[Editor's note: The following contains some spoilers for early episodes of The Undoing.]

Directed and executive produced by Susanne Bier and created and written for television by David E. Kelley, who also serves as showrunner, the HBO limited series The Undoing follows Grace (Nicole Kidman) and Jonathan Fraser (Hugh Grant), a married couple who have a seemingly perfect life until the revelation of secrets and lies threatens to undo it all. When a violent death changes everything, Grace must figure out what that means for her family and how to pick up the pieces.

During this 1-on-1 phone interview with Collider, Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman (who’s also an executive producer on the series) talked about what attracted her to The Undoing, entering different territory as an actress, what she enjoys about her work as a producer, her collaborative relationship with David E. Kelley who she’s teamed up with again on Nine Perfect Strangers, fighting imposter syndrome, and why she wanted to be a part of Robert Eggers’next film The Northman.

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Collider: What was it about this project that made you want to star in it and produce it, and that also made you feel like it was a project that you could team up with David E. Kelley again?

NICOLE KIDMAN: It just felt like something that was a great thriller and it was beautifully written. I only read the first two episodes, initially. That’s what he gave me. And then, we subsequently gave them to Susanne Bier, who responded, and we sat talked. Then, she and David slowly evolved and constructed the story that she wanted to tell.

Are you at the point where, when David E. Kelley sends you a script, you’re just ready to say yes?

KIDMAN: Pretty much. Yeah. It’s interesting because I’m doing a show with him now and it’s totally different. A lot of times, a writer will see you in one particular way but to have a writer who’s willing to push you and give you different things and different areas to explore as an actor is really exciting. He’s obviously very good at thrillers but he’s very, very good at comedy too. He’s just unbelievably skilled, so I’m very lucky to have a writer of that caliber who wants to work with me, for now.

You’ve had such an incredible career with so many memorable films and performances. What’s it like to be at this stage in your life and to feel like you’re still continuing to step it up, each and every time? Do you feel like you’re still learning new things about acting and about yourself as an actor, with each project that you’ve been doing?

KIDMAN: Oh, yeah. I’m going into different territory. As you get older, you’re bringing all of the life experiences. I have all of these experiences that were so different from when I was in my 20s and I’m able to bring that wealth of experience, and then still be trying to move into places and grow and learn and get better. For me, I’m just always operating from the place of never quite getting there and always wanting to do something better. I have that struggle with your confidence, in relation to what you do. My confidence with that really can be shattered at times, and so I’m always on this quest, I suppose. I just love exploring human beings. I love going into the whys and hows. I’ve always loved it, from when I would read Chekhov when I was little and be like, “What?!,” and I couldn’t even grasp it. I actually just had to do a thing for the Met, where they wanted me to record some of Virginia Woolf’s writing and I read a part of her dissertation on the arts. I was like, “Oh, the power of writing, that then connects you to thought, that then connects you to emotion, that then connects you to what this existence is and why we’re even here and whether we’re even here.” It’s so interesting to me, and I love it. I love having my breath taken away by artistic journeys.

What are you also most enjoying about your expanded role as producer now?

KIDMAN: I think being able to get things made. Many actors, many creative people, many writers are sitting on extraordinary projects and things they wanna get made and don’t have the chance to do it. I’ve been in that position. The struggle is really, really hard. When something is successful, suddenly you have a window where you can get some things made. Who knows how long that lasts for but it’s a wonderful thing to have and to not take for granted. I’m always like, “Oh, my gosh, I can’t believe we’re in this position.” And then, it’s also about being able to make logical choices.” With Nine Perfect Strangers, that we’re shooting, we were able to bring the production to Australia, start shooting in July, and we’re about to finish in December. That really is probably the only TV show that is started and finished during a pandemic. That is an extraordinary thing, as a producer, to go, “Oh, my God, did we actually do that?” We haven’t done it yet, so I say that with incredible caution and humility because it is not December yet and it can turn on a dime, as we all know. Everything changes overnight and it’s terrifying at times.

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Image via HBO

Every time you start a new project, do you get nervous? Did you used to get nervous but don’t anymore, or do you still always get nervous?

