'Australia' Screenwriter Talks Up the Film and Questions Kidman's Beauty
Filed under: Drama, Casting, Nicole Kidman
Writer and historian Richard Flanagan took some time out to speak with Australian ABC North Coast radio recently; he talked about writing Australia with Baz Luhrmann and spending some time with the film's star, Nicole Kidman. I like to just casually drop big news like this too, like for instance today I was driving to the library to finish writing up my Comic-Con posts, and I saw a guy who played a recurring character with no names on Just Shoot Me in traffic next to me. I'm just sayin'.
Anyhow, the Australia shoot, which we've been writing about endlessly, is why Nicole couldn't be at Comic-Con touting The Invasion, and the interview is an interesting listen. Head here and click the audio tab, and head down to the interview with Flanagan. Notice that he calls Kidman "unremarkable to look at." [Ryan -- what is he, insane?] He says that in the flesh she's awkward and nervous, but she can turn on the jets when she needs to. He even claims to have brought this up with Luhrmann, who told him that Kidman simply has the ability to "act beautiful."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-30-2007 @ 8:00PM
K said...
No, he's not insane.
Ever seen "BMX Bandits"??? That's the real Nicole from the Outback - awkward, gangly, not really all that pretty and that terrible accent.
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7-30-2007 @ 8:32PM
akilis said...
K, take it from someone who has seen Ms Kidman in the flesh at the Cold Mountain premiere in London, the woman is absolutely beautiful. Yes, she is ridiculously shy, gangly, awkward and a ridiculous geek but heavens, she is beautiful with that lightbulb she swallowed because when I saw her, she was glowing, it was ridiculous.
According to Baz, she has the ability to look beautiful, she also has the ability to look unremarkable. I think it is great for such a beautiful woman to be unremarkable to look at sometimes, it means she has more power to get people jaw-dropped.
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7-30-2007 @ 8:54PM
Michael Sterling said...
This whole 'ability to look beautiful' thing seems a bit silly. I mean, obviously the lighting and make-up helps, but it seems as though the ability to look beautiful is pretty much the same as...you know...being beautiful. Maybe she's not the hottest woman in hollywood, but that's like saying some guy's not the tallest player in the NBA, or the whitest dude on the set of Conan O'Brien's show.
Also, even if he does think all this, why's he mentioning it in an interview? She's Nicole Kidman so I doubt she'll be all that hurt, but it seems less than interesting and kind of unnecessary. [Note: Didn't listen to the interview, going on the post above.]
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7-30-2007 @ 9:06PM
Stac said...
And this is why we never know the real Nicole Kidman, she's constantly acting. Every interview I've ever seen of her, I get the sense that I'm just watching another performance. You can have different interviewers ask the same question and you'll hear different answers. And as far as red carpets? It's called makeup and stylists.
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1-28-2008 @ 7:05PM
Regan said...
I am so underwhelmed at the prospect of this film, and I live in the title.
There's something just so "Look at me, look at me!!!" about it. We're such an insecure nation. It sounds as silly as calling a film "Lichtenstein" or "Upper Volta" (no offence to the people of the nations of course. Just using an example).
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7-31-2007 @ 6:34AM
Jackie said...
What everyone seems NOT to realize is that not everyone is comfortable being "labeled" beautiful. And most women who are "truly" beautiful are never comfortable in their own skin. Hence the geeky akward appearence. Thanks to parents who did not fill her head as a child growing up. "Truly beautiful women hide or downplay their beauty. And when an interviewer starts by saying "God your simply beautiful"! A women who does not see herself as such is going to react the way she does. Unlike half a dozen other starlets who can't wait for you to say it to them. So they can pose "as if" taken off guard by such a statement. This people is the genuine article.
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7-31-2007 @ 7:39AM
K said...
um, hello first commenter, she was a teenager in BMX Bandits and she's 40 now, I'm sure she's changed in how comfortable she is with herself in 20+ years. *rolls eyes*
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7-31-2007 @ 11:03AM
blake said...
i wouldn't kick her out of bed for eating crackers.
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8-01-2007 @ 1:44AM
emma said...
not only beautiful but very talented smart loyal loving sexy and on and on and on. nicole's definately a 10!
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8-01-2007 @ 5:50AM
sinead said...
I am sure she has had work done!! her lips are twice the size they were previously! and it's not just make up! I think she's a good looking woman, but would not go so far as to say she's beautiful! not in a million years!! the majority of the time when we see her she has lots of make-up on and hair is styled! have you seen those 'normal' looking photos?! as I said, good looking for her age, but never beautiful!
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8-01-2007 @ 8:04AM
sinead said...
d
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8-02-2007 @ 10:14PM
joecaprio/citylifeproductions said...
SHE IS STATELY LOOKING MORE THEN BEAUTIFUL BUT SHE IS MESMERIZING AND VERY BANKABLE
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