The curtain opens. A table around which sit a bunch of journalists and the guest of honor for the meal, one of the most sought-after Spanish actresses. While conversation bubbles at the table, the -very famous- actress, seated next to a pedigreed photographer, remains silent. If she interacts, it's only with him. Otherwise, expressionless face. It's clear: she would rather be anywhere else than here, surrounded by people she couldn't care less about. The curtain closes.
The curtain opens. We are in Los Angeles, one afternoon in October 2025, at an event organized by Clé de Peau Beauté, the high-end cosmetic brand of the Shiseido group. A hundred journalists have attended the gala dinner where Nicole Kidman (Honolulu, 1967) will be presented as the new global ambassador for the brand. Before dinner, there is a cocktail with the customary champagne glasses and some soft jazz playing.
After about 20 minutes, Kidman appears. Suddenly she is there, tall and thin as a beanpole, in a fitted black evening dress by Vivienne Westwood that suits her wonderfully. She greets here and there, poses with whoever asks. She chats, laughs, seems relaxed. I think of the mega-famous Spanish actress from the beginning and imagine she would have a fit if she were in the same situation [later we will learn that this socializing time was not planned, but requested by Nicole Kidman herself to meet those who will interview her the next day. The Spanish actress would surely explode just thinking about it].
-Who are you?- Kidman herself asks me from her 1.80 m when I suddenly appear before her. She says it smiling, fixing her very blue eyes on mine, giving me an attention that only some of my boyfriends have given me until today, and only when I was telling them how wonderful they were.
-I'm Silvia Nieto, from Yo Dona, Spain- I telegraph, and I almost add a "at your service!" at the end of the sentence, out of shock. You can tell yourself 200 times that Nicole Kidman is flesh and blood, that having her in front of you is like witnessing a miraculous appearance. By the time I have uttered those eight words, we are already taking a photo, she with her arm around my waist -oh dear, what a moment-.
The dinner, in a large space with spectacular views over Los Angeles, begins with a speech by Mizuki Hashimoto, CEO of the brand; continues with the screening of a promotional video featuring Nicole, an absolute goddess, and an on-stage appearance by the actress herself, who has come to dinner with her young daughter, Faith Margaret Kidman-Urban. The audience then discovers that Nicole Kidman is great at giving speeches and also cracking jokes, which she herself celebrates with a charming soft laugh. She will end her speech by saying that "Clé de Peau Beauté is the perfect name, especially once you learn how to pronounce it." The next day we will continue the conversation in a suite at the Maybourne Beverly Hills hotel, where I will find her on a plush beige sofa, dressed in a cozy white mohair sweater, gray pants, and white sneakers.
You are the new global ambassador for Clé de Peau Beauté. What convinced you to accept? I was already using the products. So... it was destiny. It was like "wow! I can't believe it." I hadn't tried all of them, but I had used the foundation, moisturizer, eye makeup remover, different shades of lipsticks, like matte. So after the initial surprise, it was an immediate yes. I am very demanding. And this is a fantastic brand. From the packaging to how they do things or how they organize an event, everything in the company is very authentic, with a huge sense of quality and the pursuit of excellence.
If Clé de Peau Beauté was looking for an ambassador who embodies what the brand aims to convey, that claim of radiance that is its hallmark, they could not have found a better one. In my interview with Mizuki Hashimoto, CEO of the brand, she will tell me that the actress "embodies our philosophy of radiance, not only in her appearance but also in her confidence, intelligence, and the purpose she infuses into everything she does. She will help us tell deep stories about the brand and beauty with meaning."
It must be admitted that Nicole Kidman shines. Even more up close. While we talk, it is inevitable to notice her complexion, so clear, fine, meticulously cared for, in that face framed by a soft mane that almost gives her a childlike air when she is two years away from turning 60. Seeing her like that, it is not surprising at all when Kidman says that in her daily life her priority is to seek simplicity. "I don't want to draw attention, I'm not ostentatious. I don't like to wear a lot of makeup and mask myself. I want to be open." She also doesn't want, she assures, to repeat herself.
