Photo: Courtesy of purepeople.com
Actor and fashion icon, Nicole Kidman, recently sat down for a Q&A session with “THE MOMS” Denise Albert and Melissa Musen Gerstein. The event was presented in conjunction with a screening of her new film Paddington at the Film Society Lincoln Center.
She discussed life in front of the camera, the joys of parenthood with her husband, musician, Keith Urban, and her role as the villain, Millicent. Kidman captivated the audience with her candid and engaging conversation about her family and raising children out of the spotlight. As a couple they have chosen not to photograph their children with them, when they are out in public. In addition, they try to discourage autographs and photos with fans when they are out and about with their young daughters, in an effort to give their attention to their daughters, when they are together as a family.
She spoke of the challenge of learning how to balance her private life with her public life, but knows that she and her husband are both doing the best that they can. She received an appreciative laugh from the audience when she sheepishly admitted that it was impossible not to speak about her children, because they are such a big part of her life. Her daughters Sunday Rose, 6 1/2 and Faith Margaret, 4 have not displayed any interest in following in her footsteps. She explained that her oldest daughter, Sunday Rose has decided that she wants to be a veterinarian and a party planner, but sometimes changes her mind and states that she wants to have eight children and be a stay-at-home mom!
When asked about the importance of books, Kidman went into a great depth about how much she values reading, especially at a young age. She referenced some of her favorites, including, “Good Night Moon,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” She said that she and her husband read to their children every single night, and laughed that sometimes “it’s the same book every night.” Regardless, she believes any reading is going to benefit a child, and credits her love of books for one of the reasons she became an actor.
The film Paddington is a remake of the classic story about a bear named Paddington, who leaves Peru for a better life in London. He is on the hunt for his mentor the “Explorer” Montgomery Clyde. Paddington finds himself getting into all sorts of trouble and is met with funny moments while trying to settle into life in London. The kids in the audience, as well as the grownups, were extremely entertained by the movie and experienced many laugh out loud moments. Kidman’s turn as the villain was a total success as a sinister taxidermist. The film also features Hugh Bonneville, from the PBS hit series Downtown Abbey, as well as Colin Firth and Sally Hawkins. Paddington has been a treasured book for her family and for many others. The Paddington books have been translated into 30 languages and have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. The release date of the movie Paddington is January 16, 2015.
-Denise Courter, Founder of FiDi Families.com and Lifestyle and Family Editor for DOWNTOWN Magazine
