He’s the sexy Australian heartthrob who stole Anne Hathaway’s heart in The Devil Wears Prada, and she’s the newly single queen of Hollywood who shared a steamy kiss with him during the series Roar.
And now it seems Simon Baker, 56, could be keen to reignite the romantic spark between himself and Nicole Kidman, 58, after the pair were reunited on the set of upcoming series Scarpetta, and insiders say it’s all down to their shared bestie, fellow Aussie Naomi Watts, who has been playing matchmaker behind the scenes.
“Simon’s always been a good friend of Nicole’s – she and Naomi are both godmothers to his kids – but it’s always been a strictly platonic friendship,” Woman’s Day’s insider spills.
“Nicole has never gone there with Simon because she’d be scared to do anything that might ruin their friendship or her friendship with Simon’s ex-wife [Rebecca Rigg], but Naomi knows that Simon would drop everything and everyone to hook up with Nicole.”
FLIRTY FRIENDS
Indeed it was Naomi who urged Nicole to cast Simon in Scarpetta, the upcoming screen adaptation of Patricia Cornwell’s famous books. In it, Simon plays Benton Wesley, an FBI profiler and love interest to Nicole’s main character Dr Kay Scarpetta.
“Naomi would love to see Nicole and Simon hook up but she knows Nicole’s not ready yet and she’s still getting over her split from Keith [Urban}. Still, she’s hoping that playing lovers opposite Simon is at least giving her a chance for some harmless flirting, and if something grows from that, all the better!”
The Mentalist star also knows the pain of going through divorce, after splitting with Rebecca, his wife of 29 years, five years ago.
Since then he’s casually dated a few different women, including fashion designer Laura May Gibbs and has been on and off with Bridgette Clarke, 30, but they haven’t been seen together since February.
The source adds, “In any case it’s perfect that he’s there for Nicole. He was literally a life-saver when Naomi split from Liev [Schreiber], so Nicole’s in good hands. If romance blooms, even if it’s just a rebound fling, it would be a match made in heaven.”
It’s no secret Nicole has been a fan of Simon’s for some time, either.
In 2010, Nicole and her now ex-husband Keith performed a hilarious skit to Simon when he was honoured during Australia Week in LA. To the tune of Men At Work’s Down Under, Nicole and Keith quipped that Simon was a “sexy baby maker” and every woman’s “top screen saver”.
The source adds, “Like Nicole, Simon has navigated the ‘Australian life in LA’ balance to perfection, but more than anything he’s a genuine sweet, kind guy who’ll drop everything for a loved one.”
HAS KEITH MOVED ON, TOO?
Rumours have swirled for months that Keith Urban has secretly moved on with a slew of country singers, from Kelsea Ballerini to Maggie Baugh, who he duetted with on tour.
But recently a new name has been thrown into the mix – Karley Scott Collins.
According to country music insiders both Keith, 58, and Karley, who has been touring with Keith for months, attended the Country Music Awards in November but stayed suspiciously far away from one another.
Earlier this year Karley, 26, gushed about working with Keith on his High And Alive tour. “It’s amazing being on the road with Keith,” she said.
“He’s an incredible entertainer, and I respect him so much… and I’ve learned a lot watching him.”
In a series of photos posted on Instagram in July, Karley and Keith are pictured gazing at one another.
“Somebody pinch me,” writes Karley. “I feel like I’m dreamin’.”
