Christine Baranski shares why Nicole Kidman kept distance on Nine Perfect Strangers set
They may be Nine Perfect Strangers on screen, but behind the scenes the new cast of the drama series are anything but.
Christine Baranski joins Nicole Kidman along with a star-studded line-up for season two, including Crazy Rich Asians star Henry Golding, The White Lotus star Murray Bartlett, and Schitt's Creek star Annie Murphy.
But while the cast bonded during the six months they filmed in the snowy Austrian Alps, in a case of life imitating art, Kidman kept her distance on the series, which is now streaming on Prime Video.
The Aussie actress reprises her role as Masha Dmitrichenko, a Russian wellness guru who uses unconventional and questionable methods to treat her guests as the fictional health retreat Zauberwald
Although Masha is sociable and people are drawn to her, she is equally complex and enigmatic – and it appears Kidman maintained this persona off-screen too.
'We bonded, the nine of us. And when [Kidman] would come in, it was sort of exactly like it would be in the show, which is she comes in and we're all, what's she all about? What's she going to do? And so the chemistry was sort of exactly right for it,' Baranski, 73, told news.com.au.
'She's rather perfect for that role. The character of Masha is so mysterious and has her own backstory that's very, very complicated and interesting. And Nicole is really tall and statuesque, and her look in this show, I think, is particularly arresting. So she's just perfect for this inscrutable, intimidating character.'
Still, there was nothing that could keep Baranski away from the show or Kidman.
'It's such a no-brainer. My agent said it was Nicole Kidman and the second season of Strangers, which was already an established hit. Then he mentioned the talent that they were offering roles to various actors, and they were all extraordinary people. And then he said that it was going to film in Europe, in Munich and the Austrian Alps,' the Mamma Mia star shared.
In season two, Baranski plays the glamorous and sensual Victoria, who enlists the help of Masha to repair her relationship with her daughter Imogen (played by Murphy). While they play an estranged mother-and-daughter duo, off-screen Murphy adored Baranski.
'She is the hostess with the mostest and she's so generous. Anytime she'd go away [from set], she'd come back with cakes and treats and all these things for us,' Murphy told news.com.au.
'We were staying in this town called Halstadt in Austria, which is this beautiful fairytale town around this alpine lake. And we're staying in this beautiful hotel and the hotel backed onto the lake.
'Christine arranged this evening for us, and the sun was just setting and we walked out and there was champagne and beautiful tables set up. She'd curated this incredible classical playlist for us that was kind of echoing across this still, beautiful lake. And it was just magical.'
In the series, there is also magic between Baranski's Victoria and her much younger lover Matteo (played by Aras Aydın). There seems to be a chorus of age-gap romances playing out on screens across Hollywood lately, but Baranski says there is nothing salacious about this May-December romance.
'It was very easy because Aras is so emotionally free and available and he's beautiful and so passionate. We didn't have to work at that [chemistry],' she said.
'As you can see from early on in the first few episodes, it's not just some sexy older woman-hot guy relationship. There's an enormous kind of tenderness and caretaking and loveliness between us.
