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9 Jan 2026 4:39
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  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Nicole Kidman had the "worst stage fright imaginable" in the West End

    The 'Big Little Lies' star finds it "really satisfying" being on stage but admits she found it "pretty rough" because her nerves got the better of her


    She shared: "It was terrifying but ultimately really, really satisfying but I had the worst stage fright imaginable - like hearing my heart pounding. Really debilitating, but not to the point I wouldn’t go on. It was pretty rough I have to say. It was not what I recalled. It was almost like, ‘Ok good after two weeks this will go away’. It never went. So I would stand there listening to my heart. I don’t know if it was age or hormones or what it was but it was something, it was really really bad. But I still got on, eight shows a week I did it. I made it. Once I was on I loved it, but it was standing in those dark wings like ‘you have got to be kidding’. It took me by surprise because I didn't have it when we did The Blue Room."

    The 53-year-old actress worried about other things that weren't in her control like selling tickets.

    Speaking on the Two Shot podcast, she added: "In the West End I would look out when the theatre was empty when we were rehearsing and I would be like ‘I have no idea how I am going to get on when this thing has got people in it’. I was worried about selling the tickets. You have to sell the tickets and are responsible for that. It didn't cripple me but it was uncomfortable."

    Nicole previously admitted she thinks it’s “magic” when working with the right people on set.

    Asked what makes the most excited about work, she said: “Always the people I get to work with: writers, directors, actors, crew and the process. I just love it. It’s like magic when you step on set and it works. You never know if it’s going to. And delving into characters, delving into psyches, that’s probably being the daughter of a psychologist. Seeing life from different perspectives and being able to explore humanity - I love that."

    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

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