Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman starred in the 2008 film Australia. The film followed Lady Sarah Ashley, who travels to England to take over a ranch she inherited. In Australia, she befriends a local man, Drover, who helps her in the process. The film did quite well at the box office. Although it received mixed reviews, the lead stars of the film were highly praised for their performances. People loved the chemistry between Jackman and Kidman.
However, it was not the same for the Australian actor. The 2008 film required them to do several romantic scenes, but the X-Men star was not too comfortable with them, especially kissing his co-star, Nicole Kidman.
Hugh Jackman Felt Awkward Kissing Nicole Kidman
Hugh Jackman’s wife Deborra-Lee Furness is a close friend of Nicole Kidman. The Undoing star has also said that Furness is one of her best friends. So, when the Real Steel actor was asked to film the kissing scene with her, he felt pretty awkward.
During his interview with BAFTA, Jackman admitted that filming the scene with The Invasion star was awkward because of how close she was with his wife. “Nicole lived with my wife Deb when she first came to Hollywood, so they’re best of friends,” he said.
He also shared that it would have been more uncomfortable if his wife was on the set, but she decided not to come on the set during the filming of the romantic scenes.
Hugh Jackman also said that his wife supported him from the first moment and she was the one who encouraged him to accept the role. Jackman said that he talked about it with his wife and created an atmosphere, which was safe and comfortable for both of them.
Nicole Kidman Did Not Enjoy Her Performance in Australia (2008)
It was not just Hugh Jackman who felt awkward kissing Kidman, The Others star was also not too comfortable kissing her best friend’s husband. However, that was not the only thing she did not like about the film.
Kidman shared that she doesn’t usually see her films. However, the director of Australia, Baz Luhrmann, asked her to attend the premiere. “I don’t usually see my films, but because of Baz, I had to see it [Australia]. I saw Moulin Rouge. I’ve really only seen that and this in my whole career,” she said.
She attended the Sydney premiere in 2008, and sadly she did not enjoy the film. Kidman shared that she was not so proud of her performance in the 2008 film. “I sat there, and I looked at Keith and went, ‘Am I any good in this movie?’” The Northman star shared.
Kidman said that Brandon Walters and Hugh Jackman were wonderful in the film, but she was not able to connect emotionally to it. The Practical Magic actor shared that she and her husband, Keith Urban left Australia right after the premiere, fearing bad reviews for her performance.
She met her and her husband’s family and left the country immediately. “We ran because I didn’t want to read anything. I didn’t want to know. I saw my sister and my family, and we saw Keith’s family, and then we were straight on a plane,” Nicole Kidman shared.
Australia is available to watch on Apple TV+.
Source: Cheatsheet
