Nicole Kidman and the Stars of Hulu's "Nine Perfect Strangers" on the Joys of Making a Limited Series

Not all the show39s stars were perfect strangers before starting this project The professional partnership between series creator and executive producer David E Kelly and Kidman for example dates back to the first season of HBO39s critically acclaimed Big Little Lies 2017 and continued through HBO39s The Undoing 2020 The limited series format has clearly been kind to Kidman who as an Oscarnominated actor found success on the big screen quotFor me it39s more like extended cinematic storytellingquot she shared on a recent panel at the 2021 Summer Virtual Television Critics Association Tour quotI started off in Australia doing miniseries which are the equivalent of limited series I did a couple of small films but then went straight into miniseries which is primarily how I became really well known in Australia So I39ve always embraced itquotWhat I39ve done on television has always had only one director at the helmquot she continued quotSo it39s been their vision I see it as an extension of film just a longer version I haven39t done a show where you have different directors coming in and doing different episodes I think now it39s such a fantastic landscape because you have these writers and directors willing to work in this territory Scenes from a Marriage was a limited series It39s not like extraordinary filmmakers have never worked in this territory it39s just becoming possible again in a huge way for all of us People forget that that is a difficult art form in itself With film you have 90 minutes or two hours to tell your story that39s very different than trying to keep it compelling intriguing and hypnotizing over a much longer time span You have to be incredibly rigorous with it That39s why I39ve done four shows with DavidquotMcCarthy pictured above also sees the advantage of limited series quotI think there39s an amazing opportunity when you can play a character longerquot she said quotYou don39t have to take everything out You get a long launch pad for change It39s having the luxury of more time to tell that story and to show real change that39s exciting for mequotUpon arriving at the Australian location McCarthy found one face who wasn39t a perfect stranger Bobby Cannavale pictured below Initial episodes of the series called for dissension between their characters territory that proved even more familiar quotThis is our fourth project togetherquot she laughed quotWe either beat each other up Spy or kind of fall in love Like we39re on a pattern of literally physically punching each other or being in love For me I know it39s Bobby He39s so funny and such a skilled actor He39s so present and you never quite know which way he39s going to go They39re paying me extra to say this but it39s great when you have that kind of comfort level with somebody You39re not afraid to be embarrassed or feel dumb you just go with itquotquotMelissa likes to on the side talk to me about how much she wants to hit me in the facequot Cannavale added quotShe also likes to call me a jerk After being asked 39What cracks Melissa up39 I was like 39I don39t know why specifically but I know when I do crack her up she just goes quotYou39re a jerkquot39 And I keep coming back for more so maybe that39s itquotBut I feel the same wayquot he added in earnest quotFrom the moment we met you can39t really put your finger on what it is I know that Melissa is wellprepared I try to be before coming to work We don39t do a lot of talking about it We usually get through a couple of takes then we have fun Most of the time it just feels effortless I think that39s a testament to the kind of preparation Melissa has her work ethic and the depth of her well There39s just so much going on in there and it39s a thrill to be able to work with somebody like thatquotOne star of the series turned out to be both a challenge and a blessing the serene Byron Bay location that doubles for the fictional Tranquillum resort quotIt was kind of extraordinary to all be shooting there and the magical quality of the environmentquot offered Kidman quotIt was like one of those things where you walk in and you go 39Is this real39 Then we existed in this dream state for almost six months kind of weird and magical I39m a huge believer in using what you have to penetrate the show and the performance and we were given that Because of the pandemic we had all just arrived from different countries all different sorts of quarantine places and we suddenly bonded and had to do this show togetherquotquotBut acting between the noisy birdsquot added Cannavale quotIt was a reminder that we were in a completely different landscape and a different world altogetherquotquotI was terrified of being attacked by bull antsquot chimed McCarthyquotBut we can all still say 39Go to Byron Bay39quot Kidman laughedamp160in closingNine Perfect Strangers is currently streaming on HuluClick the social buttons to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Nicole Kidman and the Stars of Hulu's "Nine Perfect Strangers" on the Joys of Making a Limited Series

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Steve Gidlow

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Nicole Kidman and the Stars of Hulu's "Nine Perfect Strangers" on the Joys of Making a Limited Series

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