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CNN Larry King Weekend

Interview With Julianne Moore, Nicole Kidman

Aired December 21, 2002 - 21:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


LARRY KING, HOST: Tonight, Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore, rare in-depth personal with two of the most acclaimed actresses of our time, answering every question we all want to know. Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore for the hour next on LARRY KING WEEKEND.
Welcome to another edition of LARRY KING WEEKEND, the program taped yesterday afternoon for broadcast tonight is all in connection with the opening next week in limited fashion of a movie called "The Hours." I saw it last week. It's an incredible film and two of its three co-stars are with us, Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore. Nicole has been nominated for a Golden Globe for the Best Dramatic Actress for "The Hours."

Julianne Moore who co-stars in "The Hours" along with Meryl Streep has been nominated for her performance in "Far From Heaven" and the L.A. Film Critics named her Best Actress for "Far From Heaven" and for "The Hours." We'll talk about "Far From Heaven" in a little while. Nicole Kidman, why did you take this part? You play, first of all, we're going to show you in a little while. I mean you play Virginia Wolf and you don't look like you at all.

NICOLE KIDMAN, ACTRESS: No. No.

KING: You agreed to be ugly.

KIDMAN: She's not ugly. She looks beautiful, yes.

KING: That's why I was getting excited, OK, no. Why did you agree to portray someone in that kind of, you know what I mean? Most stars would not look like that.

KIDMAN: I know. Because it was right for the character. It was right for, I mean Stephen Daldry didn't say to me, well I want you to do this role and you've got to wear a prosthetic nose, I mean.

KING: He didn't say that?

KIDMAN: No.

KING: There you are now. Look at that. Look at that.

KIDMAN: Yes.

KING: OK.

KIDMAN: I don't think that's ugly. JULIANNE MOORE, ACTRESS: No, I think she (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KIDMAN: How dare you. I'm very offended. Thank you, Julianne.

KING: The director did not want you to wear -- you could have looked like you?

KIDMAN: It was more how do you find the character and I mean it starts from the inside and then you start to layer things and the voice changes, the walk changes, everything changes and that was one of the things.

KING: We should explain. "The Hours" is in three different decades involving Nicole Kidman back early on as Virginia Woolf, Julianne Moore in the early '40s and then Meryl Streep in current 2000. Ed Harris is an important figure in it. You never worked together at all in the film.

KIDMAN: No.

MOORE: No.

KIDMAN: We'd only just met.

KING: What was it like, Julianne?

KIDMAN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KING: What did you like when you saw the finished product?

MOORE: I was blown away. I was so moved. You know the work is really exquisite, everybody, and I hadn't seen -- I'd only seen a picture of Nicole, you know. We talked about the nose too. I saw a picture and I thought it was breathtaking actually. I thought -- and I was like why didn't I get a thing. I mean it was really -- so when I finally saw the movie, I was very moved. I mean I think it's a really, really beautiful piece.

KING: Now how did they shoot it, Nicole? Did they shoot all your scenes first and then your scenes and then her scenes? Did they go back? How did they do this?

KIDMAN: They shot Meryl first and it was like doing three separate films, wasn't it?

MOORE: Yes.

KIDMAN: And then they shot Julianne and then at the end I came in and did mine.

KING: Did you get to see their work before you did yours?

KIDMAN: No.

KING: No?

KIDMAN: But I never see anything. I never see dailies. I never ...

(INTERRUPTED FOR CNN COVERAGE OF BREAKING NEWS)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP OF "THE HOURS")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are you doing?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm brushing my teeth.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you coming to bed?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, in a minute.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come to bed, Laura Brown (ph). I ran into Ray. He said Kitty had to go to the hospital.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing serious he said, just a checkup.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm terrified.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) disappear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe you could go see her in the morning honey.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was going to. I was going to stop by.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: That's a great piece of work. Now, let's discuss it from an actress watching an actress. What do you think when you watch that?

KIDMAN: It makes me cry. It's so truthful. It's so good. It immediately hits you.

KING: And you know what she's doing and you know what she's doing?

MOORE: So good.

KIDMAN: Yes.

MOORE: And you know the thing that I think is so remarkable about Nicole's performance too is that she captures her intellect, you know, which is a staggering accomplishment I think. I mean that's something that is so difficult to do.

KING: I'm going to sell a lot of tickets now. Why did she kiss her sister? KIDMAN: I mean, she kisses Vanessa. There's many things been written about their relationship.

KING: It's a romantic, passionate kiss.

KIDMAN: And a need and she's jealous and she's sort of trying to almost suck the life out of her in a weird way, say stay with me and please don't leave me.

KING: Great scene. All right, do you like all this buzz? I mean how can you not like it, all this Oscar talk? Julianne, what does it do to you? You got two films bouncing around.

MOORE: Well, you know.

KING: What's that like?

MOORE: It's nice, clearly. I mean, I think we all get very excited when our work is acknowledged or noticed but basically you know you want people to go see the movies and that's what this does. People go oh, OK, well I guess I should go see it and that's what I want. I want people to see these movies, you know.

KING: Do you get...

KIDMAN: And also to share. I mean I've said it before but to share this with Meryl, Julianne, I mean that just doesn't happen in this industry where you get, you know.

KING: No, and never working together in it at all.

KIDMAN: Yes, I know.

MOORE: Yes.

KING: I bet this has never happened.

KIDMAN: But I mean look we go and do photo shoots together and we get this sort of -- and the whole burden of it isn't on your shoulders. It's on all three of us.

MOORE: Yes.

KIDMAN: But it's still so kind of, it's just nice to go to these things. We went to do a SAG thing last night and the three of us sat there, walked in and.

KING: Let's be frank does it get competitive Julianne?

MOORE: No.

KING: Oh, come on.

MOORE: No. I mean you know it sounds, I mean maybe people don't believe it but truly it doesn't I mean because that doesn't happen, you know. I mean you don't really -- the person you compete with is yourself.

KING: Supposing all three of you get Oscar nominations.

MOORE: That's great.

KING: You're all sitting in the audience.

MOORE: We should be so lucky.

KIDMAN: Yes.

MOORE: You know we should be so lucky if something like that would happen.

KIDMAN: Exactly and I think you say also to win is a very, that's a nomination and to share that together that's kind of, that's where you go wow.

MOORE: Yes.

KIDMAN: If you could get ...

MOORE: Because that doesn't happen that often either, you know.

KIDMAN: No.

MOORE: You know so it's like that's really great.

KING: And you played that during a difficult time in your life, didn't you? Weren't you shooting that during the time of your divorce?

KIDMAN: After, directly after, yes like in the sort of few months following it. (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

KING: Do you bring that to it? Do you bring that to it?

KIDMAN: Yes, I suppose. I mean you bring your state of being.

KING: You bring yourself to it, so that's part of you.

KIDMAN: Yes, you do. Yes, and you go and it's hard to describe. I mean you look at Virginia's writings and she puts so much of her experiences, her personal struggles into her writings, so as an actor of course you're -- everything that comes to play in your life feeds your art, it just does.

KING: It is you. Yes. And what do you find? Did you study depression? Did you read about it?

MOORE: No, I'm not a big -- Everything I do kind of comes from a script. I'm not a big research person. I always do just enough of a search to kind of get me there and then I --

KING: You wouldn't live out in a cottage?

MOORE: No. No.

KIDMAN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

MOORE: But everybody has a different thing.

KING: That's right.

MOORE: Yes, you know.

KIDMAN: I know I wouldn't necessarily do that type of preparation for every role. You do something different. I mean I did the last (UNINTELLIGIBLE) film just recently and I did nothing to prepare. He just said show up, roar.

KING: Let's talk about choosing. What is your basis for choosing a part?

MOORE: It's always the material, you know, and generally if it's great material there's a great director attached.

KING: Do you have to be the star?

MOORE: No. Oh my goodness, no. I very rarely have been the star in any of the movies.

KING: That's not going to happen anymore.

MOORE: Oh, I don't know, you know, I mean I --

KING: You would still take were you, let's say have the fifth role in a movie?

MOORE: Yes, if it's an interesting part and it's a great director.

KING: You have to like the part?

MOORE: I have to be connected to the part in some way. It has to say something to me.

KING: Ever regretted turning down anything?

MOORE: You know there was one thing I regretted turning down and the woman who did it was far better than I ever could have been.

KING: So are you going to say who it was?

MOORE: No, I can't because it's never good to say that to tell you the truth, but she was -- I mean truly she did it and I felt like I never would have done that. I'm glad that she did it.

KING: What's your selection process?

KIDMAN: It's sort of just intuitive really. I'll pass on something great and do something (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KING: Have you ever turned down something you regretted?

KIDMAN: Regretted?

KING: Regretted.

KIDMAN: Look back and go I really regret, no because it was usually a life decision, you know to be with my children or.

KING: Is it true that sometimes you'll back out a week before?

KIDMAN: Yes. No, I never am allowed to back out but I try to.

KING: But you want to back out?

KIDMAN: Yes.

KING: Why?

KIDMAN: Because I get frightened. I get really frightened.

KING: Insecure?

KIDMAN: I just get, I just think I can't do it and I come up with a bunch of other people that would be far better.

