Nicole Kidman Urges Other Actors To Take More Risks

If you're a creative working in or trying to break into Hollywood, you know how important it is to get stars into your movies. It can mean the difference between a green light and just being a PDF on your laptop. Well, Nicole Kidman understands that, and she's been using her career to help a lot of movies get made that maybe would not without her. In 2017, Kidman made a vow to work with a woman director every 18 months. Since then, she's worked with 27 women directors in eight years, and completely changed the trajectory of a lot of their careers. At Cannes this year, Kidman received an award from Kering chairman and CEO François-Henri Pinault. At the awards conversation, Kidman said, “I was going to make it possible.” Kidman continued, “I was at a point where we had a discussion where there was such a disparity in terms of the choice. You’d go, ‘Could a woman direct this?’ And there wasn’t a number of names where you could even consider people. They’d say it was someone’s first time and you didn’t want to risk it.”Kidman used her career to ensure the change she wanted to see in Hollywood. And she wants to see other actors take a similar stance and create the Hollywood they want to see as well.Kidman said, “I had to start to say this is how I am doing it. This is what I am doing,” she continued. “We will take the risk and we are going to mentor and support and help and then really protect. Because part of it is protecting and surrounding the women with almost like a forcefield of protection and support so they can do their best work. At the same time, it’s giving them the opportunity where they feel like this isn’t the only chance. A lot of it is like, ‘Okay, you get one shot.'” View this post on Instagram A post shared by KERING (@kering_official) Part of what drew her to this cause was seeing how people didn't get second chances in Hollywood. If a woman didn't have a huge hit right out of the gate, they had trouble securing another film to direct. Kidman explained, “You get to a certain age and maybe you had made a great film in your 20s that got lauded and then suddenly you’re in your 40s and you haven’t followed it up or made choices that didn’t succeed,” Kidman said. “But you’re like, ‘I’m not over! Please still keep believing in me and investing in me.’ That is important too, resisting ageism. There’s the emerging talents and then the ones that are still going who have a wealth of knowledge and experience and have somehow been cast out or are not the cool person. It’s about going, ‘No, you actually can have a second or third chapter.'”A lot of this is hard work. It's not just picking scripts and talent but also finding people to invest money in these projects. That can be the biggest hurdle, especially with financing changing so much in Hollywood right now. Kidman said her work is spent "Finding the financial mentors who are willing to invest money in this unknown director and take a risk.”I think this is a really important thing and one I think we can all learn from. If we have a certain way we want to see Hollywood, we need to work to make that a reality. If you're an actor with power, now is the time to put your foot down and to work with the kind of people you want to be around or make the kinds of movies you wish they made for you. It could mean pay cuts or doing some legwork, but you have real power in this industry. Assert your power to change this industry for the better. Let me know what you think in the comments.

May 20, 2025 - 08:25

Nicole Kidman Urges Other Actors To Take More Risks

If you're a creative working in or trying to break into Hollywood, you know how important it is to get stars into your movies. It can mean the difference between a green light and just being a PDF on your laptop.

Well, Nicole Kidman understands that, and she's been using her career to help a lot of movies get made that maybe would not without her.

In 2017, Kidman made a vow to work with a woman director every 18 months. Since then, she's worked with 27 women directors in eight years, and completely changed the trajectory of a lot of their careers.

At Cannes this year, Kidman received an award from Kering chairman and CEO François-Henri Pinault. At the awards conversation, Kidman said, “I was going to make it possible.”

Kidman continued, “I was at a point where we had a discussion where there was such a disparity in terms of the choice. You’d go, ‘Could a woman direct this?’ And there wasn’t a number of names where you could even consider people. They’d say it was someone’s first time and you didn’t want to risk it.”

Kidman used her career to ensure the change she wanted to see in Hollywood. And she wants to see other actors take a similar stance and create the Hollywood they want to see as well.

Kidman said, “I had to start to say this is how I am doing it. This is what I am doing,” she continued. “We will take the risk and we are going to mentor and support and help and then really protect. Because part of it is protecting and surrounding the women with almost like a forcefield of protection and support so they can do their best work. At the same time, it’s giving them the opportunity where they feel like this isn’t the only chance. A lot of it is like, ‘Okay, you get one shot.'”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by KERING (@kering_official)

Part of what drew her to this cause was seeing how people didn't get second chances in Hollywood. If a woman didn't have a huge hit right out of the gate, they had trouble securing another film to direct.

Kidman explained, “You get to a certain age and maybe you had made a great film in your 20s that got lauded and then suddenly you’re in your 40s and you haven’t followed it up or made choices that didn’t succeed,” Kidman said. “But you’re like, ‘I’m not over! Please still keep believing in me and investing in me.’ That is important too, resisting ageism. There’s the emerging talents and then the ones that are still going who have a wealth of knowledge and experience and have somehow been cast out or are not the cool person. It’s about going, ‘No, you actually can have a second or third chapter.'”

A lot of this is hard work. It's not just picking scripts and talent but also finding people to invest money in these projects.

That can be the biggest hurdle, especially with financing changing so much in Hollywood right now.

Kidman said her work is spent "Finding the financial mentors who are willing to invest money in this unknown director and take a risk.”

I think this is a really important thing and one I think we can all learn from. If we have a certain way we want to see Hollywood, we need to work to make that a reality.

If you're an actor with power, now is the time to put your foot down and to work with the kind of people you want to be around or make the kinds of movies you wish they made for you. It could mean pay cuts or doing some legwork, but you have real power in this industry.

Assert your power to change this industry for the better.

Let me know what you think in the comments.