Nicole Kidman appears to be a true artist.
The Academy Award-winning actress sacrificed many of her usual comforts and luxuries while filming her new drama, “Rabbit Hole,” as the independent film had a modest budget of only $10 million.
“We didn’t have trailers and stuff, so we had just bedrooms in the house that we shot in,” Nicole told Access Hollywood’s Maria Menounos, at the film’s junket on Wednesday. “We just used the kitchen.”
While some members of the film’s cast and crew chose to literally live in the house in which they were filming, the 43-year-old Aussie made it a point to be home at night for her and husband Keith Urban’s daughter, Sunday Rose.
“I never slept [at the house] — I would go home because I had a baby,” Nicole told Access. “[But] you’re living there. I would be preparing my breakfast — ‘cause you get to work at 5 AM — down in the kitchen, taking my nap at lunchtime in my blowup bed, because we couldn’t afford beds.
“And also because we wanted [all of the budget] to go on the screen,” Nicole added. “We didn’t want to waste any money.”
For Nicole, working alongside “The Dark Knight’s” Aaron Eckhart was a goal she’d been aiming toward for years.
“We always wanted Aaron [for this film],” Nicole said. “I think when you read the script you [think], ‘He would be magnificent.’ I’ve followed [Aaron’s] work. I’ve seen him in everything that he’s done — ‘Thank You for Smoking,’ ‘Erin Brokovich.’ I just think he’s such an unsung talent.
“This isn’t the first film that I’ve been like, ‘We should get Aaron Eckhart for this,’” she added.
As for the dark and tragic nature of the film (Nicole and Aaron play a married couple whose lives are turned upside-down after their young son is killed in an accident), the beautiful mom said she’s used to tackling distressing roles.
“You just have to [do] whatever is required to find the truth,” Nicole told Access. “I’ve been acting since I was 14, so that’s sort of been beaten into me, you know? That’s why people say, ‘How can you go to such a devastating place?’ But that’s what I know.”
Despite the mournful nature of the film, the stunning star admits she has had a strong support system to help her navigate through the tough times when she needs it – her husband of four years, country star Keith Urban.
“[Keith] has been amazing. He encourages me to work because I think he doesn’t want me to just abandon what I do,” Nicole smiled. “He was like, ‘No, no, you should go and do this [film].’ He was very encouraging.
“He loved the script, and he had such a beautiful reaction to the film,” she added. “And then he wanted to talk about it — which is what I find a lot of people want to do with this film — is they want to talk about it and ask questions, which is a wonderful response.”
“Rabbit Hole,” which also stars Dianne Wiest and “Grey’s Anatomy’s” Sandra Oh, is slated for limited theatrical release in the U.S. on December 17.
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