You have mentioned rejecting roles because you didn't want to repeat yourself. What do you still have left to do? Well, now I'm in Lioness, which I produce with Taylor Sheridan [she was nominated for the Critics Choice Awards for her role in this series that will premiere its third season next year], where I play a tough woman, one of those controlling and strategic CIA bosses. So, what I'm looking for next is something completely visceral. I have accepted a small role to support a great director, Osgood Perkins, who directed Longless [2024] with Nicolas Cage. It's a horror movie. I said to myself, "Let's do something a little crazy." Then I have a series coming out called Scarpetta, where I play a forensic doctor. And then I'll take a break [laughs]. But with this range of women, I think I have it covered. Besides, I produce. And I run a company. And I'm a mother. I'm very busy. My sister [Antonia] is coming on Sunday. We're going to have some sister time. We are very close. We spend holidays together and share our secrets. The truth is, I come from a family of women with very strong bonds. Oh, I also just finished Practical Magic 2, the sequel to the witch movie we made in 1998. Having Sandy Bullock as a sister is... a tribute to sibling love. Was it fun? Yes, and very beautiful. We spent the summer in London, so we were able to travel around Europe. We went to Portugal and Greece for sightseeing. I was at the Glastonbury festival. I saw Charlie XCX, danced a bit... I'm very diverse.
Unlike many actresses who block any attempt to penetrate the shell that separates their private life from the public one, Kidman, an expert communicator, stretches with aspects of her inner self. For example, she talks about the difficulties she had in the past to say "no," which she considers to be inherited from being the firstborn of a mother [Janelle Ann, who passed away in 2024] who had breast cancer and of whom the actress, very young at the time, became the primary caregiver. Now, she explains, her focus is on managing her own time. "It is the most valuable thing we have," she says, "and a commodity that becomes increasingly limited as we age."
So what does the expression 'me time' mean to you? I like to snuggle in bed and read. I have a toy poodle [Julian]. I adore him. And I have my girls, whom I love to mother, but without losing myself in the role because as a generous person, I can become obsessed. I have to learn to let them fly, without holding on too tightly to them.
That motherhood is a central matter in Kidman's life is clear. During her relationship with Tom Cruise in the early '90s, they adopted two children, who are now adults, Bella and Connor, who stayed with the father after the couple's divorce. With musician Keith Urban, from whom she announced her divorce shortly after this interview took place, the actress has two daughters, Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 14.
"The oldest works as a model," she says. Before my mother died, I said, 'Oh, I shouldn't let her do it, she's too young.' And my mother replied, 'You did it. I think you have to let her go a bit. She may stumble, but she will get up and move on.' And I have seen how her confidence has grown because of that, it has been very positive for her. She wants to be a film director, but today she loves to walk the runway. She is 17, and... It excites me because she is so brave! And she is also able to handle her studies well. She just walked at the New York Fashion Week with Calvin Klein and Kate [Moss]. Look: I was like, 'Don't fall!' And she said to me, 'Mom, I got this,' which I thought was great. She looked at me and added, 'And if I fall, I'll get back up.' And I thought, 'How?' Having that attitude at 17 is incredible."
From her daughters, we move on to talk about all the girls in the world, especially the most disadvantaged, who played an important role in the Clé de Peau Beauté event in Los Angeles through the projects the brand develops with UNICEF. Since 2019, to support the organization's gender equality programs, they started an alliance aimed at equipping young girls with STEM skills and increasing access to training opportunities. Over 12.4 million girls have benefited so far. Kidman speaks with admiration of the project and explains how she herself strives to remain "vulnerable," for issues like this to continue affecting her, not to harden as a way to protect herself from the world. The conversation shifts towards self-care.
Do you have any ritual that you always follow, even on a very busy day?
I always try to go for a walk, run, swim, or do some kind of physical self-care activity. And I meditate. In the morning? I can't always do it in the morning. But I inevitably meditate for 20 minutes a day, I need it. It calms my nervous system. It allows the anxiety to flow and quiet down... My father taught me how to do it when my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, when we were looking for ways to help her. I know it's hard, and that 10 or 20 minutes may seem like a lot... But even if it's just five... sometimes it's enough: breathe. Breathe...
The curtain falls.