Nicole Kidman was so changed by her mother’s death that it has inspired her to become a death doula.
The Oscar winning actress revealed the surprising new career path during an on stage appearance Saturday at the University of San Francisco. The sold-out conversation, held on campus at War Memorial Gym as as part of the university’s Silk Speaker Series, saw Kidman sitting down for a conversation with NBC chief consumer investigative correspondent, author and USF graduate Vicky Nguyen.
While she said “it sounds a little weird,” Kidman noted that she felt drawn to learn more about death doulas following the passing of her mother, Janelle Anne Kidman, who died at 84 in September 2024 (as Kidman was about to hit the Venice Film Festival for the premiere of Babygirl).
“As my mother was passing, she was lonely and there was only so much the family could provide. 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,’” Kidman explained to the crowd of students, per the San Francisco Chronicle. “So that’s part of my expansion and one of the things I will be learning.”
A death doula, or commonly called an end-of-life doula, is described as a non-medical professional who provides holistic emotional, physical and spiritual support to terminal patients and families. They are meant to guide others through the dying process with dignity, comfort, education and other assistance. It’s unclear if Kidman plans to practice or if she will simply be learning more about it to expand her knowledge base. (Or, perhaps a project on the way?)
Not long after mother’s passing, Kidman was back at work promoting the new season of Lionness. The Hollywood Reporter caught up with her at the October 2024 premiere at which she got teary eyed. “I wish my mama was here,” she said while walking the red carpet at Hollywood’s Linwood Dunn Theatre. “That’d be the one thing I’d say. Everything is great with work but I wish my mama was here.”
Kidman, currently starring in the new Apple TV series Margo’s Got Money Troubles, was originally slated to appear at USF last October but was forced to postpone in the wake of her divorce with country superstar Keith Urban. She spoke about her love of education, philanthropic endeavors and cited Stanley Kubrick as the filmmaker she’s learned the most from in her career. “He let me get away with so much. He was one of the greatest teachers I’ve had, and he changed my life,” she said.
Ahead of her chat, Kidman also revealed she was busy comforting her teenage daughter, Sunday Rose, and she detailed the story as a way to inspire the students in the room. “I literally got off the phone with my 17-year-old who was having a meltdown. She’ll kill me for saying that. But I was parenting, mothering and coaching her into, ‘It’s OK. Step by step. Some days are going to be harder than others. You’re going to look back at this week, and you’ll have a different perspective on it next week.’”
She continued: “The fear of what your future is and what do you want to do with your life, all of the things that probably many people in this room are experiencing now, I’m working through with both my daughters.”
