Nicole Kidman is no stranger to the excitement of nomination morning. The iconic Australian actress is a four-time Oscar nominee, winning for her stirring depiction of Virginia Woolf in 2002's "The Hours."
But it was her work on the small screen in HBO's "Big Little Lies" that earned Kidman her second Emmy nomination (her first came in 2012 for "Hemingway & Gellhorn") Thursday morning.
Kidman hopped on the phone to speak to The Times about the resonance of being recognized this year in a project driven by strong women and possibility of re-teaming with her "Big Little Lies" co-stars (and fellow Emmy nominee) Reese Witherspoon.
Q: How are you feeling? Is it safe to say you were awake?
A: Wow. I'm just feeling a whole lot of wow. Yes, I'm wide awake and incredibly delighted _ actually astounded that this series connected in this way. I'm actually in Los Angeles. I'm here because my husband is recording some music. I just dropped my kids off at camp.
Q: Were they happy for you?
A: Oh, gosh. Come on. This doesn't register on their radar.
Q: It all started with a meeting with Liane Moriarty at a cafe in Sydney_
A: I know. It's incredible. It started this with just conversation and a book and a friendship and out of it bloomed a series that's connected in such a big way ... and connected worldwide.
Q: In a year like this, where it felt like women were being underestimated or under siege, television showed their strength. How was it to be part of that narrative?
A: This series was born out of a frustration of not enough roles _ interesting, complicated roles _ for women. Reese and I felt like we weren't being given the roles that are sort of multi-layered and beautifully written. That was the inception of it. For it then to be written by David Kelley _ bringing out complicated and funny women with pathos and dealing with issues that are really of now and important and relevant. For that to have been embraced and connected with a world audience is just amazing. And hopefully the industry will take notice that people are responding. That's the power of television. That direct connection TV has on people's lives.
Q: Is it bittersweet to be up against your co-star Reese?
A: I think we see it as a union. We've always been a team, we will always be a team. This is a sweet spot for all of us. We're hoping to put together a second series of it. It's moving. We're all very particular. We only want to make it if it's as good or better, we don't want to make another season if it's not. So, we'll see.
Q: Any plans for a "BLL" reunion to celebrate?
A: Laura is working. Shay is working. Reese and I are not working. Yeah, maybe, we'll get it together. We're working mothers. That's just the nature of it. We have to organize our lives.
