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Forget the white light at the end of the tunnel — the last thing you might see before you die is Nicole Kidman’s face.

The 58-year-old Oscar and Emmy winner opened up at an April 18 History semiquincentennial event in Philadelphia about her recent training to become a death doula. “It’s very beautiful,” she told the intrigued gathering at Marian Anderson Hall (where, we should probably note, there were also appearances by all four living former presidents, along with two former first ladies — Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton — as well as Tina Fey, Tom Brady, Garth Brooks, Colin Jost, Kate McKinnon and Jason Kelce). 

“You have to be a certain personality to be able to do it,” Kidman went on about her second career as an end-of-life guide. “But I found out that I’m actually that personality. It’s very important to me.”

The Moulin Rouge! star and relentless AMC Theatres preshow pitchwoman delved even deeper into the decision, describing it, rather poignantly, as a reaction to a death in her own family two years ago. “I’d won best actress at the Venice Film Festival, I was about to go onstage, and I found out my mother had died,” she recalled. “I went right back to the room in Venice, got into bed and was completely devastated.”

The most remarkable thing about Kidman’s unexpected career swerve, though, is that she’s not the first Hollywood creative to take up death doula-ing. Tony-winning actress Celia Keenan-Bolger underwent training in 2022, Hamnet director Chloé Zhao spoke publicly about her training earlier this year, and Daisy Jones and The Six actress (and Elvis’ granddaughter) Riley Keough has been doing it since 2020.

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Also in Rambling Reporter:

Why movie stars can’t resist an award show about particle physics and Louise Linton on her next movie.

This story appeared in the May 6 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.

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