Nicole Kidman Covers Harper’s Bazaar’s October ‘Purpose’ Issue

“Nine Perfect Strangers” star Nicol Kidman covers the October issue of Harper’s Bazaar magazine photographed by Collier Schorr and styled by Stella Greenspan.

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On filming Nine Perfect Strangers in a bubble for six months: “We just really bonded and that’s unusual for this day and age. Because a lot of times people are coming in and leaving and you don’t get that camaraderie and friendship.”

On the cost of dedicating oneself to making art: “I suppose the artist spirit, a lot of times, is saying, ‘I don’t care what it’s gonna cost me as a human being, because my thrust is deeply artistic,’ … And that’s probably just a massive push-pull in any person who’s a painter, a writer, you know? If you’re really dedicated to it over a lifetime, that push-pull will collide with your existence and your connections with your family and all the people in your life. How much will that cost them? How much will it cost you personally? And how important is that artistic contribution?”

On how she manages to accomplish all that she does: “[I do] not have a big social life. I have my work, I have my family, I have my own inner landscape that I explore. I choose that probably more than I choose to be out partying.”

On the press focusing so heavily on her relationship to her ex-husband Tom Cruise and how she has remained open to love: “I was young. I think I offered it up?” She laughs. “Maybe I’ve gotten a bit more trepidatious, but I’m always trying to be as open as possible. I just prefer to live in the world that way… I’m wary at times, and I’ve been hurt, but at the same time I much prefer a warm approach rather than a prickly shut- down approach. My husband, Keith, says that when he met me, he said, ‘How’s your heart?’ And I apparently responded, ‘Open.’”

On how she has maintained such a strong marriage with her husband Keith Urban: “We’re always working through stuff, but it’s very much love based, so there’s an enormous amount of give and take. I want him to have the best life he can have, and he responds the same way.” She smiles. “We really love parenting together.”

On being one of the few A-list actresses who are willing to do sex scenes and nudity if they serve the story: “I’m not willing to just do it willy-nilly,” she says, matter-of-factly, “but if there’s a reason for it… I’ve always said that [sex] is a very important connection between human beings. Why would you not depict it onscreen?”

Regina Hall, who acts alongside Kidman in Nine Perfect Strangers, on the actress: “She’s as good a human being as she is an artist, and that together, I think, only adds to her artistry. It must be the lens through which she looks at life. She really is in touch with all of her humanity. And that’s what we get to witness when we watch her.”

Melissa McCarthy, who acts alongside Kidman in Nine Perfect Strangers, on the actress: “Once I knew Nicole was going to do it, there was really nothing to ‘think about.’ I mean, what kind of maniac doesn’t want to work with Kidman? Some things in life you just don’t need to mull over… She’ll try anything. She’s not afraid to be weird or vulnerable or harsh in any given moment.”

This article originally appeared in the October 2021 issue of Harper’s BAZAAR, available on newsstands October 5.
Style Credits:
Cover: Dior Dress and Belt | Bulgari High Jewelry Necklace | Wolford Tights
Image 1: Balenciaga Dress and Pumps | Bulgari High Jewelry Barocko Earrings
Image 2: Valentino Gown

Hair by Tamas Tuzes
Makeup by Holly Silius
Nails by Thuy Nguyen

[Photo Credit: Collier Schorr/Harper’s Bazaar Magazine]

• Balenciaga
• Bulgari
• Christian Dior
• Collier Schorr
• Dior
• Editorials
• Harper’s Bazaar
• Magazines
• Nicole Kidman
• Stella Greenspan
• Valentino
• Wolford