Nicole Kidman & Reese Witherspoon Reunite 5 Years After Big Little Lies

Hi, honey. Hi, baby.

How are you?

I'm good. How are you? Good. Good.

I'm so excited to do this.

Yeah!

'Cause I don't get to see you enough in person.

Well, we see each other quite a bit, so...

Yeah, we do.

This is not like, reunited

and it feels so good. And it feels so good.

God. [Reese laughs]

We're going on the road.

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We see each other a lot in Nashville.

Yeah. We walk-

We throw our caps on-

Yeah, we walk in the wood. Walk through the wood.

We laugh and-

And sort of process everything.

Figure out all the problems.

Solve all the problems.

And then just, See you later!

Yeah, and then we- See you in two months!

And then we go home. And then, yeah.

My favorite thing is,

and the thing I've always been pressuring her to do,

is either write a book, which-

No.

She's never gonna do it.

Or just let me interview her

about all her different movies.

Which I may let her do at some point.

And I'm like, but you gotta let me do the same.

Okay. Yeah, I get-

'Cause you have so much, I mean,

Reese has an enormous amount of wisdom,

which if you get to get it, it's like,

Tell me, what do you think?

When I first got to meet Nicole,

I was like, okay, tell me everything

about To Die For,

'cause that's my favorite movie you've ever been in.

Is it?

Obsessed. Obsessed. [Nicole laughs]

I just think your character is so fascinating

and calculating and shrewd,

but lacks awareness.

And that was Gus Van Sant, who,

you've not worked with Gus?

No.

No, you're the Alexander Payne girl.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Amazing. Election, come on. So-

And then Minghella.

Yeah.

And Kubrick. Anthony Minghella.

She's worked with Kubrick! Yeah, I did.

I sat on the floor of his office,

would look up at him and go,

Stanley, tell me about this! Stan!

And he would let me get away with murder, actually.

Like I could go through everything

and no one else was allowed to do what I was allowed to do.

But I feel like in the history of cinema,

that's the longest running film shoot of all time.

Was it?

Yeah, it was two years, I think.

I don't know. Is it now?

See, we love movies.

We love movies! [both laugh]

As soon as I'll call her

and I'll be like, Where are you?

She's like-

And we both started really young,

which has its own set of problems, which we've discussed.

And then also virtues

because it's given us a sort of,

I mean, we've lived a life.

I mean, when you start that young in the industry,

you reach this age and it's,

I mean, you've just got so much experience.

I think so too.

And then also,

you become very comfortable being uncomfortable

because you've literally paid your dues,

being the lowest person on the totem pole

to getting to become a very known actor,

to becoming a producer,

to being in charge.

Yeah. Yeah. So we've had

very similar journeys like that.

Like I didn't start out going, I wanna produce.

Me either. Did you? No.

So it was this very- Very natural.

Yeah. Yeah. Progression.

Also, you read as much as I do.

You love reading. Yeah. So we're-

[both laughing] Big nerds.

Yeah.

And love people.

Now tell me about Morning Show.

I didn't think we'd get to season four.

I thought we were only gonna do three seasons.

But this third season is my-

Was phenomenal.

Oh, thank you, honey. Phenomenal.

Thank you. That means a lot.

And that's why everyone's waiting for a fourth season.

And I remember saying to you,

You have to do a fourth season.

I know.

And you were like, Well, this is always really-

This one was-

Well, I'm like, I'm not sure.

[both laughing]

The writers are so good.

And I think what's really interesting,

is journalism is shifting.

Every year that we've made the show,

we've tackled Me Too,

sexual harassment in the workplace,

COVID, a pandemic.

And last year we tackled a lot of stuff,

including the insurrection,

which we re-enacted. Yeah.

Which was my character filming it

and discovering her brother was part of it.

And you and I both share stories.

I've done scary things on set.

Nothing was scarier than that.

Because even when people are pretending,

mob mentality is a real thing.

And if you tell a group of 100 people

to behave in a certain way and lose control,

and we were on like, a one shot,

like a Steadicam through a crowd,

over, down stairs, up through-

Who shot that?

Stacie Passon was the director.

I don't wanna say the wrong DP, because we had two.

It was really good.

And all the stunt performers were amazing.

God. But it's scary.

And they're punching each other

and tear gassing each other.

And I'm not saying it was really,

but it was daunting to walk into that and be the only woman.

But I was really excited about these storylines

because it gave me so much to play

and ask this sort of central question

that now I like to ask at dinner parties, which is-

Oh good. What is it?

