Nicole Kidman on Learning Mother’s Death Before ‘Babygirl’ Venice Win

Nicole Kidman was interviewed by Hoda Kotb during a History Talks panel in Philadelphia and was asked to recall the moment she learned about her mother’s death. Kidman revealed she learned the news just moments before she was set to accept best actress at the 2024 Venice Film Festival for “Babygirl.”

“I was about to go out on stage, and I found out that my mother had passed,” Kidman recounted on Saturday afternoon. “I went right back to my room in Venice, was getting into bed, and I was completely devastated.” Struggling to process her situation, Kidman recalled thinking, “‘I’m not sure how I’m going to move forward or function now.’ She was so much a part of my existence.”

Kidman went on to describe a “harrowing” attempt to leave Venice in the middle of the night to be with her family, navigating the canals in the dark before ultimately turning back.

“I remember getting into a boat in the canal, literally at night, trying to find my way to the airport, and then turning around going, ‘I can’t even do this,’” she said. “Then I went back to bed. And I was alone. My husband wasn’t there, my children weren’t there. I was there to win an award, which should’ve been a beautiful thing. That there is the contrast of life.”

The “Babygirl” star concluded that the defining experience reinforced her resilience and belief that she “could survive pretty much anything,” a strength she attributes to her mother.

“She told me: don’t ever let anyone break your spirit,” Kidman said. “She came from an era where she wasn’t given the career advice she would’ve loved. She raised us, supported my father, helped him get his PhD. She basically gave to her family and didn’t have the career that she would’ve loved to have had. She was exceptionally smart.”

Kidman’s mother, Janelle Anne Kidman, was a nursing instructor and was a member of the Women’s Electoral Lobby, an Australian feminist group. Later in the conversation, Kidman recounted how her mother was the one who urged her not to leave Hollywood when roles started to dry up in her 40s.

“She was like, ‘I think you need to still keep your toe in the water. I wouldn’t completely give up.’ You’ve been doing this since you were little,” Kidman said. “And thank God she said that.”

What followed was what Kidman called “a much more interesting road” in her career, one where she took on a larger role behind the camera and championed projects that resonated with her. One of her first big swings was adapting the 2006 play “Rabbit Hole,” which follows a couple coping with the loss of a child.

“I thought, ‘What a wonderful thing to do,’ having just given birth to a child,” she smiled. “This is how strange I am — to go and make a film about the thing I’m most terrified of.”

A few years later, Kidman scored a third Oscar nomination for her role in the film, marking a turning point in her career.

“No one wanted to give us any money,” Kidman recalled. “It was a $3.5 million film. We had to fight for every cent, but we got it made. It was scrappy, but it was passionate. That was the beginning of my producing career.”

Kidman recently appeared at CinemaCon in Las Vegas to promote “Practical Magic 2,” the long-awaited sequel to the 1998 romantic fantasy she starred in with Sandra Bullock, set for release this September. She’s also starring in two new streaming series this year: the Apple TV+ original “Margo’s Got Money Problems” and the Prime Video series “Scarpetta.”

History Talks, the brainchild of A+E Networks chief Paul Buccieri, is a live speaker series exploring newsworthy topics and historical events, bringing together trailblazers, global leaders, witnesses, authors and filmmakers for in-depth conversations.

Kidman joined a range of entertainment figures at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia on Saturday, including NFL icons Tom Brady and Jason Kelce, country singer Garth Brooks and comedians Tina Fey and Colin Jost. Former presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton also attended with their First Ladies.

“HistoryTalks brings together leaders and icons across industries to reflect on our shared history. At A+E Global Media and HISTORY Channel we have always been proud to create moments to celebrate our collective past and contextualize the present,” said Buccieri. “We were honored to join with Comcast NBC Universal in their hometown of Philadelphia, as we commemorate our nation’s 250th anniversary, bringing together teachers, veterans and history enthusiasts to commemorate this milestone in the birthplace of our nation.”