NEWSNicole Kidman Training to Become a 'Death Doula' in Unexpected Career Move 2 Years After Late Mother's 'Lonely' Passing
Nicole Kidman announced an unexpected career move nearly two years after her mother’s ‘lonely’ passing.
April 13 2026, Published 3:24 p.m. ET
Nicole Kidman is taking her talents to a very different industry, inspired by the "lonely" death of her mother, Janelle Ann Kidman.
“As my mother was passing, she was lonely, and there was only so much the family could provide,” the Australian actress, 58, began while speaking at the University of San Francisco on Saturday, April 11, per a news outlet.
Nicole Kidman Revealed Why She's Learning to Become 'Death Doula'
Nicole Kidman was inspired to become a 'death doula' following the passing of her mother in September 2024.
The Babygirl star lost her mother at the age of 84 nearly two years ago. She admitted it "sounds a little weird," but said her mother’s death inspired her to become a “death doula.”
“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 wasn’t in the world anymore, and that’s when I went, ‘I wish there was these people in the world that were there to sit impartially and just provide solace and care,’" Kidman explained.
What Is a 'Death Doula'?
Nicole Kidman explained that she will be learning to become a 'death doula.'
A death doula is complementary to hospice care and "provides holistic support and comfort to the dying person and their loved one," per the American Bar Association.
“So that’s part of my expansion and one of the things I will be learning," the Oscar-winning actress declared.
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Nicole Kidman Lost Her Father in 2014
Nicole Kidman lost her father in 2014.
The Golden Compass actress lost her father in 2014. Nearly ten years later, she learned about her mother's passing shortly after arriving at the 2024 Venice Film Festival. Nicole broke her silence in a statement read by Babygirl director Halina Reijn, who accepted the "Best Actress" award on her behalf.
"I am in shock and I have to go to my family, but this award is for her [Janelle], she shaped me, she guided me and she made me," the emotional message read. "I am beyond grateful that I get to say her name to all of you through Halina, the collision of life and art is heartbreaking, and my heart is broken."
Nicole Kidman Known for Close Relationship With Mother
Nicole Kidman's mother encouraged her not to quit acting after becoming a mother in 2008.
Nicole admitted that she considered stepping away from her acting career following the birth of her daughter, Sunday Rose Kidman-Urban, in 2008, but it was her mother who encouraged her to rethink her decision.
“We were living on a farm, and that’s when my mother said, ‘I wouldn’t give up completely. Keep a finger sort of in it,'" she told CBS News in December 2024. "And I’m like, ‘No, no. I’m done now. I’m done.’ She’s going, ‘Just listen to me. Keep moving forward. Not saying that you have to do it to the level you’ve been doing it, but I wouldn’t give it up completely."
Apart from Sunday, 17, Nicole shares her youngest daughter, Faith Margaret, 15, with ex-husband Keith Urban. She also shares two adult children, Isabella and Connor, with ex-husband Tom Cruise.
