Nicole Kidman Reveals New Career As A Death Doula After Mother’s Unexpected Passing
on Apr 22, 2026
Nicole Kidman Shares Why She Was Inspired To Become A Death Doula
After the loss of her mother, Nicole Kidman hopes to help others through their own grief.
The Academy Award-winning actress shared insight into her newfound role as a death doula during an appearance at a HISTORYTalks event in Philadelphia over the weekend.
For those unfamiliar, a death doula is someone who supports people nearing the end of life and helps their families navigate the emotional pain of losing a loved one.
Kidman was inspired to explore the path after the death of her mother, Janelle Ann Kidman, in September 2024. After experiencing her own grief, she felt called to learn more about how she could help others going through similar pain.
As she explored the role further, she realized she had the personality needed for such a demanding responsibility.
“I think it’s fascinating,” she told journalist Hoda Kotb, per PEOPLE. “It’s, it’s a really fascinating, it’s very beautiful, and you have to be a certain personality to be able to do it, but I found out that I’m actually that personality.”
“It’s very important to me,” she continued. “There is always suffering in life, right? But if there [are] people there who can help with that and can help those final stages be less painful, you can feel the connection and the love, then that is a lovely thing to be able to do. So that’s what I’m exploring.”
RELATED: NICOLE KIDMAN FINALLY SPEAKS OUT ABOUT HER DIVORCE FROM KEITH URBAN
Nicole Kidman Reveals How She Found Out Her Mother Died
While speaking on the subject, Kidman also detailed the moment she learned of her mother’s death.
The news came unexpectedly while she was far from home, just before she was set to accept the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival.
“I went right back to the room in Venice, got into bed and [I] was completely devastated and thought, ‘I do not know how I’m gonna move forward or function now,'” she recalls. “She was so much a part of my existence.”
Nicole didn’t accept her award in person that day. Instead, she tried to arrange an emergency flight home, but her heartache made even that difficult.
“I remember getting into a boat in the canal, and literally at night trying to find my way to the airport, and then turning around and going, ‘I can’t even do this,'” she said.
She added that she was completely alone during that time. She had traveled by herself, so her children and then-husband, Keith Urban, weren’t with her.
“I’d gone to win an award where it should have been a beautiful thing and ended up with that,” she said. “But that there is the contrast of life. And that’s what I always say to people. I say, ‘Ah, that’s when I know I’m resilient, that’s when I know I can survive pretty much anything.’”