'We valued bringing that out more than the sexy part because it's transcends age. People can love each other long after they feel sexy or hot for each other. The tenderness and the intimacy is what is most lasting and interesting.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
15 hours ago
- News.com.au
Cheeky 12pm habit Aussies need to stop
A recent study has shown that napping during certain hours of the day could be associated with an increased risk of death. According to the research published in the journal Sleep, data from wearable activity trackers showed that nap duration and timing were related to increased all-cause mortality among middle-aged and older adults. Specifically, naps taken around the middle of the day were linked to a higher risk of death. This development brings scientists closer to understanding whether certain napping habits should raise concerns about a person's health. 'Our study fills a gap in knowledge by showing that not just whether someone naps, but how long, how variable, and when they nap during the day may be meaningful indicators of future health risk,' said lead study author Chenlu Gao, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, told Health. 'Past studies have relied on self-reported nap habits, which are subject to recall bias.' Study links naps with mortality According to Mrs Gao, numerous studies have explored the link between night-time sleep and mortality. However, she and her colleagues have 'long been interested in understanding daytime napping and its impact on health'. 'We saw a critical need to investigate whether objectively assessed napping behaviours are associated with longevity,' she explained. The team analysed data from 86,565 non-shift working adults, aged 43 to 79 (with an average of 63), who were part of the UK Biobank, a comprehensive biomedical database. Fifty-seven per cent of these participants were women. They wore a device that tracked their rest and activity levels for seven days, with napping defined as any sleep occurring between 9am and 7pm. During the 11-year follow-up period, 5819 of the study participants had died. Researchers identified a higher risk of death associated with three factors: longer naps, greater day-to-day variability in nap length, and more naps around noon and early afternoon. These associations remained true even after adjusting for factors such as body mass index, alcohol consumption, smoking habits, and overnight sleep duration. While the study established a correlation between different napping habits and mortality, it is crucial to note that it did not prove that napping causes an increased risk of death. It is also uncertain whether these findings apply to the general population. Why might napping be linked to mortality? Currently, as there is no definitive evidence that naps directly cause increased mortality, sleep experts are examining the research for clues — and some suggest that the underlying reasons for napping may be more relevant. Sleep disorders such as sleep apnoea or medical conditions that drain energy, like heart disease, could actually be the underlying cause of the nap-mortality connection. The study did attempt to account for lifestyle factors, but it remains difficult to control for undiagnosed medical conditions. Other experts propose that long, irregular midday naps could influence health by disrupting circadian rhythms, which are the body's internal sleep-wake cycles. This disruption could affect various factors that influence mortality, such as inflammation, metabolism, and cardiovascular health. Should we nap? If you feel the need to nap, experts recommend aiming for less than 30 minutes, as this allows you to feel refreshed and energised without experiencing grogginess. Napping earlier in the day can also help prevent your nap from interfering with your ability to sleep at night. If you find yourself napping more frequently or for longer periods, you should consult your doctor.
News.com.au
15 hours ago
- News.com.au
British star Matthew Goode reveals dark reason Bond producers rejected him
Matthew Goode has revealed the dark reason James Bond producers rejected him moments after meeting him. James Bond bosses have been whittling down the long list of actors for years in a desperate bid to find the man who will replace Daniel Craig. Barbara Broccoli, 65, along with her brother Michael G. Wilson, 83, were the producers of the Bond franchise before they were replaced by Amazon MGM Studios for a massive $1 billion dollar deal in February. And before they chose Craig, Dept. Q star Goode revealed on Thursday's episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast that he was personally invited for a sit down chat with the producers who were seemingly interested in potentially having him be the new Bond before the role eventually went to Craig. However, sadly the meeting didn't go as the actor had planned. 'I didn't get to the audition,' remarked the star. 'But it was quite a funny one because — and she's gorgeous and just a lovely, lovely person — she was like, 'So what's your idea for Bond?' And I was like, 'My idea for Bond. We've gotta take it back to the books, you know? Really, we absolutely have to make this guy an alcoholic, a drug addict. He hates himself. He hates women. He hates a lot of people. He's in deep pain. He's brilliant at killing people.'' Goode confessed that his vision for the character didn't end up sitting well with the then producers, who swiftly dismissed him from the meeting. Goode reflected: 'I think by the end of the interview, she was like, 'Mhmm. Next.' I wanted to make it really dark.' 'I should have said was, 'But also incredibly charming.'' laughed the star. 'Ultimately, you know. What they did get was Daniel Craig.' Meanwhile, the rumour mill has been continually whirring as to who will take on the iconic 007 gig. But most recently, it was Aaron Taylor-Johnson who has dropped hints that he'll be stepping into Bond's shoes. The Marvel movie star, 34, recently signed a deal with Omega – the brand of watch the 007 spy wears. Omega has been supplying timepieces to the iconic movie character since the release of 1995's Golden Eye. When asked previously whether he would step into Bond's shoes, the Marvel star said: 'I find it charming and wonderful that people see me in that role. I take it as a great compliment.'
ABC News
18 hours ago
- ABC News
Will Jimmy Rees ever be allowed into the US?
4h ago 4 hours ago Fri 27 Jun 2025 at 10:00pm Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Play Duration: 9 minutes 57 seconds 9 m
