Nicole Kidman Is Making a Wild Career Pivot

When I think of Nicole Kidman, I think Academy Award-winning actress, fashion icon and maybe even mom of four. She recently starred in Apple TV+'s Margo's Got Money Troubles alongside Elle Fanning, and led the Amazon Prime Video series Scarpetta. But it turns out the Golden Globe-winner is adding another line to her resume: Death doula.

Late last month, Kidman visited the University of San Francisco, where she was a guest at the Silk Speaker Series. She chatted with NBC Daily News anchor (and USF alum) Vicky Nguyen about the ways she's focusing on cultivating new talent in Hollywood—but that she's also become interested in the work of death doulas following her mother's passing.

“There’s so much emphasis put on birth, but not so much on death," she said. "As part of my expansion, I’d love to learn that role. I think it’s an important part of our culture; loneliness is a big part of our world now, particularly for people in that stage of life. I want to be there. I want to be able to provide.” The actress also added that her mother's final days were lonely, and her family struggled with the transition.

Later, in an interview with Hoda Kotb at a HISTORYTalks event, Kidman added, "It's really fascinating, it's very beautiful and you have to be a certain personality to be able to do it, but I found out that I'm actually that personality.”

While she hasn't revealed whether or not she has enrolled in training, Kidman maintains that she has found the process fascinating.

"It's very important to me. There is always suffering in life, right? But if there [are] people there who can help with that and can help those final stages be less painful, you can feel the connection and the love, then that is a lovely thing to be able to do," she said. "So that's what I'm exploring.”