{"id":83441,"date":"2026-04-14T13:14:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T17:14:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/?p=83441"},"modified":"2026-04-14T13:14:20","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T17:14:20","slug":"actress-nicole-kidmans-next-role-death-doula","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/actress-nicole-kidmans-next-role-death-doula\/","title":{"rendered":"Actress Nicole Kidman\u2019s Next Role: Death Doula"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Nicole Kidman is adding a surprising new line to her resume. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Nicole Kidman is embarking upon a surprising career change<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The beloved actress, best known for her compelling performances in films such as the splashy musical \u201cMoulin Rouge!,\u201d period drama \u201cThe Hours\u201d and HBO hit series \u201cBig Little Lies,\u201d recently told<\/a> an assembly of students at the University of San Francisco that she was training to become a death<\/a> doula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most know the term \u201cdoula\u201d in the obstetric context \u2013 individuals who guide patients through their pregnancies, deliveries and postpartum periods. Death doulas, or end-of-life doulas, similarly guide individuals and families, but through the process of dying, rather than giving birth.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Related<\/h4>\n <\/div>\n \n
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\n \n \"Aubrey\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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\n \n Aubrey Plaza Discusses Grief\u2019s Unwieldy, Shape-Shifting Nature\n <\/a>\n <\/h3>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n

Kidman, 58, explained to the students gathered this past weekend that she was drawn to the work following the loss of her mother, Janelle Ann Kidman, in September 2024. “As my mother was passing, she was lonely, and there was only so much the family could provide,” she shared. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to become a death doula, one must train through organizations such as the International End-of-Life Doula Association<\/a>. It\u2019s a lesser-known career path, to be sure \u2013 less than 2,000<\/a> people have signed on for the job, as of last August.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it\u2019s helpful work, the IEOLDA says \u2013 providing \u201cpsychosocial, emotional, spiritual and practical care to empower dignity throughout the dying process.\u201d Yes, Kidman admitted, the work may strike some as \u201ca little weird<\/a>,\u201d but her lived experience taught her that it\u2019s also critical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Between my sister and I, we have so many children and our careers and our work, and wanting to take care of her because my father [also] wasn’t in the world anymore,\u201d she recalled. \u201cThat’s when I went, \u2018I wish there was these people in the world that were there to sit impartially and just provide solace and care.’\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That, Kidman continued, is \u201cone of the things I will be learning\u201d to be.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Related<\/h4>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n \"Jane\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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\n \n Extraordinary Women We Lost in 2025 Who Made the World a Better Place\n <\/a>\n <\/h3>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Inspired by her own grief, the Hollywood star announced that she\u2019s shifting her focus to helping people navigate the process and aftermath of dying.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":83442,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"autoblue_enabled":true,"autoblue_custom_message":"Nicole Kidman is adding a surprising new line to her 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