Tom Cruise’s ex-wife, Nicole Kidman may have established herself as the world’s highest-paid actress several times, but she’s got her share of insecurities, just like Cruise. Kidman, who has remained an integral part of the HBO hit series, Big Little Lies, felt out of place after acting legend, Meryl Streep joined the cast in Season 2.
Nicole Kidman feared Meryl Streep’s stardom
An insider revealed that Kidman felt intimidated in the presence of Streep, who holds a record of 21 Academy Award nominations (winning 3), and it was the Big Little Lies crew that felt the turbulence as a result of ego clashes between the two A-listers. Kidman felt that the Sophie’s Choice actress took away the spotlight from her.
Nicole Kidman Couldn’t Handle Meryl Streep’s Stardom
Nicole Kidman experienced what Tom Cruise experienced back in time. While the Top Gun actor feared losing his hunk status to Robert Pattinson, his ex-wife feared the stardom of acting legend, Meryl Streep. After Streep was announced as a cast of Season 2 of HBO’s Big Little Lies, it was the Dead Calm actress who spent hours, tossing and turning on several nights.
Kidman is over $90 million richer than the acting legend, but sometimes it takes more than money to get all that stardom. An insider previously revealed that Kidman was hit by a “serious confidence crisis” despite putting a friendly face in front of Streep. The source added:
“Nicole has won so many accolades for the show, but now she’s terrified that Meryl is going to steal her spotlight. She’s freaking out. She’s convinced that if Meryl weren’t on the scene, she’d have several more best actress awards.”
It was also claimed that Kidman was looking for a smaller role for her husband, Keith Urban, thinking that the move could help someone could have her back on the show. But, it’s hard to take away what Meryl Streep is known for. The actress, known for quickly adapting almost any accent, went on to win a Primetime Emmy Award for her performance as Mary Louise Wright.
Nicole Kidman And Meryl Streep’s Scene Turned Into A Hilarious Meme
Nicole Kidman, who played Celeste Wright alongside Alexander Skarsgård as her husband, Perry Wright, continued to dominate the HBO show until Meryl Streep stepped in as her on-screen mother-in-law, Mary Louise Wright. While tensions continue to brew on the set, one scene, in particular, turned into a hilarious meme.
Big Little Lies fans may recall a scene where Celeste slaps her mother-in-law, Mary Louise. Kidman recalled that she was a bit nervous about “slapping the acting legend”. During an appearance on The Tonight Show, Kidman got rather sarcastic about the scene.
Nicole Kidman sarcastically told her ex-boyfriend, Fallon, “I didn’t want to hurt her gorgeous, delicate face!” She continued:
“But when I came to do it — we did it a number of times — I knocked her glasses off by accident. I think that’s the one they used if I remember correctly. Her glasses sort of go askew. But I never hit her face, I’m pretty good with that.”
In the scene, Meryl Streep’s glasses hit the floor, and the scene appeared as real as it could. Fans were quick to draw parallels, considering their off-screen rivalry, and turned this scene into a meme, that continues to circulate across the internet.
The answer to the question, of whether it was an accident or Nicole Kidman’s long-hidden frustration, only Kidman knows best. But again, the two rivals did reunite in 2020 in a Ryan Murphy-directed film, The Prom.
Both seasons of Big Little Lies are streaming on HBO Max. The series can also be rented or purchased on iTunes.
Source: New Idea
