MAY 2019| The Australian Women’s Weekly 31
onthatfilmat thattimewithBaz
there,thatwasmonumentalforme,”
shesays.“ThenI rememberjust
havingthemostdreadfulmorning
sicknessandI wasn’ttellinganyone
thatI waspregnant,soI kepton
havingtoruntoa room[saying]‘Just
givemea moment!’Hewasso
protective,andBazhasalwaysbeen
soprotectiveofme.He’sseenme
throughsomanydifferentthings.”
Trustanddanger
It’sa beautifulanecdotewhichalso
underlinestheintimacybetween
Nicoleandherdirectors.ThoseI
speaktotalkabouthowrareNicole’s
talentis,howshethrowsherselfinto
herroleswithoutfearin a waythat’s
thrilling to be around and that
throughthisanunbreakablebondis
formed.ForNicolethereis noother
waytowork.“IthinkI justformvery
closerelationships,”sheexplains.
“You’rebaringthedeepest,darkest,
mostrawpartsofyourselftoa
directorin particularandsothat
requiresanenormousamountoftrust,
butit alsorequiresfriendshipandout
ofit comesdeepfriendship.”
BritishdirectorStephenDaldry
shockedtheindustrywhenhehired
NicoletoplayliterarygiantVirginia
Woolfin hisprofoundmovieThe
Hoursin2002.Woolffansthought
theglamorousHollywoodstarletwas
wrongfortherole,butStephenhad
justseenNicolewowtheLondon
theatrescenewithhersensual
performanceinThe Blue Room.“Nicoleworks
intuitivelyandthere’sa
rawnesstoher,andI don’t
meanin anunsophisticated
way,quitethereverse,”he
explains.“Atthattime
therewassomethingso
unusualaboutthewayshe
performed– she’slikea
racehorse– andthe
combinationofa racehorse
withVirginiaWoolffeltcorrect.”
Nicoleimmersedherselfintherole.
“Andtheninthemidstofdoingthe
filmshewentthroughthisincredible
divorcewithTom[Cruise]andthat
volatilityandthevulnerability,the
emotionalopennesswasa hugebonus
toplayingVirginia,”addsStephen.
Thedivorcecameoutofnowhere
forNicoleandherpainedresponse
wastopourheremotionintoher
work.“That’spartofthejourneyof
anactorandStephenwasableto
shapethatbecauseI wasn’tableto,”
sherecalls.“Forme,it wasn’t,‘Ohmy
goshI canputallofthisemotioninto
Virginia’.Ina weirdwayStephengave
methesolaceandabilitytogo,okay.
I heldontohimverytightly.I was
deeplyattachedtohimandhewas
abletopullmethroughit. Thework
wastherecipientofthat,butit was
verymuchhimandI thinka lotof
performancesI givearebecauseofthe
wayinwhichI attachtothedirector.”
Stephenwasblownaway.“Shewas
throwingeverythingintothepartand
whatwasbrilliantformewasthatshe
wasthrowinghertrustat me.Shewas
themostfantasticcollaborator.It was
a trulythinking,workingrelationship
anda verycloseoneandI lovedit.”
It resultedin Nicole’sonlyOscarto
dateandwhileshelaterdescribedthe
awardas “anepiphany”forher
professionally,shealsosaidthatwhen
shewasuponstageholdingthe
goldenstatuette,“Iwas the loneliest
I’deverbeen”.Gumleafbratpack
Whenfilmingfinished,Nicoleturned
toherfriendsandespeciallyacting
coupleDeborra-leeFurnessandher
husband,HughJackman,forsupport.
“When I got divorced Hugh and Deb→“When I
met Keith
it was like
I came
home.”