Nicole Kidman has revealed a childhood struggle that quietly shaped the way she speaks—and even helped her become a better actress.
The 59-year-old Practical Magic 2 star opened up about having a stutter between the ages of four and six during an interview with Attitude Magazine.
Her co-star Sandra Bullock was surprised to learn about it.
“I never knew you had a stutter? How old were you?” Bullock asked.
“Um four, five, six. Through those ages,” Nicole explained. “I would know exactly what I wanted to say and I’d be almost excited to say, but it wouldn’t, it would just take time to come out.”
The Oscar winner said she still occasionally experiences it but has learned how to manage it.
“Sometimes I’ll have like a second or two of it, but I’ve learned a technique, and I’ve learned how to manage it,” she said. “Yeah, and it is probably why I speak softly.”
Interestingly, what once frustrated Kidman became an unexpected acting lesson.
“When I was little, everyone would always say stop, pause, think about what you want to say, and then say it,” she explained. “So because I would try to speak and then it wouldn’t come out, and so the stop and pause. So that’s actually quite good for life too.”
Kidman is currently promoting Practical Magic 2 with Bullock, and her press tour has already delivered some memorable moments.
At a surprise Sydney screening, she delighted fans by declaring, “I couldn’t let you have margaritas without me!”
She later told the crowd, “It’s really lovely 28 years later, as women, to still be here. So thank you for decades and decades of support. I love you.”
And after her recent red-carpet moment, Kidman may have accidentally created a new motto: “This is Versace. Have fun. Let’s party!”
