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Nicole Kidman reveals how she chooses acting roles and why she had doubts about playing Lucille Ball

''It is better just to jump in and then deal with it.''
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Nicole Kidman is undoubtedly one of Australia’s most successful actresses of all time, with dozens of blockbuster movies and and coveted awards under her belt.

Now, the 54-year-old, who commands gigs in some of the highest-grossing and most critically-acclaimed films and TV shows, has revealed the thought process that goes into each gig she undertakes.

“It is better just to jump in and then deal with it. One of my tidbits of wisdom, jump in and think about it later. I would love to be able to say I am incredibly brave and I take it on and I am take no prisoners, that is so not the case. I do not think it through,” she told The Daily Telegraph.

Nicole said she tends to jump in head first into new roles.

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“I think I have a screw loose where I am not able to go, ‘yikes, be careful’. I don’t have that, that is not part of my make up.”

The Academy Award winner likened her decision making processes to that of a teenager, saying she often gives everything a go.

“It is ridiculous and (husband) Keith (Urban) always says, ‘you literally just don’t think it through’. It is a blessing and a curse you know,” she said.

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Nicole used her jumping in head first attitude when she signed on for her latest project, Being The Ricardos.

The film, also starring Javier Bardem, follows Hollywood power couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz face a series of personal and professional crises that threaten their careers, their relationship and their hit TV show.

“When the reality of playing (Lucille) hit me, I went, ‘what have I said yes to?’ To which I then went, ‘Oh no, I’m not right. Everyone thinks I’m not right, so I’m going to try to sidestep this,” she recently told Live with Kelly and Ryan.

It’s been widely predicted that Nicole could earn herself an Academy Award for the lucrative role of Lucille, who starred in I Love Lucy in the ’50s.

“I am actually glad I didn’t realise, as it is with anything in life it is better not to know ahead of time what you are going into,” she said.

Nicole’s latest film project Being The Ricardos, also stars Spanish actor Javier Bardem.

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“As it unfurled in front of me, I was like, ‘this is pretty extraordinary but yikes I better start putting in the work’. And then I started doing the work, just a crazy amount of hours fastidiously working on the physicality, on the voice, on the movements, just learning the words, and it was all in the middle of a pandemic so it was all over Zoom.”

Nicole was working on her own projects in Australia when Being The Ricardos director Aaron Sorkin called and offered her the role.

“I said yes because it was him and because it sounded amazing and because I had read the script. I didn’t realise how much work it was going to be and how hard it was going to be,” she admitted.

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