Fans have watched her take on countless roles throughout her glittering acting career. And with a score of blockbusters under her belt, Nicole Kidman is no stranger to acting out love scenes that has stumped many a thespian. Sharing her tips for filming such awkward scenes, the actress revealed she allows male co-stars to be ‘rougher’ than they realise so as not to hinder their performance.
In an article for Interview magazine, the 48-year-old recalled one particular frame with co-star John Cusack in The Paperboy. Speaking to the film’s director Lee Daniels, Kidman revealed she allowed her on-screen lover to throw her around ‘like a mop’.
‘I want him to feel free. Actors have to protect each other in a way. ‘The idea of humiliating another actor or being humiliated myself is devastating,’ she said.
Going further, she added: ‘That’s why, if he’s a little rougher than he knows he’s being, the last thing I want to say is, “Oh my gosh, you hurt me. Most actors are like that. We all go, “No, no. I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.” Because that’s how you release into things and find stuff. If you’re tentative and scared that you’re hurting someone or that you’re overstepping a line or that there’s a boundary that you’ve crossed, it makes everybody too cautious.’