Nicole Kidman Asked for Naomi Watts’ Permission to Star as Liev Schreiber’s Wife in ‘The Perfect Couple’
Nicole Kidman has revealed that she asked for her friend Naomi Watts’ permission to star as Liev Schreiber’s wife in The Perfect Couple.
Kidman, 57 and Watts, 55, have been friends for more than 30 years, during which Watts was in a relationship with Schreiber, 56, between 2005 and 2016.
During an interview with Entertainment Weekly that was teased via the outlet’s Instagram account on Saturday, September 7, Kidman and Schreiber revealed Kidman had consulted Watts ahead of signing on to star as Schreiber’s onscreen wife in the new Netflix limited series.
Schreiber kicked the conversation off by sharing that he’d “heard a story” where Kidman “asked Naomi first if it was OK” to be romantically involved with him in the show, to which Kidman responded, “Of course!”
Breaking Down Biggest Differences Between ‘The Perfect Couple’ TV Show and Elin Hilderbrand’s Book
Kidman’s honest response elicited nothing but praise from the Spotlight actor. “Isn’t that amazing?” he said to the interviewer. “That’s how close they are.”
The onscreen duo star as Greer and Tag Winbury, a seemingly perfect, extremely wealthy couple caught up in a murder mystery as one of their children prepares to get married in Nantucket, Massachusetts.
The series is a small screen adaptation of Elin Hilderbrand’s acclaimed book of the same title.
During the interview, Kidman said that she had to “chase” Schreiber to take the part alongside her.
“I had to beg him to marry me,” Kidman, who has been married to Keith Urban since 2006 and shares two daughters, Sunday Rose, 16, and Faith Margaret, 13, with the singer, told the interviewer before turning to Schreiber himself. “You’re a little hard to get. You needed to be chased.”
Schreiber, who shares two children, Sasha, 17, and Kai, 15, with Watts, has maintained a dedicated and supportive coparenting arrangement with Watts over the years.
The actor, who married Taylor Neisen in July 2023 and shares a daughter, Hazel, 1, with her, was most recently seen spending quality time with Watts and Sasha per a string of family selfies posted by Watts via Instagram on June 22.
Meet the Characters at the Center of Netflix’s Mysterious and Murderous ‘The Perfect Couple’
For Watts’ part in The Perfect Couple’s casting process, the actress told Entertainment Weekly at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday, September 8, that Kidman did indeed check in with her ahead of signing on alongside Schreiber.
“We always check in, we’re besties,” Watts told the outlet. “That was very kind of her to do that.”
Watts, who married Billy Crudup in June 2023, added that she was planning on watching The Perfect Couple in time.
"I'm desperate to [watch it] because everyone is raving about it," Watts said. "I'm very much looking forward to it. I have seen the trailer. It looks fantastic."
