Nicole Kidman Talks Kissing Batman, "Hardcore Horror" Movies, and Feeling "Really Deeply"

Throughout her astounding career, Nicole Kidman has proven she's capable of taking on any genre. From her emotive turn in Big Little Lies to appearances in superhero movies like Aquaman, Kidman is a chameleon. So when asked why she has appeared in several blockbusters, as opposed to the thought-provoking, independent movies she's known for, Kidman had the perfect response.

In a new interview with L’Officiel magazine, Kidman explained, "Everyone's like, 'Why are you doing that?' I'm like, 'Because I get to kiss Batman!'" She continued, "The thing people don't understand is, it's not about the check. A lot of the mainstream big blockbusters that I do are hopefully different." Kidman, of course, starred opposite Val Kilmer in 1995's Batman Forever.

She also revealed she chose to star in Aquaman after famed horror director James Wan asked her personally. As it turns out, Kidman is a huge horror movie fan, and she's hoping to take on some terrifying roles in the near future.

"I've not done classic horror yet," she explained. "Hardcore horror. I’m putting it out there, because I watch hardcore horror. I’m a fan of Ti West!" West, of course, recently directed a horror trilogy with Mia Goth, culminating with 2024's MaXXXine. It's more than a little exciting that Kidman is keen to work with the auteur.

During the same interview, Kidman opened up about her process as an actor, especially when it comes to her emotions. "I obviously feel things really, really, really deeply," she told the publication. "My mother would always say, raising me, it was raising a highly sensitive child."

For Kidman, being in tune with her emotions can aid her craft as an actor, but can quickly become overwhelming, too. "Part of my path in life is learning not to be so overly empathetic with people that it destroys me or sabotages me, because I can move into other people's skin and psyche in a very weird way," she said. "It's almost like a pull. I can physically manifest it and emotionally manifest it. It can be very, very frightening at times."