Nicole Kidman’s wigs have practically become their own characters in the dozens of projects the Oscar winner has made across television and film.
The latest is a sharp blonde bob she wears as the mysterious wellness guru Masha in the second season of Hulu’s “Nine Perfect Strangers.”
“Everything is very specific,” Kidman told me at the Season 2 premiere event in Beverly Hills. “It’s chosen for a reason because she’s got very strong intentions and agendas.”
Kidman said it was the only wig she looked at after it was picked by her longtime hair and makeup artist Noriko Watanabe. “It’s very quick,” Kidman explained. “We just came up with the character and vibe, how she should be and what she should look for.”
Kidman also explained why she wanted to reprise Masha for a second season. The premiere season was based on the novel of the same name whereas there was no book for the follow-up. “This time it was free rein,” she said, adding that it’s “fun to play” a woman with power. “So many time, I play women that are in a very precarious place emotionally and Masha is just a badass.”
Christine Baranski is rethinking her future contracts after playing a wealthy client of Masha’s who arrives at the spa with her much younger lover (Aras Aydin). “I got the boy toy on my arm,” she said, smiling. “I said, ‘It should be in my contracts that I should have great clothes, funny lines and a young lover in whatever I do.’”
“Nine Perfect Strangers” marks the acting debut of singer-songwriter King Princess. She plays a celebrated pianist whose partner (Maisie Richardson-Sellers) convinces her to try Masha’s unorthodox treatments.
“You know what’s even more meaningful than having a queer couple [on the show] is having a really toxic queer couple because it’s one step greater,” King Princess said. “It’s not just gay representation for the sake of it. It’s two people who are extremely flawed. We find them in the midst of a six-year relationship with all their baggage and their bullshit. We’re reaching maximum lesbian capacity. Something’s gotta give, you know?”