KING: Do you say to yourself why did I accept this, I can't do it?

KIDMAN: Yes. Yes, I get fear.

KING: Have they ever let you out?

KIDMAN: No because you're contracted and then it turns, then you get sort of a dealing with oh, my gosh the legal ramifications of it and then you go oh, all right well I won't.

KING: But you don't know why?

KIDMAN: And then I go, thank God I wasn't allowed to get out of this.

KING: Do you ever think, do you ever get nervous about a role?

MOORE: That happens to me at the end of a movie. You know I'm fine at the beginning and then near the end I start getting depressed because I realize I've made all the wrong choices.

KING: Really?

MOORE: And then I think now I can't do it over. If I was starting now, now I would know what I'm doing but now it's the last week and I can't do anything about it so.

KIDMAN: And we're a nightmare to work with.

MOORE: Yes. KIDMAN: I try to pull out before. Julianne is depressed at the end.

MOORE: I just get bummed out at the end, yes.

KING: What does Meryl do, erupts in the middle?

KIDMAN: No, Meryl's the same as me. She tries to pull out.

MOORE: She's like Nicole she said, yes.

KING: She does too?

KIDMAN: She gets the fear.

KING: We'll be right back with Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore. The film is "The Hours." Don't go away.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You do remember that my sister is coming at four with the children?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, ma'am. I hadn't forgotten.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: China tea I think and ginger.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ginger, madam.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'd like to give the children a treat.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We'd have to go to London for ginger madam. I haven't finished this and there's the rest of lunch to get ready.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The 12:30 train, Nelly, will get you into London just after 1:00. If you return on the 2:30, you should be back in Richmond soon after 3:00. Do I miscalculate?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, then, is something detaining you, Nellie?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, you're reading a book.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's this one about?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, it's about this woman who's incredibly, well she's a hostess and she's incredibly confident and she's going to give a party and maybe because she's confident everyone thinks she's fine but she isn't.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: One person is living the book. One person is reading the book. One person is writing the book. They live in separate decades. It's an extraordinary movie, "The Hours," and it just won National Board of Review, Best Film of the Year. It keeps coming in. They keep. Did you know you had a winner?

KIDMAN: No. When I read the script I thought oh, this will be a tough sell in terms of, I mean I want to do it. We're all going to get behind it. Probably not a lot of people will see it.

KING: Tough sell because you're not going to come out smiling and dancing.

KIDMAN: And then I saw the film and I went, huh, this works on such an emotional level that it actually I think can reach a far broader audience.

MOORE: Yes, I think it's really about -- I mean you know that you have an exquisite piece of material. That's what you know when you start.

KIDMAN: Yes.

MOORE: And it's about, you know, who we are and how we live and who we love and about the difficulties that everyone faces but how much joy there is, how much feeling there is (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KING: You think there's hope in this film?

MOORE: Yes, I do. I mean it's about the hours that we live, moments, you know all those things that are so kind of important to us.

KING: You actually walked into the water?

KIDMAN: I did. Are you going to make fun of me again?

KING: No, did you swim when you got underneath?

KIDMAN: No, I had to hold my breath and then I got into how long I could hold my breath for, so I was trying to like -- I would hold it for a long, long period of time until one point where they were, you know, sending in the divers to try and find me.

MOORE: Why did you want to hold your breath for a long time?

KIDMAN: I (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KING: In other words, you were so...

KIDMAN: Like a naughty child actually when you go under the water and then you go I can freak them out.

KING: So you wanted to know the feeling of dying?

KIDMAN: Well, I was so into it by that stage and we shot that at the very end and I mean people have said gosh, you actually did that? I'm like of course I did that. I couldn't imagine letting anybody else do it.

MOORE: It was a beautiful shot. It's so moving.

KING: Is it tough playing scenes with a kid?

MOORE: Oh yes, of course it is. I mean children, I mean I have huge issues about kids working because I think it's too much responsibility. It's a real job, you know.

KING: But someone's got to play the part.

MOORE: I guess so, yes, but see you try to make them happy and comfortable and make them feel like they're not working.

KING: I mean do they get off, you know, you finish a scene do they say I want to see my Spider-Man set?

MOORE: Yes, of course they do and they're not there when you're doing your stuff.

KIDMAN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

MOORE: You know because you have a limited amount of time to work with a child. When you're doing all of your stuff, there's nobody there. You're just doing it to a mark because the kid's got to go to tutoring or wherever and then when you're working with them, generally you're saying OK now do it again. Do it, now you're happier. Now it's faster. Oh, look at your daddy, you know that kind of stuff. So, it's not -- Nicole will tell you about.

KING: Some of these kids are naturals, right? This kid is a natural.

MOORE: Some kids are, yes. Some kids clearly --

KING: This kid is an actor?

MOORE: I think he has a very beautiful face, very emotional face.

KING: Now how did he get that look like when you're driving away? Where do they get that from like he knows everything you're going to do and he's scared?

MOORE: Yes, it's interesting isn't it, you know, yes.

KING: It's some scene. Let's talk just a bit about "Far From Heaven," which you should see.

KIDMAN: I will.

KING: Here's a movie set in the '50s. Oh, by the way, complete opposite of the role you play in "The Hours."

MOORE: Yes, complete opposite, exactly.

KING: This is a woman who (UNINTELLIGIBLE), the rose-colored glasses of all time.

MOORE: I know. She's unbelievably hopeful and optimistic and positive.

KING: Life is wonderful.

MOORE: Almost utopian, you know, which is one of the things that I kind of loved about her. She really believes that she can change her world, the world you know and it was very kind of, you know it's a very sad story.

KING: Very.

MOORE: But she sort of believes that she will be triumphant, that she -- she becomes a realist at the end, you know, rather than (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KING: Oh does she? And you get to play with Dennis Quaid who is fantastic.

MOORE: Yes, he really is. He's tremendous in this part.

KING: Do you know who he plays? The husband, they're happily married, they're apparently happily married with two children. She's putting on parties. She's the belle of the ball, the queen of the town. Everyone loves her except he discovers he's gay.

MOORE: Yes. Yes.

KING: And she gets attracted to a black man?

KIDMAN: Uh huh.

MOORE: Yes.

KING: In the '50s in Hartford, Connecticut.

KIDMAN: Who plays that?

MOORE: Dennis Haysbert. He's wonderful too. I mean it's a great story. It was a great story.

KIDMAN: Yes, everyone has said to me, I haven't actually heard one person say that the film wasn't good.

MOORE: Oh, that's good.

KIDMAN: Yes, I mean that's astounding. KING: Now, how do you approach playing her?

MOORE: Well, you know that was interesting because that was a very stylized piece because it's not a movie about the '50s. It's a movie about the movies of the '50s, this particular kind of melodrama and these films were social commentary, really. They were kind of couched as women's pictures, so there's a style to them.

There's a presentational kind of acting. It's very artificial and yet the content is incredibly emotional and real, and so it's almost like the emotion is on top of the style. It was a really interesting way to perform and very kind of liberating because there's almost no subtext. It's like, it's almost like pure emotion comes out, very old-fashioned. It was fun.

KING: Yes, it is old and it looks good.

MOORE: Yes.

KING: The cinematographer was terrific. It looks '57.

MOORE: Yes, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KIDMAN: And was cast very specific, is that (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

MOORE: Incredibly specific. I mean every single frame is thought out.

KING: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the ties are there, the ties of the '50s, the walk, the party.

MOORE: The party, yes the way the camera moves.

KING: That was here on the street.

MOORE: Yes.

KING: It's a wonderful movie "Far From Heaven." I'm gushing, but I really mean this, folks. These are terrific films. We'll be right back with Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore. You may have heard of them. If you haven't, good luck on Mars. Here's a scene from "Far From Heaven."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Frank.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm so proud of you, that's all.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't say that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I am and he seems a very decent man, Dr. Palmer (ph), don't you think? Frank.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know, Kathleen. I suppose he's decent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: We're back with Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore. Was it tough to have your life in the tabloids?

KIDMAN: Yes. Yes, it was tough when everything was happening and there were helicopters flying around over my house.

KING: In retrospect.

KIDMAN: Oh gosh, Larry.

KING: Don't show those. In retrospect, does it work to be involved with the person you also work with?

KIDMAN: I don't know. I didn't care, you know. It was my marriage. Does it put a lot of strain on your marriage when you're doing a film together?

KING: Yes.

KIDMAN: Well, for "Far and Away" it was like we called that our honeymoon project, so it didn't put any strain at all and, you know, "Eyes Wide Shut" was something that we shared together that I would never take away, you know, the memories. I would never take them away. I'm so glad I had that with him.

KING: You're glad you did that film?

KIDMAN: So glad, yes. Yes and it's such a huge part of my life still, though, I mean that was two years of our lives shared together.

KING: And how has divorce gone? By that, I mean you can handle divorce poorly or you can handle it well. Well means the kids are well adjusted, the father sees the children, the people don't bite at each other and they go on with their lives. Is that a fair description?

KIDMAN: Yes. There's no biting.

KING: There's no biting of any kind, right?

KIDMAN: I mean you have to be very, very grown up when there's two children involved and you can't have -- you must get yourself together and move forward and you're still a family. It's just dysfunctional.