KIDMAN: I get really nervous. Yeah, of course I get nervous. I get nauseous nervous. Having done stage work as well, there’s this thing where you almost have to just push into it and do it. You know that first day is gonna be unbearable, with everyone looking at you and thinking, “Come on, really?” That’s what you think people are thinking. And then, suddenly it just starts to happen. Part of that is the beauty of just working with other actors, where you look into another actor’s eyes and you’re in this bubble with them, and there’s a safety net there and we’re going through the same thing together. That’s probably the power of working as actors together. We’re in it together. As soon as that connection happens, there is no first day, in a way. There is no, “Oh, my gosh, I’m terrified.” It’s just us, trying to do our thing. I find that really, really safe. Another actor’s body and eyes, opposite me, is unbelievably soothing. It sounds weird but any other actor would understand that. It’s like, “You may be a stranger or I may only know a tiny bit of you but you’re here now, opening your emotions and all of what you have, and we’re together. I can reach out for you and trust you. Thank you.”

There’s a very notable nude scene, early on in the series, that doesn’t involve you being nude but you’re very much involved in the scene. That scene really says so much about the characters, who they are, and how different they are. What was that moment like to shoot?

KIDMAN: We’re in character then, so it just is what it is. There’s enormous protection of the other actress. Susanne really ran that set, and the First AD and crew were so respectful and kind. Having also done it myself, it’s not like I’m there, having never done it. I know exactly what the feeling is, and I know what makes me feel that I can be the character and not be aware of all the other things. It’s storytelling, so there’s nothing gratuitous about it because it’s got a meaning behind it. That’s probably why we’re all comfortable with it. And it says so much about the collision of who they are as women. One is far more reserved and the other is far more open. That’s a really interesting part of two human beings interacting. When you do a sex scene in a bed, you don’t know how much of that is gonna end up in the show. There are a lot of things that don’t end up on the screen, as well, that people don’t see. I think the most important thing is just feeling protected and feeling that you are doing something for the sake of the story that is very much character based, and you will be honored.

Who do you think Grace sees as the villain of her story? Is it her husband with all of his secrets and lies, is it this other woman, is it the detective that keeps pushing her buttons?

KIDMAN: Well, to not give it away, it obviously changes. There’s rapid changing of the way in which she thinks and behaves. It’s very human. We change our minds all the time. It’s why when people ask me a question, I’m like, “Well, I think this now but I may not think that next week.” That’s life. I love that that’s captured in this show. What you think something is changes within an hour or a minute, and she’s very much this pendulum that’s swinging. I also love that Grace just keep standing. There’s something so admirable about that. She is taking care of her child. She collapses emotionally at times but she will just keep standing and moving forward, no matter how shattered and no matter how destroyed she is, internally. It was a really hard thing to play. There’s a scene where she breaks down in front of her son, and he’s so kind to her, but she doesn’t want him to have to take care of her. She wants to take care of him. That’s what her job on this earth is. Not to have her son take care of her.

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Image via HBO

I love that you’re also in The Northman because who doesn’t love a Viking revenge story? What made you want to work with Robert Eggers and be on a set where he tries to do everything as authentic as possible?

KIDMAN: I’m heading off to do that in November. I’m deeply committed to filmmakers that I call auteurs. They’re so powerful in their visions and their abilities. I made that pledge when I was about 14 years old, that I would travel the world and work with different nationalities in different countries and different genres with different stories. That’s my calling. So, to have been asked to do it is a privilege. A lot of the things, as an actor, you’ve gotta be asked to do them. When it’s something that I’m producing, like with [The Undoing], it’s Suzanne Bier and David E. Kelley’s story. I am a part of it and I fit into it. [The Northman] is Robert Eggers' story and his vision. I hopefully bring something to the equation but I’m there to participate and contribute.

Does that feel like it’ll be a very challenging character?

KIDMAN: Yeah. I’m pretty terrified right now. I sound calm but you shouldn’t see what’s going on inside.

I feel like you know what you’re doing and will be okay, though.

KIDMAN: A lot of times I don’t, but I just jump. I would love to say that I do know what I’m doing but a lot of times, I make very spontaneous and rather bold decisions with very little caution or thought. There’s a lot of abandonment and just going, “Okay, I’ll give it a go.” But if you look at my career, you can see that. Things work or they don’t but being committed to the process is where I’m at.

The Undoing airs on Sunday nights on HBO and is available to stream at HBO Max.

Christina Radish is a Senior Reporter of Film, TV, and Theme Parks for Collider. You can follow her on Twitter @ChristinaRadish.