'Nicole Kidman has a history of choosing family versus faith'

Joel Edgerton’s new blockbuster Boy Erased explores the story of a young man named Jared Eamons, played by Lucas Hedges, who was forced to take part in gay conversion therapy by his parents, Marshall and Nancy, played by Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman.

Discussing Nicole’s role in the film and how she got into character, Joel believes her own life experiences with family and religion helped her to connect with Nancy.

Nicole Kidman’s connection to religion

“Nicole has her own connection with religion and faith,” he explained in an interview with Yahoo Lifestyle.

“If you know Nicole well enough, you know a bit about her history and choosing family versus faith and various things that connect her with this story.”

Her husband Keith Urban, and his country roots also helped the 51-year-old immerse herself in the role.

“But also, she lives half her time with Keith in Nashville – she knows these women,” Joel added.

Joel not only starred in the film as Victor Sykes, the head therapist at the gay conversion program, he wrote, directed and co-produced the entire blockbuster which meant he was involved in all casting.

Too many Aussies in Boy Erased?

With the 44-year-old having Aussie roots, as well as Russell, Nicole and Troye Sivan, who plays Gary, he admitted he was “nervous about casting too many Australians”.

“I was worried people would think it was an Australian film or that I was just being lazy and that I had some sort of an Australian hotline to any actor I wanted,” he said.

But he insisted Russell and Nicole “were just the right people for the job and they were such great partners”.

“Russell and Nicole were just the people I couldn’t get out of my head once I’d seen photos of the family – they bear such a resemblance and energetically they just felt like the right people to play them,” Joel continued.

“It does something to know people like Nicole and Russell are in it because it means they’re endorsing an opinion that we’re pushing and it means there are more eyes on the screen.”

Boy Erased is out in cinemas across Australia on November 8.

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