KING: Are you normal, Julianne? Is your life normal?

KIDMAN: Julianne's life is very normal.

KING: Are you married?

MOORE: I'm not married but I've been with my partner for six and a half years and we have two children.

KING: Do you want to get married?

KIDMAN: Oh, here we go.

KING: No, I'm just asking like an innocent person who was born in the '30s.

MOORE: Well.

KING: I was born in the '30s.

MOORE: I think that we'll probably get married, yes. Yes.

KING: Why are you two laughing?

(CROSSTALK)

KING: What I'm getting at is, I'm trying to get at when personal lives are public. You haven't had that much of that.

MOORE: No, I really haven't actually. My life has been pretty private. I mean I think that's (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KING: How have you been able to keep it that way?

MOORE: You know the person I'm with is not an actor. He's a filmmaker, so I think when two actors are together it's invariably a bigger kind of media attraction. People kind of -- you're both sort of public that way. It's easier when it's not everything like that and you know -

KIDMAN: But you don't choose who you fall in love with.

MOORE: Yes, exactly.

KING: Of course.

MOORE: It just happens. It happens and I think, yes who knows why media attention happens and you know I think it's tough. I think it's really, really hard for people.

KING: Do you think now you're going to get --

KIDMAN: And as my mother says when -- I'm always quoting my mother. When I was very, you know, going through it and she was like you cry, it's that wonderful Persian saying: He cried because he had no shoes and then he met a man who had no feet.

MOORE: Yes, there you go. Yes.

KIDMAN: It's like pull yourself together.

KING: Do you expect more attention now that fame has come to you, deserved fame?

MOORE: No. You mean like personal kind of? I don't think so.

KING: You don't think you'll be -- come on, tell her Nicole.

MOORE: I do lead a very pedestrian life, I have to tell you. It's pretty regular, you know, and mostly my children are very little so that means I'm rarely out of the house. It's true. It's true.

KING: Well, how do you do films and raise little ones?

MOORE: You bring them with you. You know I mean when we're doing --

KING: You take them to the set?

MOORE: Yes. Yes. I mean my son was there when we did "The Hours." He would come to the set. He comes for lunch and then he plays in my dressing room and then he goes home.

KING: Do you take your kids to work?

KIDMAN: Yes, they hate it.

KING: It's boring to them, right?

KIDMAN: They get so bored on a film set. Now they loved the "Moulin Rouge" film set. They'd come and play poker with the crew. That's how they learned mathematics.

KING: What was that? What was that movie like? What was doing that movie like?

KIDMAN: It was fun.

KING: Did you like that movie?

MOORE: I loved it.

KIDMAN: I loved making that movie. I mean it was tough because it was very physical and the long hours and it was eight months shooting but the kids, yes, they basically lived out of the set or in the trailer.

KING: It was a great director, and the singing and the whole way it was --

KIDMAN: And they'd come and watch it and to them it was a set but they know all the songs but they're not allowed to ever be in a movie.

MOORE: Yes. Yes.

KING: Yours too?

MOORE: Yes, absolutely not.

KING: Our guests are Nicole Kidman. She co-stars in "The Hours," a Golden Globe nominee for the Best Dramatic Actress for "The Hours," Meryl Streep nominated for "The Hours" as well. Julianne Moore co-stars in "The Hours," a Golden Globe Best Dramatic Actress for "Far From Heaven." National Board Review named her Best Actress for her performance in "Far From Heaven" and the L.A. film critics have named her Best Actress for "Far From Heaven" and "The Hours." Other than that, these two people have done nothing. As we go to break, a scene from "Moulin Rouge."

(VIDEO CLIP OF MOULIN ROUGE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have fun now. Go and go and go because there's always too many thing, too many things, too many things, too many things.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let's go walk.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't want to leave this room.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Me either. I love you honey.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love you mom.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: That movie made you, right, or started you, didn't it, "Boogie Nights?"

MOORE: Yes, kind of.

KIDMAN: I wrote her a fan letter after I saw that.

MOORE: She did.

KING: You did?

MOORE: Yes, she did. It was very nice. It was (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KING: Out of the blue you get a letter from Nicole Kidman?

MOORE: Yes. Yes. You know people do that. You were talking before though about whether or not you're competitive with your -- you know you're not.

KIDMAN: She was amazing in it.

MOORE: I mean people write you notes and you write people notes and there's, I think, more of a sense of camaraderie than people know about what we do.

KING: That's great to hear.

MOORE: Yes, it was very nice.

KING: Let's talk about actors you've both worked with.

MOORE: Yes.

KIDMAN: Yes.

KING: Anthony Hopkins, now you had to replace Jodi Foster in "Hannibal" right?

MOORE: Yes. (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KING: Now, did you have any trepidation about playing someone that someone else had already played in a previous film?

MOORE: Yes and played to perfection as well. I mean that's the thing. I mean she was so wonderful, so (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KING: So, you became Clarisse?

MOORE: Yes, but so all you can do is kind of hold your breath and hope for the best and I mean it was a different story. It was a different script. It was a different director so you kind of start there but yes, of course, you have tremendous trepidation, you know. You're sure you're going to screw up.

KING: How's that working with Hopkins?

MOORE: Oh, he's magnificent. He's so much fun. He supports you tremendously. It's effortless with Tony, I mean it really is. I'm sure you know.

KING: You did (UNINTELLIGIBLE) with him.

KIDMAN: Yes, which hasn't come out yet but will be coming out (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KING: What was that like?

KIDMAN: It's just you walk on the set with him and he's just there, isn't he?

MOORE: Yes.

KIDMAN: He only likes to do a few takes, doesn't do much because he's just on it from the minute you start rehearsing.

MOORE: Yes, and he makes a lot of noise about, he's like oh, I don't care. I don't care. I just do it, you know but he cares tremendously. He just doesn't make a lot of fuss about it. That's what's kind of great about him.

KIDMAN: Underplays.

MOORE: Yes.

KING: You've got a film coming with (UNINTELLIGIBLE) that we haven't seen yet, right?

KIDMAN: Right, (UNINTELLIGIBLE), which we just finished together.

KING: That's the Civil War?

KIDMAN: Yes and then we both got on planes, went to New York, and she had Chicago and I had "The Hours" so we were like but we're staying in the same hotel.

KING: Get along?

KIDMAN: Oh, yes. We were like oh, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) pajamas on.

KING: I'll ask what have you got coming?

MOORE: Nothing. I mean actually I had a baby right after "Far From Heaven" so I've been -- my daughter's --

KING: You were pregnant in "Far From Heaven?"

MOORE: Yes, I was, yes. So, I'm going back to work I think in February, a movie with Billy August and Richard Gere.

KIDMAN: Wow.

MOORE: So, I'm going to do that.

KING: What's it called?

MOORE: "Without Apparent Motive" it's called, very long title.

KING: Sounds like a mystery.

MOORE: Yes, it's a thriller.

KING: Thriller.

MOORE: Yes.

KING: And your next one in New York is?

KIDMAN: Called "Birth."

KING: "Birth?"

KIDMAN: Yes with the director Jonathan Glaser (ph) who did "Sexy Beast."

MOORE: Which is a great movie. That was a great movie.

KING: Do you get nervous when a film comes out? Do you read the critics? KIDMAN: There are some critics that I do yes, these people I really respect their opinion, and then if they like it or dislike it I'll still read the whole thing and take it for what it is because there's some --

KING: Ever help you, a critic?

KIDMAN: Ever help me?

KING: When you read something that says, you know, that's a good point?

KIDMAN: Yes. Yes. When it's vindictive, personally vindictive is when you say this doesn't seem like but when it's actually, I mean it can be an art form and when it is a really succinct, legitimate review by somebody whose opinion you really respect then you have to sort of take that in.

MOORE: I think I would second that. I mean I think it's very difficult though. I feel like there are people who write to sell papers, you know, or magazines.

KING: Or for each other.

MOORE: Or for each other and so I think well what this is not about, this is more about the reviewer. This is not about the piece and that's when I get kind of upset and I get upset when it is pointed and it's personal because it shouldn't be, you know. It's a critique of a piece not a person.

KING: Generally though, both of you have gotten very good notices, haven't you generally?

KIDMAN: Oh, I've gotten some pretty bad ones actually.

KING: Really?

KIDMAN: Yes. Yes, it's ...

MOORE: Well, you know you always remember the bad ones too. Nobody ever remembers the good ones.

KIDMAN: But also I think, I mean that's part of what goes into making up our culture, people having different opinions.

MOORE: Yes.

KIDMAN: And that's OK. I think this thing of everything has to be unanimous, you know, you expect it always to be liked. No, I mean it's sometimes a discussion. I mean most of the films that I make --

KING: Are discussed?

KIDMAN: Yes, are divided at least. I mean it's rare it's across the board a positive reaction. KING: Do you get pain when you read something that you loved, you put all your heart into it and someone might write, "Far From Heaven" missed the point?

MOORE: Of course you do. Of course you do and especially because this is what I find unfortunate about reviews right now is that for small movies -- I do a lot of movies that are very, very small and don't have a life unless they get some support somewhere and things don't stay in the theaters very long anymore. So, like say for example "The New York Times" is syndicated, so if you get a review in that paper that kills a small movie, it's over.

