Nicole Kidman Plays Tough Matriarch in Murder Mystery 'The Perfect Couple'

Actor Nicole Kidman attends the UK premiere of the TV series "The Perfect Couple" at the BFI IMAX in London, Britain, September 2, 2024. REUTERS/Mina Kim
Actor Nicole Kidman attends the UK premiere of the TV series "The Perfect Couple" at the BFI IMAX in London, Britain, September 2, 2024. REUTERS/Mina Kim
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Nicole Kidman Plays Tough Matriarch in Murder Mystery 'The Perfect Couple'

Actor Nicole Kidman attends the UK premiere of the TV series "The Perfect Couple" at the BFI IMAX in London, Britain, September 2, 2024. REUTERS/Mina Kim
Actor Nicole Kidman attends the UK premiere of the TV series "The Perfect Couple" at the BFI IMAX in London, Britain, September 2, 2024. REUTERS/Mina Kim

Nicole Kidman brings murder mystery "The Perfect Couple" to the small screen in a new Netflix mini-series in which she plays a matriarch of a wealthy American family with plenty of secrets.
The six-part show, adapted from the 2018 novel by Elin Hilderbrand, stars Eve Hewson as zookeeper Amelia Sacks who is marrying into one of the richest families on Nantucket.
Kidman plays her disapproving future mother-in-law, murder mystery novelist Greer Garrison Winbury, who has organized a lavish wedding at the family home over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
When a body washes up ashore on the day of the nuptials, however, secrets unravel and an investigation begins.
"I grew up on (murder mysteries) and... I haven't seen one like this for a while, so it was really exciting to be a part of it and to be able to produce it as well," Kidman told Reuters at the series' UK premiere in London on Monday.
The Oscar winner said the role was "so different" to the one she plays in "Babygirl", an erotic drama she premiered at the Venice Film Festival last week.
"(Greer is) strong and, and powerful and that was exciting to play... I'm always on this quest to find things that I haven't done or have different experiences," she said.
Liev Schreiber plays family patriarch Tag, a role the actor said he needed "some convincing" taking on.
"But once I talked to (director) Susanne Bier for about two weeks and Nicole (Kidman), I just realized how deliciously dark and wonderful this was going to be so it worked out,” he said.
Meanwhile Hewson's character is the outsider.
“I was a little bit jealous of the Winburys (family characters) just because they have amazing one liners," she said. "I was the grounded one... the serious one."
The series cast also includes Dakota Fanning, Meghann Fahy, Jack Reynor, Billy Howle, Sam Nivola and Ishaan Khatter.
"The Perfect Couple" premieres on Netflix on Thursday.



Jean Smart, Ariana Grande, Michael Keaton among Hosts for ‘SNL’ Season 50

 Jean Smart at the 76th Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Danny Moloshok/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Content Services)
Jean Smart at the 76th Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Danny Moloshok/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Content Services)
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Jean Smart, Ariana Grande, Michael Keaton among Hosts for ‘SNL’ Season 50

 Jean Smart at the 76th Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Danny Moloshok/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Content Services)
Jean Smart at the 76th Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Danny Moloshok/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Content Services)

Fresh off her Emmys win, Jean Smart is taking her comedy to a new audience — she’ll kick off “Saturday Night Live’s” landmark 50th season.

NBC on Thursday announced the lineup of hosts for the season, which premieres Sept. 28. Joining Smart on the first show will be Jelly Roll as the musical act. He was also at the Emmys, singing during the ceremony’s in memoriam segment.

It will be Smart’s first time hosting “SNL” and Jelly Roll’s first time performing on the show. Smart shared the news on Instagram, writing that hosting was a “bucket list” item for her.

The rest of the hosts and musical guests — save breakout sensation Chappell Roan, who will make her musical guest debut in November — are returning to the series.

Comedian Nate Bargatze, who hosted last October to great success, thanks to a sketch where he played George Washington, will host again Oct. 5, with Coldplay as the musical guest. Coldplay has previously performed on the show seven times, and will ring in the eighth right after the band’s newest album, “Moon Music,” releases.

Ariana Grande — who stars in the upcoming “Wicked” film adaption — will host for the second time Oct. 12. She has previously been the musical guest twice, but Fleetwood Mac icon Stevie Nicks will perform for Grande’s episode. Nicks was a musical guest once prior, in 1983.

“Beetlejuice” star Michael Keaton will host on Oct. 19, the last show before Halloween, in his fourth time on the show, and Billie Eilish will be that night’s musical guest, also marking her fourth time on “SNL.”

“SNL” alum John Mulaney will return to the show as host for the sixth time on Nov. 2, with Roan as the music guest. Mulaney, who worked as a writer on the show before making it big as a stand-up comedian, is behind some of “SNL’s” most well-known bits, like Bill Hader as Stefon, a “Weekend Update” regular.

The 50th season has been highly anticipated during the show’s summer hiatus, with fans calling for Maya Rudolph to reprise her role as Kamala Harris and clamoring for Tim Walz-lookalike Steve Martin to make an appearance as the vice presidential candidate, a role he has since declined.