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Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor reunited 16 years after Moulin Rouge

The pair came together to discuss their memories of the film, plus their mutual success on television with Big Little Lies and Fargo

Clarisse Loughrey
Wednesday 07 June 2017 14:47 BST
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Come what may, the love for Moulin Rouge lives on.

Stars Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor reunited to discuss their memories of working on Baz Luhrmann's lush movie musical 16 years after it first debuted at the Cannes Film Festival, while both reflecting on their current successes on television with Big Little Lies and Fargo.

It's part of Variety's series titled 'Actors on Actors', which paired the two ahead of their probable upcoming Emmy success, though the trip down memory lane wasn't lost on fans.

"Did you realise what we were making when we were making it?" Kidman asks McGregor, who responds: "I think I did, yeah. I don't think you do work unless you think it's going to be great, you know? I've never approached anything thinking, well, this might be a bit crap."

The pair then recall a two-week workshop at Luhrmann's villa they undertook an entire six months before filming, practising salsa and tango, though Kidman admits that in the film, "We didn't end up doing any of it!"


She then confesses that she was nervous that, in comparison to McGregor's "exquisite voice", she wouldn't be able to hit some of the notes required by the likes of 'One Day I'll Fly Away' and 'Come What May'. McGregor, and fans, would heartily agree she had nothing to be concerned about.

They also recall the parties Luhrmann used to give during the preparation time, where Kidman reveals absinthe made something of a fitting appearance.

Also discussed is the level of workshopping that went into the film, with large parts of their shared moments in the Elephant Room not actually featuring in the original script, but having been incorporated in after the actors had a chance to play around with those scenes.

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