KIDMAN: Yes.

MOORE: It's over and that to me is distressing because I think --

KING: Too much power?

MOORE: It's too much power. You have to let something breathe, let it have a moment. It's OK that you don't like it but that sudden authority just like flattens some things.

KIDMAN: And I also think that to find our next generation of filmmakers, you do need to soften the blow sometimes.

KING: Support?

KIDMAN: Yes because otherwise you're not going to find them because it's sort of like they get crushed before they begin.

MOORE: Yes.

KING: We'll take a break, be back with our remaining moments with two terrific people, terrifically talented people, Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore. Here's another scene from "Far From Heaven."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cathy?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What happened to your head?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh nothing, I hit the door. It was the silliest thing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cathy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did something happen between you and Frank?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you mean?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cathy, I'm your best friend.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nothing happened, nothing at all.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, Cathy. Cathy, I'm your dearest and closest friend in the world. You call me day or night you hear?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Been jealous about me have you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I haven't.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Then why haven't you ever been jealous about me?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I don't know, Alice, maybe because you're my wife. Maybe because you're the mother of my child and I know you would never be unfaithful to me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are very, very sure of yourself aren't you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. I'm sure of you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: You don't like being seen in your underwear then don't work in your underwear.

KIDMAN: Exactly. Exactly. I'm like what was I thinking?

KING: And why does that embarrass you? You look great.

KIDMAN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). I'm blushing.

KING: How about when you do movies that are done for reasons of -- you did "Jurassic Park" right?

MOORE: Yes. Yes.

KING: Was that just fun to do?

MOORE: It was a gas.

KING: Do you give it as much seriousness as you would anything you're doing?

MOORE: Everything you do, yes, you know. I mean everything you do.

KING: You can't throw something away?

MOORE: No.

KIDMAN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

MOORE: Only as much as I needed to know. You know you learn the names, you learn that kind of -- I had a great time on that and working with him is like working on an "Indy" movies. He moves so quickly.

KING: Really?

MOORE: I mean you wouldn't think it but it's so fast. Somebody will go, OK that's it, that's enough. You're like we're done? We're done? You know, wait a minute, and it's exciting and fun.

KING: Do you like the finished product?

MOORE: Yes. You know my son hasn't seen it, my kids I mean. They'll have to be a little bit older.

KING: How old are they?

MOORE: One is five. My son's five. My daughter's eight months.

(CROSSTALK)

KING: How about "Batman?"

KIDMAN: "Batman Forever" yes.

KING: Did you like doing that?

KIDMAN: Yes, I did.

KING: Because?

KIDMAN: I liked sort of -- oh, I'm going to get naughty. I liked the rubber. I'm kidding.

KING: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). It's OK. Hey, whatever turns you on.

KIDMAN: I'm trying to spice this up.

KING: OK. You liked -- do you agree with her? You play it just as seriously as you would "The Hours?"

KIDMAN: No. No. I sort of show up and have a bit of fun. That was more to have fun. I mean when I work on something that's very intense, by the end of it I sort of am so exhausted psychologically and physically that I can't keep up that too, so you've got to sometimes do something where you just go, oh, you know, take a breath.

KING: Anyone you want to work with, really want to work with?

MOORE: Oh, my goodness, work with Nicole. I've never worked with Nicole.

KIDMAN: Yes, that would be nice.

KING: Will you do scenes together?

MOORE: Yes, where we actually got to be in something together, you know.

KIDMAN: I'll tell you what we could play, sisters.

MOORE: We certainly could. I know.

KIDMAN: Don't you think so?

KING: Yes, you could. Don't wear that nose though.

MOORE: I'll wear the nose this time.

KIDMAN: We have the same coloring.

KING: By the way, is it hard to work when you got a fake nose on? Does it affect breathing?

KIDMAN: It does affect the breathing a little bit but that's quite good because it affects then the way you sound and everything.

MOORE: Sure.

KING: Were there concerns about your pregnancy in that movie?

MOORE: You know there were and there shouldn't have been because it's kind of a normal healthy condition and I think we had a lot of people saying, God we're worried. She's pregnant. What will happen? And you know most women work when they're pregnant, you know, so it didn't seem to be an issue for us and it wasn't. I was actually fine.

KING: A couple other quick things. Do you have to like the people you're working with?

KIDMAN: I do. I mean I don't know how to work with conflict.

KING: You mean if you didn't get along with your fellow actors, that would show up in the finished product?

KIDMAN: I don't know if it would show up. I think I would find it so unpleasant.

MOORE: Yes.

KIDMAN: You know that -- I mean part of the reason you choose to do something is the group of people. I mean I always said well who's going to play the other role? That's part of the package which draws you in.

KING: You want to know who's in it?

KIDMAN: Yes because there's chemistry.

KING: And you too?

MOORE: I love actors and I love talking with them before the take and when they say cut, I keep talking.

KING: There must have been sometimes you work with someone?

MOORE: Every once in a while there's somebody that you don't hit it off with and I loathe that. It's miserable for me and then I don't enjoy my job the way that I love to enjoy it. So I mean it's very distressing (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KING: Russell Crowe is a friend of yours. We were together at a party once.

MOORE: That's right. Yes, yes, yes.

KING: Ever work with him?

KIDMAN: No but we're looking for something to do together. We've been looking for a long time and I think probably in the next sort of 18 months we'll find it.

KING: Genuine talent.

KIDMAN: Oh, he's amazing isn't he?

KING: Any male actor you'd really love to --

MOORE: Daniel Day Lewis.

KIDMAN: Oh, God.

MOORE: I think he retired again.

KIDMAN: He never worked.

MOORE: I know.

(CROSSTALK)

KING: Why him so much?

MOORE: Oh, he's a brilliant actor. He's just astonishing, wonderful, miraculous actor. Sean Penn's another one.

KIDMAN: Yes.

MOORE: You know.

KIDMAN: Pacino.

MOORE: Yes, Pacino, Cathy Bates, I'd love to work with her.

KING: Al Pacino.

MOORE: Yes, I mean oh golly there's so many people, Judy Davis. (CROSSTALK)

KING: So you don't watch movies like other people watch movies, do you?

MOORE: Yes, you do. Yes, you do.

KING: You do?

MOORE: Oh, my goodness.

KING: In other words, you (UNINTELLIGIBLE) you get excited.

MOORE: I went to see a screening in Chicago the other night and I had such a great time and I was so excited and I came home and I called Bart and he was like oh, you're all high because you saw this musical and you haven't even been talked to and I was like -- because he was in L.A. and I was in New York. I was really upset because I was so -- it was so fun, you know.

KIDMAN: And talk to her.

KING: Do you watch a movie like I watch -- I mean do you sit there and --

KIDMAN: Get absorbed in it, get absorbed in the storytelling.

KING: You don't say, "I'd have done that?"

KIDMAN: Sometimes actually if I'm sitting in a movie, if I'm in the midst of creating something then I don't even seen the movie. Like I'll sit down for 20 minutes and I'll start watching it and then my mind goes off and I'm gone and I have to go and see the movie again because it's sort of being alone in the dark and watching something allows you that time for your imagination to flourish, and strangely enough it happens to me when I'm watching someone else's movies sometimes. So then I'll go back and re-watch, buy another ticket, but I love paying as well.

KING: A couple other things. You are happily involved.

MOORE: Yes, I am. Yes. Are you involved with anyone now?

KIDMAN: No.

KING: No.

KIDMAN: Do you miss it?

KING: Yes, of course.

MOORE: You can come and be with us.

KING: Do you miss (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?

(CROSSTALK) KING: Don't do this to me.

KIDMAN: We're very happy and Bart's fathered a child for me as well. Oh gosh, now we've really gone off.

KING: Keep it up, Nicole. You want to stay out of the tabloids. Someone keeps knocking me in the ear.

KIDMAN: There is not coffee just in here. What is in here?

KING: Why because you're so open and (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KIDMAN: Like rum coffee, I think.

KING: But you're not in love with anyone?

KIDMAN: No.

KING: And the person you're in love with is younger than you.

MOORE: Yes, he is.

KING: Is that harder?

MOORE: No. I think it's very fortunate actually, yes. He's a wonderful person.

KIDMAN: Am I blushing?

MOORE: You know he's the love of my life. I feel very fortunate I met him and yes, we're very happy together.

KING: Do you like the state of not being in love?

KIDMAN: Oh no, I much prefer to be in love.

KING: Yes?

KIDMAN: Oh yes, who doesn't. It's gorgeous.

KING: It could happen tonight, right?

KIDMAN: Could.

KING: Thank you darling, always good seeing you.

KIDMAN: Thank you.

KING: Thank you for granting the interview. Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore, they co-star in "The Hours" with Meryl Streep. You'll also see Julianne in "Far From Heaven." These films are going to get major awards at nomination time; already Golden Globes, already the National Board of Review and, of course, lots more coming at Oscar time.

