The Really Bad Habit Nicole Kidman Picked Up While Playing Lucille Ball

Actor Nicole Kidman is once again a top Oscar contender. Kidman's recent portrayal of Lucille Ball in Amazon original film "Being the Ricardos" is receiving glowing reviews — and many think that she may take home the trophy at the upcoming 2022 awards show. But despite receiving great praise for her portrayal, Kidman had major doubts about portraying the iconic actor. 

When news first broke that Kidman would become Ball in the new flick, many film fans were unconvinced she was right for the role. "[I'm] a human being, so there's time when you go, 'Gosh, maybe I'm not the right person for this,'" Kidman told Today. The actor said the project's director, Aaron Sorkin, encouraged her to keep the part. "That's where having somebody like Aaron [helps], who really said at the beginning, he was like, 'I'm not wanting a perfect rendition or imitation of Lucy. No, no, no, no, no,'" Kidman explained. Ultimately, Kidman overcame criticism to commit to the challenging character. 

And now, the five-time Golden Globe winner recently opened up about a nasty habit she took up to nail her new role.

Nicole Kidman took up smoking cigarettes to transform her voice for her role as Lucille Ball. Kidman opened about the strategy she and vocal coach Tom Jones used to conceal her Australian accent in an interview with Dujour. "[Tom] said, "We're going to get there," Kidman told the outlet, per the Daily Mail. "They decided her Lucy needed to have a deep smoker's voice, so I started smoking."

Kidman's work on "Being the Ricardos" is far from the first time the Aussie actor has concealed her true accent. In fact, Kidman remained in character as a Russian wellness guru the entire time the Hulu original "Nine Perfect Strangers" was filmed, Harper's Bazaar reported. "It was a little surreal, to be honest," Kidman's co-star Regina Hall told the outlet of the star's commitment. "She walked in and she was Russian! I did not hear Nicole's real voice until we wrapped. She didn't break."

Kidman enjoys transforming into new characters and the challenges that come along with her work. "I still approach acting with such vigor after so many years because I expand," Kidman told Variety. "I literally can change because of a role."