Job shifts are not uncommon, and that holds for artists as well, including actors. Nicole Kidman is no stranger to this, especially with her job change. But what is it exactly? Well, let’s find out!
Nicole Kidman spills the beans on her new job change
Recently, the actress was at the USFCA, where she talked about films, her new projects, and, supposedly, her new and rather interesting path as a death doula.
“Between my sister and me, we have so many children and our careers and our work, and wanting to take care of her because my father wasn’t in the world anymore, and that’s when I went, ‘I wish there were these people in the world that were there to sit impartially and just provide comfort and care.’ So that’s part of my expansion and one of the things I will be learning.”
For Kidman, it was personal loss that prompted this huge change in her career. Her mother passed away in 2024, and at that time, the actress was promoting her film Babygirl at the Venice Film Festival.
It was indeed an insurmountable loss for Kidman, especially after losing her father in 2014 to a heart attack. She has opened up about processing grief in an interview with CBS. “It doesn’t matter what age someone is because there is no limit on grief, and you don’t have to have a time limit on it, and you surely don’t have to be better by this time.”
To give context, the term “doula” comes from a Greek word called “doule,” which means “midwife.” A death doula, thus, is a midwife or an assistant, and in this case, a non-specialized person who assists in walking a person through the final stages of life.
The initiation of death doulas into society happened around the 2000s, and now people are actively being trained to help people cope with the last stages of life.
It is surely a fascinating career, given that not much is talked about death. Though over the years there has been sensitization about death education, one thing is clear: morticians, death doulas, and everyone involved in the process deserve due recognition.