Tomorrow night on LARRY KING WEEKEND, we'll repeat our interview with Al and Tipper Gore. I'll also have my two little boys on and the wife to close it. That's tomorrow night. We thank the guests tonight. Have a great rest of the weekend and good night.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired December 21, 2002 - 21:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LARRY KING, HOST: Tonight, Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore, rare in-depth personal with two of the most acclaimed actresses of our time, answering every question we all want to know. Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore for the hour next on LARRY KING WEEKEND.
Welcome to another edition of LARRY KING WEEKEND, the program taped yesterday afternoon for broadcast tonight is all in connection with the opening next week in limited fashion of a movie called "The Hours." I saw it last week. It's an incredible film and two of its three co-stars are with us, Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore. Nicole has been nominated for a Golden Globe for the Best Dramatic Actress for "The Hours."

Julianne Moore who co-stars in "The Hours" along with Meryl Streep has been nominated for her performance in "Far From Heaven" and the L.A. Film Critics named her Best Actress for "Far From Heaven" and for "The Hours." We'll talk about "Far From Heaven" in a little while. Nicole Kidman, why did you take this part? You play, first of all, we're going to show you in a little while. I mean you play Virginia Wolf and you don't look like you at all.

NICOLE KIDMAN, ACTRESS: No. No.

KING: You agreed to be ugly.

KIDMAN: She's not ugly. She looks beautiful, yes.

KING: That's why I was getting excited, OK, no. Why did you agree to portray someone in that kind of, you know what I mean? Most stars would not look like that.

KIDMAN: I know. Because it was right for the character. It was right for, I mean Stephen Daldry didn't say to me, well I want you to do this role and you've got to wear a prosthetic nose, I mean.

KING: He didn't say that?

KIDMAN: No.

KING: There you are now. Look at that. Look at that.

KIDMAN: Yes.

KING: OK.

KIDMAN: I don't think that's ugly. JULIANNE MOORE, ACTRESS: No, I think she (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KIDMAN: How dare you. I'm very offended. Thank you, Julianne.

KING: The director did not want you to wear -- you could have looked like you?

KIDMAN: It was more how do you find the character and I mean it starts from the inside and then you start to layer things and the voice changes, the walk changes, everything changes and that was one of the things.

KING: We should explain. "The Hours" is in three different decades involving Nicole Kidman back early on as Virginia Woolf, Julianne Moore in the early '40s and then Meryl Streep in current 2000. Ed Harris is an important figure in it. You never worked together at all in the film.

KIDMAN: No.

MOORE: No.

KIDMAN: We'd only just met.

KING: What was it like, Julianne?

KIDMAN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KING: What did you like when you saw the finished product?

MOORE: I was blown away. I was so moved. You know the work is really exquisite, everybody, and I hadn't seen -- I'd only seen a picture of Nicole, you know. We talked about the nose too. I saw a picture and I thought it was breathtaking actually. I thought -- and I was like why didn't I get a thing. I mean it was really -- so when I finally saw the movie, I was very moved. I mean I think it's a really, really beautiful piece.

KING: Now how did they shoot it, Nicole? Did they shoot all your scenes first and then your scenes and then her scenes? Did they go back? How did they do this?

KIDMAN: They shot Meryl first and it was like doing three separate films, wasn't it?

MOORE: Yes.

KIDMAN: And then they shot Julianne and then at the end I came in and did mine.

KING: Did you get to see their work before you did yours?

KIDMAN: No.

KING: No?

KIDMAN: But I never see anything. I never see dailies. I never ...

(INTERRUPTED FOR CNN COVERAGE OF BREAKING NEWS)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP OF "THE HOURS")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are you doing?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm brushing my teeth.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you coming to bed?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, in a minute.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come to bed, Laura Brown (ph). I ran into Ray. He said Kitty had to go to the hospital.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing serious he said, just a checkup.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm terrified.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) disappear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe you could go see her in the morning honey.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was going to. I was going to stop by.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: That's a great piece of work. Now, let's discuss it from an actress watching an actress. What do you think when you watch that?

KIDMAN: It makes me cry. It's so truthful. It's so good. It immediately hits you.

KING: And you know what she's doing and you know what she's doing?

MOORE: So good.

KIDMAN: Yes.

MOORE: And you know the thing that I think is so remarkable about Nicole's performance too is that she captures her intellect, you know, which is a staggering accomplishment I think. I mean that's something that is so difficult to do.

KING: I'm going to sell a lot of tickets now. Why did she kiss her sister? KIDMAN: I mean, she kisses Vanessa. There's many things been written about their relationship.

KING: It's a romantic, passionate kiss.

KIDMAN: And a need and she's jealous and she's sort of trying to almost suck the life out of her in a weird way, say stay with me and please don't leave me.

KING: Great scene. All right, do you like all this buzz? I mean how can you not like it, all this Oscar talk? Julianne, what does it do to you? You got two films bouncing around.

MOORE: Well, you know.

KING: What's that like?

MOORE: It's nice, clearly. I mean, I think we all get very excited when our work is acknowledged or noticed but basically you know you want people to go see the movies and that's what this does. People go oh, OK, well I guess I should go see it and that's what I want. I want people to see these movies, you know.

KING: Do you get...

KIDMAN: And also to share. I mean I've said it before but to share this with Meryl, Julianne, I mean that just doesn't happen in this industry where you get, you know.

KING: No, and never working together in it at all.

KIDMAN: Yes, I know.

MOORE: Yes.

KING: I bet this has never happened.

KIDMAN: But I mean look we go and do photo shoots together and we get this sort of -- and the whole burden of it isn't on your shoulders. It's on all three of us.

MOORE: Yes.

KIDMAN: But it's still so kind of, it's just nice to go to these things. We went to do a SAG thing last night and the three of us sat there, walked in and.

KING: Let's be frank does it get competitive Julianne?

MOORE: No.

KING: Oh, come on.

MOORE: No. I mean you know it sounds, I mean maybe people don't believe it but truly it doesn't I mean because that doesn't happen, you know. I mean you don't really -- the person you compete with is yourself.

KING: Supposing all three of you get Oscar nominations.

MOORE: That's great.

KING: You're all sitting in the audience.

MOORE: We should be so lucky.

KIDMAN: Yes.

MOORE: You know we should be so lucky if something like that would happen.

KIDMAN: Exactly and I think you say also to win is a very, that's a nomination and to share that together that's kind of, that's where you go wow.

MOORE: Yes.

KIDMAN: If you could get ...

MOORE: Because that doesn't happen that often either, you know.

KIDMAN: No.

MOORE: You know so it's like that's really great.

KING: And you played that during a difficult time in your life, didn't you? Weren't you shooting that during the time of your divorce?

KIDMAN: After, directly after, yes like in the sort of few months following it. (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

KING: Do you bring that to it? Do you bring that to it?

KIDMAN: Yes, I suppose. I mean you bring your state of being.

KING: You bring yourself to it, so that's part of you.

KIDMAN: Yes, you do. Yes, and you go and it's hard to describe. I mean you look at Virginia's writings and she puts so much of her experiences, her personal struggles into her writings, so as an actor of course you're -- everything that comes to play in your life feeds your art, it just does.

KING: It is you. Yes. And what do you find? Did you study depression? Did you read about it?

MOORE: No, I'm not a big -- Everything I do kind of comes from a script. I'm not a big research person. I always do just enough of a search to kind of get me there and then I --

KING: You wouldn't live out in a cottage?

MOORE: No. No.

KIDMAN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

MOORE: But everybody has a different thing.

KING: That's right.

MOORE: Yes, you know.

KIDMAN: I know I wouldn't necessarily do that type of preparation for every role. You do something different. I mean I did the last (UNINTELLIGIBLE) film just recently and I did nothing to prepare. He just said show up, roar.

KING: Let's talk about choosing. What is your basis for choosing a part?

MOORE: It's always the material, you know, and generally if it's great material there's a great director attached.

KING: Do you have to be the star?

MOORE: No. Oh my goodness, no. I very rarely have been the star in any of the movies.

KING: That's not going to happen anymore.

MOORE: Oh, I don't know, you know, I mean I --

KING: You would still take were you, let's say have the fifth role in a movie?

MOORE: Yes, if it's an interesting part and it's a great director.

KING: You have to like the part?

MOORE: I have to be connected to the part in some way. It has to say something to me.

KING: Ever regretted turning down anything?

MOORE: You know there was one thing I regretted turning down and the woman who did it was far better than I ever could have been.

KING: So are you going to say who it was?

MOORE: No, I can't because it's never good to say that to tell you the truth, but she was -- I mean truly she did it and I felt like I never would have done that. I'm glad that she did it.

KING: What's your selection process?

KIDMAN: It's sort of just intuitive really. I'll pass on something great and do something (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KING: Have you ever turned down something you regretted?

KIDMAN: Regretted?

KING: Regretted.

KIDMAN: Look back and go I really regret, no because it was usually a life decision, you know to be with my children or.

KING: Is it true that sometimes you'll back out a week before?

KIDMAN: Yes. No, I never am allowed to back out but I try to.

KING: But you want to back out?

KIDMAN: Yes.

KING: Why?

KIDMAN: Because I get frightened. I get really frightened.

KING: Insecure?

KIDMAN: I just get, I just think I can't do it and I come up with a bunch of other people that would be far better.

KING: Do you say to yourself why did I accept this, I can't do it?