Would you compromise your life, your career, your job

for a family member who committed a crime?

Yeah.

You would? Yeah.

Like if your sister committed a crime,

would you cover it up?

I mean, but to me, she wouldn't commit a crime.

Well now- [Nicole laughs]

By the way, that's the whole theme of Big little Lies.

Yeah, that's right, yeah.

[both laughing]

Oh, that's the plot of Big Little Lies. [laughs]

So just you wait! [laughs] Yeah.

Listen, this one already went somewhere-

We are too, yeah.

And I have to go. I said too much.

And then I get the call, the ring ring,

Hey, like, is that happening?

Nic! What are doing?

You got excited. I got excited.

It's okay, baby.

I get excited too.

[both laughing]

Then I got Laura calling me.

They're all like,

Nic said that we're making them feel like losers.

It was like- But we are now.

We're moving fast and furious.

Is fast.

And Liane is delivering the book.

Are you? And yeah.

And we're in good shape.

So the rest is, we need to shut up

because there's this whole thing

that you should never talk about something

until you've done it.

Because if you talk about doing it,

it's the dopamine hit of doing it.

You feel like you've done it.

Right.

Did you know that? Have you heard about that?

Oh no. I have a- It's a scientific study.

Oh. Yeah, well, I have a rule.

It's called, like, don't be full of shit.

Oh, that's a good one! [both laugh]

I like that.

It's called the No BS rule in Hollywood.

Because how many people tell you

they're doing X, Y, Z, X, Y, Z.

It's like, I don't wanna talk about it

until I'm standing in the costume on the set.

Then I'll confirm to you that it is happening,

'cause it is really hard to stop it

once you're standing on set in costume.

On Big Little Lies, we were so delirious.

You were so funny.

Don't you remember, I like-

Oh yeah. Lost my cool.

Yeah, yeah. Screamed.

And then I-

And then you came out and you were amazing.

Oh Lord.

So it was like, what?

And then you and Laura did that like, one night.

[Reese laughing]

I mean, legendary.

You can't put Dern and I next to each other.

We were like little kids in a classroom.

You're like, Do we need to separate you two?

Legendary.

We're gonna have to separate you guys,

'cause we need to get to work.

[claps] No.

And I sat there,

remember that scene where you were both ad-libbing

and I sat there and was like,

[Reese laughs] like that.

That is in the, that's in it.

Because all I could do is, my jaw dropped.

Right. As you guys, like-

It was like- Improvised back and forth

and it was hilarious.

And I was like, You two,

and you're like, Oh, we just know each other so well.

I know.

No, this is what we do. Don't worry about it.

This is my favorite thing,

when Dern does scenes where she's like,

gets in your face like this.

Oh yeah. [laughs]

And I was like, Oh, lemme tell you something!

Yeah, you guys-

And we were like, [makes playful fighting noises].

And I'm like-

And we were literally arguing

about our daughters' birthday party. [laughing]

Yeah. And it was-

I was like, My daughter's not coming

to your daughter's birthday party.

Genius.

And she's like, Lemme tell you something.

If your daughter doesn't come to my Frozen party...

[both laughing]

I like you, Madeline.

And, and I actually admire you

for sticking up for your unapologetic friend.

But if I can offer something

as objectively as I possibly can,

do not fuck with my daughter's birthday.

I looked at Jean-Marc and he's like,

Fantastic, we got it.

[Reese laughing]

I'm like- You're so crazy.

Yeah, I would think so.

I think we got it, right?

[giggling] Yeah, it was good.

Yeah, you're right. Okay, fine.

My other favorite thing

is that I called Dern

when we were shooting Big Little Lies.

I hate how you call her Dern, though.

Why?

Because it sounds weird.

I'm gonna tell you why.

Sounds like, okay, why?

I'm always like, Laura.

Do you know why?

And you're like, No, Dern, Dern, Dern.

'Cause my name's Laura. Ah.

And her name's Laura. And it's confusing to me.

Oh.

My real name's Laura Jeanne.

That's right.

So I get confused. So I just call her Dern.

So you call her Dern.

I don't know what to call her,

okay, so that's why I call her Dern.

Oh.

Because we can't both be Laura.

[laughs] She doesn't call you Laura, though.

Anyway, anyway.

I don't understand the point.

I don't like the tone.

I'll stay out of the wing.

You're trying to understand something,

it just doesn't, makes no sense.

