Nicole Kidman is diving into a whole new career path.
On Saturday, the “Babygirl” actress spoke with Vicky Nguyen — an investigative journalist and University of San Francisco graduate — as part of the private school’s Silk Speaker Series and opened up about her plans to become a death doula nearly two years after her mother, Janelle Ann Kidman, died at 84.
“As my mother was passing, she was lonely, and there was only so much the family could provide,” Kidman, who admitted the idea “may sound a little weird,” told the crowd, per the San Francisco Chronicle. “Between my sister and I, we have so many children and our careers and our work, and wanting to take care of her because my father wasn’t in the world anymore, and that’s when I went, ‘I wish there was these people in the world that were there to sit impartially and just provide solace and care.’”
“So that’s part of my expansion and one of the things I will be learning,” she added.
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An end-of-life doula advocates self-determination and imparts psychosocial, emotional, spiritual and practical care to empower dignity throughout the dying process, according to the International End-of-Life Doula Association.
In September 2024, Kidman — who won the best actress award for her role in “Babygirl” at the Venice Film Festival, but had to miss the ceremony to be with family — shared the news of her mother’s death in a statement delivered by the film’s director, Halina Reijn.
“I arrived in Venice and found out shortly after that my beautiful, brave mother, Janelle Ann Kidman has just passed,” Kidman said in a statement, per The Associated Press. “I’m in shock and I have to go to my family, but this award is for her. She shaped me and made me.”
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A representative for Kidman confirmed the death at the time and told Fox News Digital, “The family is heartbroken and asks for privacy at this time.”
Throughout the years, Kidman has been open about her close bond with her mom and shared insight into her mother’s health struggles.
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During an interview with NPR’s “Fresh Air” podcast in 2022, Kidman said, “I’m at the place where I’m being given the chance to view the world, because of how close we are. My mom is giving me the chance to view the world through an 81-year-old woman’s eyes. That is so beneficial right now, because she’s so cognizant. She has every brain faculty available, so she hasn’t lost anything. She hasn’t lost any memory, which is fascinating, and she’s extremely bright.”
“She’s giving me access, because she’s also very direct and very honest, and so I’m getting access to the world through her eyes, my mother’s eyes,” she continued. “It’s her perspective, obviously. There’s many different 80-year-old perspectives, but it’s her perspective, and her particular path, but I’m drinking it in and learning.”
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In 2020, Kidman opened up to the Sydney Morning Herald about how her mom always inspired her to chase her dreams.
“She’s given me the fire to pursue the career I have because I’ve always wanted to please her,” Kidman told the outlet. “But she also carved her own path and wanted her daughters to have the same opportunity to carve their own paths.”
“Mom didn’t necessarily get the career that she wanted, but she was determined that her daughters would have opportunities that were equal,” Kidman added. “That’s given me my life. And she gave me my life, she and my dad.”
Kidman’s father, Antony Kidman, died in 2014.
