Nicole Kidman treasures piece of life-changing advice

Words are precious, especially in times of grief. Nicole Kidman knows that to be true.

The celebrated actor lost her beloved mother, Janelle Ann, in September at the age of 84.

She cherishes her memories of her mother and her life-changing advice.

For instance, Kidman recalls how she considered leaving Hollywood when Sunday Rose, her first daughter with husband Keith Urban, was born.

“My mother said, ‘No, no, no. Keep your finger in the pie a little bit. Don’t give it up completely.’ I was sort of like, ‘I’m done. This is it,’ ” the 57-year-old Kidman shares. “She said, ‘I’ve raised you since you were little. I think you’ll need a creative outlet. You might not want to throw it all away.’ ”

It was the perfect call — even many years later. And what momentous years they’ve been.

In 2024, Kidman’s career soared with hit TV series “Lioness” and “The Perfect Couple,” rumors of another “Big Little Lies” and another upcoming TV project called “Scarpetta,” based on the bestselling books by Patricia Cornwell.

Another Oscar nomination appears to be a lock for the erotic thriller “Babygirl,” in theaters now. Kidman portrays a powerful CEO, wife and mother who risks her career and family for an affair with a younger intern (Harris Dickinson). Her life begins to unravel.

Kidman won best actress at this year’s Venice Film Festival and earned a Golden Globe nomination for the film.

At her house in Nashville, Tennessee, Kidman calls herself “a true homebody” with Urban, 16-year-old Sunday Rose and 13-year-old Faith Margaret.

Her good life advice:

‘What a gift’

“I don’t see it as a risk. I see it as an opportunity. For me, it’s the wow that matters,” Kidman says of films such as “Babygirl.” She didn’t hesitate to sign on. “I read the script and I knew. I was like, ‘Right, that’s my film.’ I thought, ‘If I don’t get to make this, I will be devastated.’ … When something like this comes at you — particularly at this age — you gasp and think, ‘What a gift.’ ”

‘It’s about secrets’

“Babygirl,” written by Dutch filmmaker Halina Reijn, reaches audiences on several levels, Kidman notes. “I was hypnotized by it,” she says. “I never knew what would happen next. Nothing is what it seems as it unravels. … This is one woman’s story. It’s very much a liberating story that was very freeing to make. It’s told by a woman, through her gaze. … It’s obviously about sex. It’s about desire. It’s about your inner thoughts. It’s about secrets. It’s about marriage. It’s about truth, power and consent.”

Be spontaneous

How does Kidman pick her next project? “I’m quite erratic in my choices. There is no method to the madness. Just a lot of spontaneity and the desire to do something I feel excited about, because as we age, time is the most precious thing,” she says.

Staying healthy

Kidman is no stranger to deeply emotional, physical roles exploring different female journeys. “A lot of times when you’re acting scenes that are very traumatic, your body doesn’t know that it is acting,” she says. “You take it on and then have to shed it. It’s so important to tell different stories, but you also have to keep healthy yourself.”

‘A goner’

Kidman met Urban in 2005, and they wed a year later. He’s no stranger to sweeping romantic gestures, including one birthday before they were hitched when he sat on the stoop outside her New York apartment at 5 in the morning holding gardenias. “I was a goner,” Kidman says, laughing. On their 15th anniversary, he posted, “My life started when you said ‘I do.’ ” She doesn’t like to give out too much relationship advice. “If you really like the person and really love them at the same time, then you’re very lucky,” she says. “I just married a really good man. It’s the best.”

Satisfied mind

Urban has taught her to “stop the wanting mind. He says, ‘It’s far better to be completely in love and satisfied with what you’re given, what we’re given,’ ” Kidman says.

Go wild

One of her favorite moments filming “Babygirl” was a rave scene. Why? “I got to go to a rave and just go wild,” Kidman says, laughing. “At that point of the film, it was so needed. Just that feeling of ‘whoosh!’ — full release.”

Protect your time

“I love living in Nashville,” Kidman shares. “It’s peaceful. I like the solitude. It’s a very warm community and it’s our home. I always look forward to being home.” She calls her time away from Hollywood “a very normal life. People always go, ‘Yeah, right!’ But it’s true. We protect our time. It’s all about family time, watching movies, walking the dog and just a normal life.” One word of warning: “I’m just not the best cook! My daughters have banned me from the kitchen at times.”

Keep discovering

“For me in my life, it’s still about discovering,” Kidman says. “At every age, you don’t know what you don’t know. You can still say: ‘I didn’t know that about myself and what I was seeking — but now I do know.’ This winding path of discovery is beautiful at every age, and it changes over the years.”