‘We kind of played Russian roulette’: Nicole Kidman reveals the ‘enormous stress’ endured while filming Nine Perfect Strangers amid the pandemic
She was given the green light to film her $100million series Nine Perfect Strangers in Australia amid the pandemic, bringing hundreds of jobs to the local industry.
And in an interview with The Sun-Herald and The Sunday Age this weekend, Nicole Kidman, who not only starred but served as executive producer, revealed the ‘enormous stress’ they felt in ensuring the cast and crew’s safety and health on set.
The 54-year-old said that in hindsight they probably ‘didn’t realise’ what they were taking on, and in a way, ‘kind of played Russian roulette’ with financiers involved.
‘We kind of played Russian roulette’: Nicole Kidman, 54, revealed the ‘enormous stress’ she and her fellow producers endured while filming Nine Perfect Strangers amid the pandemic, in an interview with The Sun-Herald and The Sunday Age this weekend. Pictured in 2019
‘There’s an enormous amount of stress being responsible for people’s safety and health. We took that really seriously,’ Nicole told the outlet.
Strict COVID-19 protocols were enforced, with testing, mask wearing, and ‘rescheduling’ or ‘shutting down’ production if a test came back negative.
‘We couldn’t put anyone at risk. And we got through without one case, which is extraordinary,’ Nicole revealed.
In hindsight, the Oscar-winning actress admitted they probably did not realise the complexities of filming a multi-million dollar film amid the pandemic.
First major A-list production amid the pandemic Down Under: Nicole was given the green light to film the $100million series in Australia between August and December, bringing hundreds of jobs to the local industry. Pictured as wellness guru Masha Dmitrichenko in the series
‘If we’d known how high the risk was in terms of the whole thing being shut down and being destroyed like that, I don’t think the financiers would have taken the risk. We kind of played Russian roulette in that way,’ she said.
Based on the 2018 novel by Big Little Lies author Liane Moriarty, Nine Perfect Strangers became the first major A-list production to be filmed in Australia amid the pandemic.
The limited series is produced by Nicole’s production company Blossom Films, alongside collaborators Bruna Papandrea and David E. Kelley.
Stress: ‘There’s an enormous amount of stress being responsible for people’s safety and health. We took that really seriously,’ Nicole said. Strict protocols were enforced, with testing, mask wearing, and ‘rescheduling’ or ‘shutting down’ production if a test came back negative
Alongside Nicole, the series features an A-list Hollywood cast including Melissa McCarthy, Luke Evans and Manny Jacinto.
The series tells the story of nine stressed-out urbanites who escape to a wellness retreat run by Nicole’s character, Masha Dmitrichenko.
Filming took place from August to December, predominantly in Byron Bay, NSW.
In August last year, The Daily Telegraph reported the restrictions placed upon the production, which took place at an ‘isolated production hub’.
Hindsight: ‘If we’d known how high the risk was in terms of the whole thing being shut down and being destroyed like that, I don’t think the financiers would have taken the risk. We kind of played Russian roulette in that way,’ the Academy Award-winner went on to say
Cast and crew members flying in from overseas or interstate were required to quarantine in a hotel for 14-days upon arrival into NSW.
Nicole and her fellow producers were responsible for paying all medical and security costs, The Daily Telegraph reported.
The actress, with a career spanning almost four decades, told the publication that she was ‘thrilled’ to be able to bring hundreds of jobs to the local industry.
Nine Perfect Strangers premieres on Amazon Prime Video on August 20.
A-list cast: The series tells the story of nine stressed-out urbanites who escape to a wellness retreat run by Nicole’s character, Masha Dmitrichenko. Alongside Nicole, the series features an A-list Hollywood cast including Melissa McCarthy, Luke Evans and Manny Jacinto
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