KIDMAN: Yes. Yes, I get fear.

KING: Have they ever let you out?

KIDMAN: No because you're contracted and then it turns, then you get sort of a dealing with oh, my gosh the legal ramifications of it and then you go oh, all right well I won't.

KING: But you don't know why?

KIDMAN: And then I go, thank God I wasn't allowed to get out of this.

KING: Do you ever think, do you ever get nervous about a role?

MOORE: That happens to me at the end of a movie. You know I'm fine at the beginning and then near the end I start getting depressed because I realize I've made all the wrong choices.

KING: Really?

MOORE: And then I think now I can't do it over. If I was starting now, now I would know what I'm doing but now it's the last week and I can't do anything about it so.

KIDMAN: And we're a nightmare to work with.

MOORE: Yes. KIDMAN: I try to pull out before. Julianne is depressed at the end.

MOORE: I just get bummed out at the end, yes.

KING: What does Meryl do, erupts in the middle?

KIDMAN: No, Meryl's the same as me. She tries to pull out.

MOORE: She's like Nicole she said, yes.

KING: She does too?

KIDMAN: She gets the fear.

KING: We'll be right back with Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore. The film is "The Hours." Don't go away.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You do remember that my sister is coming at four with the children?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, ma'am. I hadn't forgotten.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: China tea I think and ginger.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ginger, madam.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'd like to give the children a treat.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We'd have to go to London for ginger madam. I haven't finished this and there's the rest of lunch to get ready.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The 12:30 train, Nelly, will get you into London just after 1:00. If you return on the 2:30, you should be back in Richmond soon after 3:00. Do I miscalculate?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, then, is something detaining you, Nellie?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, you're reading a book.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's this one about?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, it's about this woman who's incredibly, well she's a hostess and she's incredibly confident and she's going to give a party and maybe because she's confident everyone thinks she's fine but she isn't.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: One person is living the book. One person is reading the book. One person is writing the book. They live in separate decades. It's an extraordinary movie, "The Hours," and it just won National Board of Review, Best Film of the Year. It keeps coming in. They keep. Did you know you had a winner?

KIDMAN: No. When I read the script I thought oh, this will be a tough sell in terms of, I mean I want to do it. We're all going to get behind it. Probably not a lot of people will see it.

KING: Tough sell because you're not going to come out smiling and dancing.

KIDMAN: And then I saw the film and I went, huh, this works on such an emotional level that it actually I think can reach a far broader audience.

MOORE: Yes, I think it's really about -- I mean you know that you have an exquisite piece of material. That's what you know when you start.

KIDMAN: Yes.

MOORE: And it's about, you know, who we are and how we live and who we love and about the difficulties that everyone faces but how much joy there is, how much feeling there is (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KING: You think there's hope in this film?

MOORE: Yes, I do. I mean it's about the hours that we live, moments, you know all those things that are so kind of important to us.

KING: You actually walked into the water?

KIDMAN: I did. Are you going to make fun of me again?

KING: No, did you swim when you got underneath?

KIDMAN: No, I had to hold my breath and then I got into how long I could hold my breath for, so I was trying to like -- I would hold it for a long, long period of time until one point where they were, you know, sending in the divers to try and find me.

MOORE: Why did you want to hold your breath for a long time?

KIDMAN: I (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KING: In other words, you were so...

KIDMAN: Like a naughty child actually when you go under the water and then you go I can freak them out.

KING: So you wanted to know the feeling of dying?

KIDMAN: Well, I was so into it by that stage and we shot that at the very end and I mean people have said gosh, you actually did that? I'm like of course I did that. I couldn't imagine letting anybody else do it.

MOORE: It was a beautiful shot. It's so moving.

KING: Is it tough playing scenes with a kid?

MOORE: Oh yes, of course it is. I mean children, I mean I have huge issues about kids working because I think it's too much responsibility. It's a real job, you know.

KING: But someone's got to play the part.

MOORE: I guess so, yes, but see you try to make them happy and comfortable and make them feel like they're not working.

KING: I mean do they get off, you know, you finish a scene do they say I want to see my Spider-Man set?

MOORE: Yes, of course they do and they're not there when you're doing your stuff.

KIDMAN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

MOORE: You know because you have a limited amount of time to work with a child. When you're doing all of your stuff, there's nobody there. You're just doing it to a mark because the kid's got to go to tutoring or wherever and then when you're working with them, generally you're saying OK now do it again. Do it, now you're happier. Now it's faster. Oh, look at your daddy, you know that kind of stuff. So, it's not -- Nicole will tell you about.

KING: Some of these kids are naturals, right? This kid is a natural.

MOORE: Some kids are, yes. Some kids clearly --

KING: This kid is an actor?

MOORE: I think he has a very beautiful face, very emotional face.

KING: Now how did he get that look like when you're driving away? Where do they get that from like he knows everything you're going to do and he's scared?

MOORE: Yes, it's interesting isn't it, you know, yes.

KING: It's some scene. Let's talk just a bit about "Far From Heaven," which you should see.

KIDMAN: I will.

KING: Here's a movie set in the '50s. Oh, by the way, complete opposite of the role you play in "The Hours."

MOORE: Yes, complete opposite, exactly.

KING: This is a woman who (UNINTELLIGIBLE), the rose-colored glasses of all time.

MOORE: I know. She's unbelievably hopeful and optimistic and positive.

KING: Life is wonderful.

MOORE: Almost utopian, you know, which is one of the things that I kind of loved about her. She really believes that she can change her world, the world you know and it was very kind of, you know it's a very sad story.

KING: Very.

MOORE: But she sort of believes that she will be triumphant, that she -- she becomes a realist at the end, you know, rather than (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KING: Oh does she? And you get to play with Dennis Quaid who is fantastic.

MOORE: Yes, he really is. He's tremendous in this part.

KING: Do you know who he plays? The husband, they're happily married, they're apparently happily married with two children. She's putting on parties. She's the belle of the ball, the queen of the town. Everyone loves her except he discovers he's gay.

MOORE: Yes. Yes.

KING: And she gets attracted to a black man?

KIDMAN: Uh huh.

MOORE: Yes.

KING: In the '50s in Hartford, Connecticut.

KIDMAN: Who plays that?

MOORE: Dennis Haysbert. He's wonderful too. I mean it's a great story. It was a great story.

KIDMAN: Yes, everyone has said to me, I haven't actually heard one person say that the film wasn't good.

MOORE: Oh, that's good.

KIDMAN: Yes, I mean that's astounding. KING: Now, how do you approach playing her?

MOORE: Well, you know that was interesting because that was a very stylized piece because it's not a movie about the '50s. It's a movie about the movies of the '50s, this particular kind of melodrama and these films were social commentary, really. They were kind of couched as women's pictures, so there's a style to them.

There's a presentational kind of acting. It's very artificial and yet the content is incredibly emotional and real, and so it's almost like the emotion is on top of the style. It was a really interesting way to perform and very kind of liberating because there's almost no subtext. It's like, it's almost like pure emotion comes out, very old-fashioned. It was fun.

KING: Yes, it is old and it looks good.

MOORE: Yes.

KING: The cinematographer was terrific. It looks '57.

MOORE: Yes, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KIDMAN: And was cast very specific, is that (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

MOORE: Incredibly specific. I mean every single frame is thought out.

KING: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the ties are there, the ties of the '50s, the walk, the party.

MOORE: The party, yes the way the camera moves.

KING: That was here on the street.

MOORE: Yes.

KING: It's a wonderful movie "Far From Heaven." I'm gushing, but I really mean this, folks. These are terrific films. We'll be right back with Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore. You may have heard of them. If you haven't, good luck on Mars. Here's a scene from "Far From Heaven."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Frank.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm so proud of you, that's all.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't say that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I am and he seems a very decent man, Dr. Palmer (ph), don't you think? Frank.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know, Kathleen. I suppose he's decent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: We're back with Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore. Was it tough to have your life in the tabloids?

KIDMAN: Yes. Yes, it was tough when everything was happening and there were helicopters flying around over my house.

KING: In retrospect.

KIDMAN: Oh gosh, Larry.

KING: Don't show those. In retrospect, does it work to be involved with the person you also work with?

KIDMAN: I don't know. I didn't care, you know. It was my marriage. Does it put a lot of strain on your marriage when you're doing a film together?

KING: Yes.

KIDMAN: Well, for "Far and Away" it was like we called that our honeymoon project, so it didn't put any strain at all and, you know, "Eyes Wide Shut" was something that we shared together that I would never take away, you know, the memories. I would never take them away. I'm so glad I had that with him.

KING: You're glad you did that film?

KIDMAN: So glad, yes. Yes and it's such a huge part of my life still, though, I mean that was two years of our lives shared together.

KING: And how has divorce gone? By that, I mean you can handle divorce poorly or you can handle it well. Well means the kids are well adjusted, the father sees the children, the people don't bite at each other and they go on with their lives. Is that a fair description?

KIDMAN: Yes. There's no biting.

KING: There's no biting of any kind, right?

KIDMAN: I mean you have to be very, very grown up when there's two children involved and you can't have -- you must get yourself together and move forward and you're still a family. It's just dysfunctional.