It's Dern. But my favorite thing was,

I called her like a week into shooting

and we were shooting Big Little Lies,

and I called her and I was like, Dern.

[Nicole] Dern [laughs].

I was so funny today.

[Nicole laughing]

Oh my God.

She's like, Reese, Reese, Reese!

I was so funny in my scene yesterday.

I was like, I was like,

I know, I know, I know, I know, I know.

But hold on.

Then I went to work today

and Nicole's in the most serious drama I've ever seen.

[Nicole and Reese laugh]

That's right.

And I was like, This show isn't gonna work.

It's not gonna work!

[both laughing]

That's right.

We were, I'm like, Oh my God, this is like-

And it fricking worked.

That's where you go.

You just don't know.

Who would've ever thought?

Who would've ever thought?

[Nicole laughs]

You're very good at casting too.

Well, I don't know. Am I?

Yeah.

You'll say something to me like,

Reese, did you see this show?

This one actor on that show is the standout.

Meh. It's not the one they're talking about.

It's the other one.

Right. On Expats,

what was that process like?

Finding the cast? That was Lulu.

It was so international. And the two of us going,

Wow, did you see Ji-Young and her audition?

and then Lulu going,

Yeah, but I don't,

I want her to do it again

because it's too glamorous.

You know, so many different,

and watching her kind of handpick.

And then I remember we both were in love with Brian,

so we were like, We've gotta get him.

Please, Brian Tee.

And he just came and delivered for us.

And Sarayu, I mean, she came in and just,

we knew she could be funny, but she's also drama.

She's got great,

that's you though, you're the same.

I mean, you're dramatic.

And you know I always go, Come on.

And she can learn slabs of dialogue.

Literally, you can learn it on the spot.

I'm learning it weeks before.

[Reese laughs]

And Reese will go, Well... and then she'll riff.

Well, you know- You will!

Because I don't really learn it. I just wing it.

No, because you've got, [Reese laughs]

no, you learn it.

It's like, insane. It's, how?

I don't know. I'll never-

She doesn't wanna talk about it.

I don't wanna talk about it.

Yeah, but it's a huge-

Because I also don't understand,

I have zero process.

Right. I didn't study.

Right. That's the other thing.

You didn't go to acting school, did you?

No, I did when I was 14.

I went to the local theater school that I found by leaflet.

Right, but you didn't go to Julliard or RADA.

I had the directors who I worked with,

George Miller being one of them, Phil Noyce.

A bunch of them asked me not to go to NIDA.

'Cause I wanted to go to NIDA,

and they're like, You're in the industry working.

Right.

And you will be gone then for three years.

Right. Please don't do that.

Stay with us and we promise you,

and they gave me good advice.

Well, they gave me the guidance that I needed

because other actors go and I,

so then what I did is,

I would train with different people

that were teaching at NIDA,

or I would go and do a workshop in Shakespeare

or I would go and do,

but I was also every weekend in the drama school.

Oh wow. What about, did you do that?

I just didn't go to school.

I did little local things in Nashville

and then I got a big part when I was 14

and I never studied again because I didn't wanna undo,

I was like, I'm on a roll here,

and I don't wanna undo anything.

That was sort of natural.

So you learned on the job.

Yeah.

And the people that you had,

you had the benefit of working

with some of the greatest people in the industry,

so they were able to shape you.

Yeah.

And I feel like so many actors,

like the best actors I know

are just pretending to be like other actors that they love.

You know, our paths consistently cross.

And that's one of the things I love

and I love that about us,

is that we started working together

and then we went,

Okay, from this point on, it's a lifetime.

Yeah. So we'll be playing bridge

and I'll be older than you, but we'll be sitting there.

[both laughing]

Shut up. I'll be like,

Can you get me the cover?

We always joke,

wait, we always joke

that we're gonna be old ladies on a porch

singing what song?

What song?

Oh, don't. Dreams.

Dreams. [both laughing]

We still don't know all the words.

We still don't know the words.

And then Jean-Marc Vallee

would want us to sing all the time.

Yeah, 'cause we were on vacation once

and then they started playing the music

and we got up and sang.

We couldn't remember.

He's like, Get up, get up!

And I'm like, Come on.

He used to play guitar.

Couldn't remember any of the words.

No! Hopeless!

And Stevie would be horrified. [laughing]

We're like, [humming Dreams by Fleetwood Mac].

[Both] There you go again,

you say you want your freedom.

[both laughing]

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