There have multiple occurrences where many talented individuals have lost the opportunity to add the prestigious Academy Award to their resumes. Nicole Kidman also lost a similar opportunity when she refused to star in Stephen Daldry’s 2008 romantic drama The Reader. The actress later revealed the reason for stepping down from her role in the film, sharing that it was a decision she took in concern for her unborn child.
Her part would eventually go to the Titanic actress Kate Winslet, who won the Oscar for Best Actress at the 81st Academy Awards for The Reader. The Australian actress later opened up about leaving the role during an interview.
Why Nicole Kidman Left Stephen Daldry’s The Reader?
The 2008 film The Reader follows Michael Berg, who gets into a relationship with an older woman Hanna Schmitz, who disappears only to return years after at a Nazi concentration camp. Nicole Kidman was offered the role of Hanna Schmitz in the movie, but she refused as she did not want to stress herself or her child at the time.
While promoting her controversial 2014 film Grace of Monaco, Nicole Kidman shared that she was approached for the lead role in The Reader. But the actress was pregnant with her first biological child Sunday Rose, at the time. When she told the makers the same, they asked her if she could still work on the film.
“I got pregnant, and I was meant to do The Reader. And they said, “Oh, can you still do it?” she shared. However, the Big Little Lies actress was worried about the impact of the film’s harrowing themes on her child. She said, “The way I work, it would penetrate my baby.”
The concern for her child led her to leave the production, and Kate Winslet became Hanna Schmitz in the 2008 movie. The Reader landed five nominations at the 2009 Academy Awards, and the Avatar actress won an Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in the film.
Kate Winslet Was Meant to Star in The Reader
Kate Winslet eventually got the role after Nicole Kidman refused to star in The Reader. However, it appears as if she was meant to portray Hanna Schmitz. The actress shared that she came across the book the film was based on years ago when she was pregnant with her son Joe.
She was reportedly 27 at the time and was curious about who would portray the character of Hanna Schmitz if the book gets adapted into a film. And to her surprise, the film director, Stephen Daldry, wanted to cast her as Schmitz.
However, she had to deny the offer due to scheduling conflicts with her 2008 film Revolutionary Road. After this, the makers approached Kidman for the role. But once she left the project, Winslet was offered the part again and could continue the project without affecting her schedule.
The Reader is available on Prime Video.
Source: Daily Mail