KING: Are you normal, Julianne? Is your life normal?

KIDMAN: Julianne's life is very normal.

KING: Are you married?

MOORE: I'm not married but I've been with my partner for six and a half years and we have two children.

KING: Do you want to get married?

KIDMAN: Oh, here we go.

KING: No, I'm just asking like an innocent person who was born in the '30s.

MOORE: Well.

KING: I was born in the '30s.

MOORE: I think that we'll probably get married, yes. Yes.

KING: Why are you two laughing?

(CROSSTALK)

KING: What I'm getting at is, I'm trying to get at when personal lives are public. You haven't had that much of that.

MOORE: No, I really haven't actually. My life has been pretty private. I mean I think that's (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KING: How have you been able to keep it that way?

MOORE: You know the person I'm with is not an actor. He's a filmmaker, so I think when two actors are together it's invariably a bigger kind of media attraction. People kind of -- you're both sort of public that way. It's easier when it's not everything like that and you know -

KIDMAN: But you don't choose who you fall in love with.

MOORE: Yes, exactly.

KING: Of course.

MOORE: It just happens. It happens and I think, yes who knows why media attention happens and you know I think it's tough. I think it's really, really hard for people.

KING: Do you think now you're going to get --

KIDMAN: And as my mother says when -- I'm always quoting my mother. When I was very, you know, going through it and she was like you cry, it's that wonderful Persian saying: He cried because he had no shoes and then he met a man who had no feet.

MOORE: Yes, there you go. Yes.

KIDMAN: It's like pull yourself together.

KING: Do you expect more attention now that fame has come to you, deserved fame?

MOORE: No. You mean like personal kind of? I don't think so.

KING: You don't think you'll be -- come on, tell her Nicole.

MOORE: I do lead a very pedestrian life, I have to tell you. It's pretty regular, you know, and mostly my children are very little so that means I'm rarely out of the house. It's true. It's true.

KING: Well, how do you do films and raise little ones?

MOORE: You bring them with you. You know I mean when we're doing --

KING: You take them to the set?

MOORE: Yes. Yes. I mean my son was there when we did "The Hours." He would come to the set. He comes for lunch and then he plays in my dressing room and then he goes home.

KING: Do you take your kids to work?

KIDMAN: Yes, they hate it.

KING: It's boring to them, right?

KIDMAN: They get so bored on a film set. Now they loved the "Moulin Rouge" film set. They'd come and play poker with the crew. That's how they learned mathematics.

KING: What was that? What was that movie like? What was doing that movie like?

KIDMAN: It was fun.

KING: Did you like that movie?

MOORE: I loved it.

KIDMAN: I loved making that movie. I mean it was tough because it was very physical and the long hours and it was eight months shooting but the kids, yes, they basically lived out of the set or in the trailer.

KING: It was a great director, and the singing and the whole way it was --

KIDMAN: And they'd come and watch it and to them it was a set but they know all the songs but they're not allowed to ever be in a movie.

MOORE: Yes. Yes.

KING: Yours too?

MOORE: Yes, absolutely not.

KING: Our guests are Nicole Kidman. She co-stars in "The Hours," a Golden Globe nominee for the Best Dramatic Actress for "The Hours," Meryl Streep nominated for "The Hours" as well. Julianne Moore co-stars in "The Hours," a Golden Globe Best Dramatic Actress for "Far From Heaven." National Board Review named her Best Actress for her performance in "Far From Heaven" and the L.A. film critics have named her Best Actress for "Far From Heaven" and "The Hours." Other than that, these two people have done nothing. As we go to break, a scene from "Moulin Rouge."

(VIDEO CLIP OF MOULIN ROUGE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have fun now. Go and go and go because there's always too many thing, too many things, too many things, too many things.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let's go walk.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't want to leave this room.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Me either. I love you honey.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love you mom.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: That movie made you, right, or started you, didn't it, "Boogie Nights?"

MOORE: Yes, kind of.

KIDMAN: I wrote her a fan letter after I saw that.

MOORE: She did.

KING: You did?

MOORE: Yes, she did. It was very nice. It was (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KING: Out of the blue you get a letter from Nicole Kidman?

MOORE: Yes. Yes. You know people do that. You were talking before though about whether or not you're competitive with your -- you know you're not.

KIDMAN: She was amazing in it.

MOORE: I mean people write you notes and you write people notes and there's, I think, more of a sense of camaraderie than people know about what we do.

KING: That's great to hear.

MOORE: Yes, it was very nice.

KING: Let's talk about actors you've both worked with.

MOORE: Yes.

KIDMAN: Yes.

KING: Anthony Hopkins, now you had to replace Jodi Foster in "Hannibal" right?

MOORE: Yes. (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KING: Now, did you have any trepidation about playing someone that someone else had already played in a previous film?

MOORE: Yes and played to perfection as well. I mean that's the thing. I mean she was so wonderful, so (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KING: So, you became Clarisse?

MOORE: Yes, but so all you can do is kind of hold your breath and hope for the best and I mean it was a different story. It was a different script. It was a different director so you kind of start there but yes, of course, you have tremendous trepidation, you know. You're sure you're going to screw up.

KING: How's that working with Hopkins?

MOORE: Oh, he's magnificent. He's so much fun. He supports you tremendously. It's effortless with Tony, I mean it really is. I'm sure you know.

KING: You did (UNINTELLIGIBLE) with him.

KIDMAN: Yes, which hasn't come out yet but will be coming out (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KING: What was that like?

KIDMAN: It's just you walk on the set with him and he's just there, isn't he?

MOORE: Yes.

KIDMAN: He only likes to do a few takes, doesn't do much because he's just on it from the minute you start rehearsing.

MOORE: Yes, and he makes a lot of noise about, he's like oh, I don't care. I don't care. I just do it, you know but he cares tremendously. He just doesn't make a lot of fuss about it. That's what's kind of great about him.

KIDMAN: Underplays.

MOORE: Yes.

KING: You've got a film coming with (UNINTELLIGIBLE) that we haven't seen yet, right?

KIDMAN: Right, (UNINTELLIGIBLE), which we just finished together.

KING: That's the Civil War?

KIDMAN: Yes and then we both got on planes, went to New York, and she had Chicago and I had "The Hours" so we were like but we're staying in the same hotel.

KING: Get along?

KIDMAN: Oh, yes. We were like oh, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) pajamas on.

KING: I'll ask what have you got coming?

MOORE: Nothing. I mean actually I had a baby right after "Far From Heaven" so I've been -- my daughter's --

KING: You were pregnant in "Far From Heaven?"

MOORE: Yes, I was, yes. So, I'm going back to work I think in February, a movie with Billy August and Richard Gere.

KIDMAN: Wow.

MOORE: So, I'm going to do that.

KING: What's it called?

MOORE: "Without Apparent Motive" it's called, very long title.

KING: Sounds like a mystery.

MOORE: Yes, it's a thriller.

KING: Thriller.

MOORE: Yes.

KING: And your next one in New York is?

KIDMAN: Called "Birth."

KING: "Birth?"

KIDMAN: Yes with the director Jonathan Glaser (ph) who did "Sexy Beast."

MOORE: Which is a great movie. That was a great movie.

KING: Do you get nervous when a film comes out? Do you read the critics? KIDMAN: There are some critics that I do yes, these people I really respect their opinion, and then if they like it or dislike it I'll still read the whole thing and take it for what it is because there's some --

KING: Ever help you, a critic?

KIDMAN: Ever help me?

KING: When you read something that says, you know, that's a good point?

KIDMAN: Yes. Yes. When it's vindictive, personally vindictive is when you say this doesn't seem like but when it's actually, I mean it can be an art form and when it is a really succinct, legitimate review by somebody whose opinion you really respect then you have to sort of take that in.

MOORE: I think I would second that. I mean I think it's very difficult though. I feel like there are people who write to sell papers, you know, or magazines.

KING: Or for each other.

MOORE: Or for each other and so I think well what this is not about, this is more about the reviewer. This is not about the piece and that's when I get kind of upset and I get upset when it is pointed and it's personal because it shouldn't be, you know. It's a critique of a piece not a person.

KING: Generally though, both of you have gotten very good notices, haven't you generally?

KIDMAN: Oh, I've gotten some pretty bad ones actually.

KING: Really?

KIDMAN: Yes. Yes, it's ...

MOORE: Well, you know you always remember the bad ones too. Nobody ever remembers the good ones.

KIDMAN: But also I think, I mean that's part of what goes into making up our culture, people having different opinions.

MOORE: Yes.

KIDMAN: And that's OK. I think this thing of everything has to be unanimous, you know, you expect it always to be liked. No, I mean it's sometimes a discussion. I mean most of the films that I make --

KING: Are discussed?

KIDMAN: Yes, are divided at least. I mean it's rare it's across the board a positive reaction. KING: Do you get pain when you read something that you loved, you put all your heart into it and someone might write, "Far From Heaven" missed the point?

MOORE: Of course you do. Of course you do and especially because this is what I find unfortunate about reviews right now is that for small movies -- I do a lot of movies that are very, very small and don't have a life unless they get some support somewhere and things don't stay in the theaters very long anymore. So, like say for example "The New York Times" is syndicated, so if you get a review in that paper that kills a small movie, it's over.

