Photo: Stewart Cook/Shutterstock
Keith Urban has mastered the art of staying cool when it comes to wife Nicole Kidman’s steamy on-screen moments. The country star, 56, has learned to separate his wife from her characters, even as she takes on one of her raciest roles yet in the upcoming film Babygirl.
Kidman, 57, portrays a high-powered CEO named Romy, who embarks on an intense affair with her young intern, Samuel, played by Harris Dickinson, 28. The drama also stars Antonio Banderas as Kidman’s on-screen husband, Jacob. The film, which includes several intimate scenes, has generated buzz for its provocative storyline.
According to a source who spoke exclusively to DailyMail.com, Urban isn’t fazed by Kidman’s risqué scenes. “When Keith is watching her work, he sees it as her art,” the insider explained. “She is playing characters – she isn’t playing Nicole Kidman.” The source added, “Keith isn’t wincing during these types of scenes. He knows it is just part of the story. He removes himself from seeing her as his wife and supports her and enjoys the work.”
Urban, who is well aware of the nature of his wife’s roles, prefers to stay out of the specifics of her scripts. “He doesn’t want to know any details aside from her schedule so he can figure out when they see each other and their kids,” the source revealed.
While Urban may be comfortable with Kidman’s work, the couple has decided to keep their daughters, Sunday Rose, 16, and Faith Margaret, 14, away from her more provocative films. “Nicole is not ashamed in any way, but she doesn’t want them to see everything she does,” the insider said. “To her kids, she is just a mom. Just as much as they aren’t going to every concert their dad puts on.”
Kidman’s role in Babygirl, set for release on Christmas Day, has been described as one of her most daring. The actress recently opened up about filming the intimate scenes, admitting they were sometimes overwhelming. “There was an enormous amount of sharing and trust and then frustration,” she said, according to The Sun. “There were times when we were shooting where I was like, ‘I don’t want to orgasm anymore.’ Don’t come near me. I hate doing this. I don’t care if I am never touched again in my life! I’m over it.”
Despite the intensity of the role, Kidman felt safe working with director Halina Reijn, who ensured the actors were always comfortable on set. “You have your director at the helm going, ‘I will protect you. Nothing that’s going to be in the film will be anything that you are not comfortable with. You are going to be okay,’” Kidman explained in a recent Q&A session.
Her co-star Harris Dickinson also admitted to feeling intimidated by the scenes, but Kidman said she had “an enormous amount of trust” in him.
Kidman’s performance in Babygirl has already garnered critical acclaim, including a Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival. This marks yet another bold role for the actress, who recently starred in the raunchy rom-com A Family Affair with Zac Efron, and The Perfect Couple alongside Liev Schreiber.
In real life, Kidman and Urban continue to celebrate their enduring love, having recently marked their 18th wedding anniversary. Kidman commemorated the milestone with a sweet Instagram post of the couple by the ocean, captioned simply, “Forever,” alongside a heart emoji.
