonder she wants to talk about it.

And we couldn't be happier she is. Kidman has always been somewhat of an enigma, with her much-publicized marriage and divorce to Cruise followed by an extremely private relationship with Urban four years later. She's stayed mum on big topics like her thoughts about Scientology and her relationship with her teenage kids (who live with their father, Cruise), and while she continues to make high-profile movies, she moved from Hollywood to Nashville a few years ago, likely for reasons of privacy. Add her media silence to a resume full of serious dramas, and Kidman has developed a restrained, if not icy, public image over the years. Now, though, the actress is opening up and showing off her personality, which, it turns out, is actually pretty likable.

It's good, then, that her interview streak is unlikely to end anytime soon. Kidman has six movies in the works, including the Oscar bait Grace of Monaco and a who-saw-that-coming cameo in Anchorman 2 that's bound to get the media's attention. Hopefully, over the next few months, Kidman will continue to speak up and shatter expectations. And if she provides more quotes like, "I'm up for anything, and if that means diving in the ocean at midnight naked, I'll do it!" then all the better.