KIDMAN: Yes.

MOORE: It's over and that to me is distressing because I think --

KING: Too much power?

MOORE: It's too much power. You have to let something breathe, let it have a moment. It's OK that you don't like it but that sudden authority just like flattens some things.

KIDMAN: And I also think that to find our next generation of filmmakers, you do need to soften the blow sometimes.

KING: Support?

KIDMAN: Yes because otherwise you're not going to find them because it's sort of like they get crushed before they begin.

MOORE: Yes.

KING: We'll take a break, be back with our remaining moments with two terrific people, terrifically talented people, Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore. Here's another scene from "Far From Heaven."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cathy?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What happened to your head?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh nothing, I hit the door. It was the silliest thing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cathy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did something happen between you and Frank?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you mean?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cathy, I'm your best friend.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nothing happened, nothing at all.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, Cathy. Cathy, I'm your dearest and closest friend in the world. You call me day or night you hear?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Been jealous about me have you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I haven't.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Then why haven't you ever been jealous about me?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I don't know, Alice, maybe because you're my wife. Maybe because you're the mother of my child and I know you would never be unfaithful to me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are very, very sure of yourself aren't you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. I'm sure of you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: You don't like being seen in your underwear then don't work in your underwear.

KIDMAN: Exactly. Exactly. I'm like what was I thinking?

KING: And why does that embarrass you? You look great.

KIDMAN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). I'm blushing.

KING: How about when you do movies that are done for reasons of -- you did "Jurassic Park" right?

MOORE: Yes. Yes.

KING: Was that just fun to do?

MOORE: It was a gas.

KING: Do you give it as much seriousness as you would anything you're doing?

MOORE: Everything you do, yes, you know. I mean everything you do.

KING: You can't throw something away?

MOORE: No.

KIDMAN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

MOORE: Only as much as I needed to know. You know you learn the names, you learn that kind of -- I had a great time on that and working with him is like working on an "Indy" movies. He moves so quickly.

KING: Really?

MOORE: I mean you wouldn't think it but it's so fast. Somebody will go, OK that's it, that's enough. You're like we're done? We're done? You know, wait a minute, and it's exciting and fun.

KING: Do you like the finished product?

MOORE: Yes. You know my son hasn't seen it, my kids I mean. They'll have to be a little bit older.

KING: How old are they?

MOORE: One is five. My son's five. My daughter's eight months.

(CROSSTALK)

KING: How about "Batman?"

KIDMAN: "Batman Forever" yes.

KING: Did you like doing that?

KIDMAN: Yes, I did.

KING: Because?

KIDMAN: I liked sort of -- oh, I'm going to get naughty. I liked the rubber. I'm kidding.

KING: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). It's OK. Hey, whatever turns you on.

KIDMAN: I'm trying to spice this up.

KING: OK. You liked -- do you agree with her? You play it just as seriously as you would "The Hours?"

KIDMAN: No. No. I sort of show up and have a bit of fun. That was more to have fun. I mean when I work on something that's very intense, by the end of it I sort of am so exhausted psychologically and physically that I can't keep up that too, so you've got to sometimes do something where you just go, oh, you know, take a breath.

KING: Anyone you want to work with, really want to work with?

MOORE: Oh, my goodness, work with Nicole. I've never worked with Nicole.

KIDMAN: Yes, that would be nice.

KING: Will you do scenes together?

MOORE: Yes, where we actually got to be in something together, you know.

KIDMAN: I'll tell you what we could play, sisters.

MOORE: We certainly could. I know.

KIDMAN: Don't you think so?

KING: Yes, you could. Don't wear that nose though.

MOORE: I'll wear the nose this time.

KIDMAN: We have the same coloring.

KING: By the way, is it hard to work when you got a fake nose on? Does it affect breathing?

KIDMAN: It does affect the breathing a little bit but that's quite good because it affects then the way you sound and everything.

MOORE: Sure.

KING: Were there concerns about your pregnancy in that movie?

MOORE: You know there were and there shouldn't have been because it's kind of a normal healthy condition and I think we had a lot of people saying, God we're worried. She's pregnant. What will happen? And you know most women work when they're pregnant, you know, so it didn't seem to be an issue for us and it wasn't. I was actually fine.

KING: A couple other quick things. Do you have to like the people you're working with?

KIDMAN: I do. I mean I don't know how to work with conflict.

KING: You mean if you didn't get along with your fellow actors, that would show up in the finished product?

KIDMAN: I don't know if it would show up. I think I would find it so unpleasant.

MOORE: Yes.

KIDMAN: You know that -- I mean part of the reason you choose to do something is the group of people. I mean I always said well who's going to play the other role? That's part of the package which draws you in.

KING: You want to know who's in it?

KIDMAN: Yes because there's chemistry.

KING: And you too?

MOORE: I love actors and I love talking with them before the take and when they say cut, I keep talking.

KING: There must have been sometimes you work with someone?

MOORE: Every once in a while there's somebody that you don't hit it off with and I loathe that. It's miserable for me and then I don't enjoy my job the way that I love to enjoy it. So I mean it's very distressing (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KING: Russell Crowe is a friend of yours. We were together at a party once.

MOORE: That's right. Yes, yes, yes.

KING: Ever work with him?

KIDMAN: No but we're looking for something to do together. We've been looking for a long time and I think probably in the next sort of 18 months we'll find it.

KING: Genuine talent.

KIDMAN: Oh, he's amazing isn't he?

KING: Any male actor you'd really love to --

MOORE: Daniel Day Lewis.

KIDMAN: Oh, God.

MOORE: I think he retired again.

KIDMAN: He never worked.

MOORE: I know.

(CROSSTALK)

KING: Why him so much?

MOORE: Oh, he's a brilliant actor. He's just astonishing, wonderful, miraculous actor. Sean Penn's another one.

KIDMAN: Yes.

MOORE: You know.

KIDMAN: Pacino.

MOORE: Yes, Pacino, Cathy Bates, I'd love to work with her.

KING: Al Pacino.

MOORE: Yes, I mean oh golly there's so many people, Judy Davis. (CROSSTALK)

KING: So you don't watch movies like other people watch movies, do you?

MOORE: Yes, you do. Yes, you do.

KING: You do?

MOORE: Oh, my goodness.

KING: In other words, you (UNINTELLIGIBLE) you get excited.

MOORE: I went to see a screening in Chicago the other night and I had such a great time and I was so excited and I came home and I called Bart and he was like oh, you're all high because you saw this musical and you haven't even been talked to and I was like -- because he was in L.A. and I was in New York. I was really upset because I was so -- it was so fun, you know.

KIDMAN: And talk to her.

KING: Do you watch a movie like I watch -- I mean do you sit there and --

KIDMAN: Get absorbed in it, get absorbed in the storytelling.

KING: You don't say, "I'd have done that?"

KIDMAN: Sometimes actually if I'm sitting in a movie, if I'm in the midst of creating something then I don't even seen the movie. Like I'll sit down for 20 minutes and I'll start watching it and then my mind goes off and I'm gone and I have to go and see the movie again because it's sort of being alone in the dark and watching something allows you that time for your imagination to flourish, and strangely enough it happens to me when I'm watching someone else's movies sometimes. So then I'll go back and re-watch, buy another ticket, but I love paying as well.

KING: A couple other things. You are happily involved.

MOORE: Yes, I am. Yes. Are you involved with anyone now?

KIDMAN: No.

KING: No.

KIDMAN: Do you miss it?

KING: Yes, of course.

MOORE: You can come and be with us.

KING: Do you miss (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?

(CROSSTALK) KING: Don't do this to me.

KIDMAN: We're very happy and Bart's fathered a child for me as well. Oh gosh, now we've really gone off.

KING: Keep it up, Nicole. You want to stay out of the tabloids. Someone keeps knocking me in the ear.

KIDMAN: There is not coffee just in here. What is in here?

KING: Why because you're so open and (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KIDMAN: Like rum coffee, I think.

KING: But you're not in love with anyone?

KIDMAN: No.

KING: And the person you're in love with is younger than you.

MOORE: Yes, he is.

KING: Is that harder?

MOORE: No. I think it's very fortunate actually, yes. He's a wonderful person.

KIDMAN: Am I blushing?

MOORE: You know he's the love of my life. I feel very fortunate I met him and yes, we're very happy together.

KING: Do you like the state of not being in love?

KIDMAN: Oh no, I much prefer to be in love.

KING: Yes?

KIDMAN: Oh yes, who doesn't. It's gorgeous.

KING: It could happen tonight, right?

KIDMAN: Could.

KING: Thank you darling, always good seeing you.

KIDMAN: Thank you.

KING: Thank you for granting the interview. Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore, they co-star in "The Hours" with Meryl Streep. You'll also see Julianne in "Far From Heaven." These films are going to get major awards at nomination time; already Golden Globes, already the National Board of Review and, of course, lots more coming at Oscar time.

Tomorrow night on LARRY KING WEEKEND, we'll repeat our interview with Al and Tipper Gore. I'll also have my two little boys on and the wife to close it. That's tomorrow night. We thank the guests tonight. Have a great rest of the weekend and good night.

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