Nicole Kidman has announced her intention to train as a death doula, a non-medical professional who provides emotional and spiritual support to the terminally ill and their families. The 58-year-old actress shared this decision during an appearance at the University of San Francisco's Silk Speaker Series on Saturday. Kidman's decision stems from the profound grief she experienced after her mother, Janelle, passed away in May 2024. She expressed a desire to provide the kind of impartial care she wished her mother had during her final moments.
'As my mother was passing, she was lonely, and there was only so much the family could provide,' Kidman said. 'Between my sister and I, we have so many children and our careers and our work, and wanting to take care of her because my father wasn’t in the world anymore, and that’s when I went, "I wish there was these people in the world that were there to sit impartially and just provide solace and care."'
Kidman acknowledged that the idea of becoming a death doula 'sounds a little weird,' but she emphasized the importance of expanding her role beyond acting. She also noted that her father, Dr. Antony Kidman, was involved in palliative care, which may have influenced her decision. The International End of Life Doula Association (INELDA) describes death doulas as non-medical companions who offer psychosocial, emotional, spiritual, and practical care.
In addition to her new career aspirations, Kidman recently revealed that she learned how to perform an autopsy while preparing for her role as a forensic pathologist in the series 'Scarpetta.' She shared this during an appearance on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' in March, stating that she could remove and name all human organs after training with a medical examiner.