LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Zoe Saldana recently shared her thoughts on the unique method acting approach employed by Nicole Kidman to portray her on-screen characters convincingly. Saldana, 45, and Kidman, 56, collaborated in the new Paramount+ spy thriller series 'Special Ops: Lioness', where the latter portrays the character of Kaitlyn Meade, and also serves as co-executive producer for the show.
Saldana, who plays the role of Joe in the series, revealed that she never knew which version of Kidman she would encounter on set, as the Australian star occasionally remained in character even during off-camera moments.
Is Nicole Kidman a method actor?
Saldana expressed her admiration for Kidman, stating, "She’s dedicated, she’s the most prepared on set, knows all her lines. She stays in character sometimes, and it’s a bit freaky," in an interview with Radio Times. However, this is not the first time Kidman has demonstrated her commitment to method acting. During the filming of 'The Undoing,' she discussed the blurred lines between acting and reality, stating, "Your immune system doesn't know the difference between acting and truth when you're doing them." In that role, she found herself embodying a sense of unease and distress that influenced her personality.
In another instance, the Oscar-winning actress during the filming of 'Nine Perfect Strangers', once again embraced the method-acting approach by fully immersing herself in the character, going as far as refusing to respond to her own name throughout the five-month shooting period. Instead, she insisted on being addressed by her character's name, Masha, and maintained a calm and healing energy on set. “I wanted a very calm, healing energy to emanate all the time. So I remember going over to people and sort of putting my hand on their heart or holding their hand,” she explained. “They would talk to me or use my name Nicole, and I would completely ignore it. I’d only respond to Masha.”
In the upcoming series, Saldana takes on the role of Joe, the station chief of 'The Lioness Program', responsible for training and leading female undercover operatives in preparation for the imminent dangers they will face. On the other hand, Kidman portrays Kaitlyn Meade, the CIA's senior supervisor, who recruits an assertive Marine Raider named Cruz (Laysla De Oliveira) to work undercover alongside Joe in a mission to prevent another 9/11 attack.
Commenting on the similarities between herself and her character Joe, Saldana shared, "There is something very parallel to me in Joe, working full time for something she is devoted to, having to balance family life and carry it all. I was able to relate to the pressure, the pain you live with when you have to be away from your family for 14 hours straight, and feeling guilty for loving what you do."
'Special Ops: Lioness' revolves around a real-life CIA program and follows the journey of a young marine who is recruited by the CIA to befriend the daughter of a terrorist group, with the goal of dismantling the organization from within. Penned by Taylor Sheridan, known for his work in Western genres, this series showcases his foray into a different genre as he collaborates with Saldana, Kidman, along with the esteemed Morgan Freeman, Laysla De Oliveira, and Michael Kelly.
Zoe Saldana's transition to TV from the big screen
Saldana also revealed that she made the transition from the big screen to television after her manager encouraged her to "go where the content is." She explained that her initial hesitation stemmed from unfounded concerns, as she feared accepting the notion that her youth was over and she was no longer considered "sexy." However, she realized that this was not the case.
The highly anticipated espionage thriller premieres on July 23, initially with two episodes exclusively on Paramount+. Subsequently, new episodes will be released weekly, leading up to the gripping series finale scheduled for September 3.
