If you were about to meet Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman, you’d be justified in having a few butterflies.
But for Big Little Lies author Liane Moriarty, the situation was close to being downright panic-inducing.
Speaking to 60 Minutes, the author told the story of her first encounter with Nicole, who starred in the TV adaptation of her best-selling book.
Nicole Kidman, author Liane Moriarty, actress Reese Witherspoon, and executive producer of Big Little Lies, Bruna Papandrea.
The pair had agreed to meet at a Sydney cafe in Darlinghurst, however, upon Moriarty’s arrival she found it to be closed.
Trying to play it cool, Moriarty wondered whether they had closed it just for Nicole so they could meet there alone.
“So I walked around the back and I could see the staff and so I thought I should make meaningful eye contact with them,” Moriarty explained.
“I said, ‘Are you closed?’ And they said, ‘Yes’. And so I looked at them and said, ‘But are you closed for everyone?’ And they said, ‘Yes. We’re closed for everyone. Get out.'”
Awkward!
Luckily the meeting still went ahead at another cafe, and it clearly went well – Nicole went on to star in the television series helping it to win eight Emmys, four Golden Globes and two SAG awards.
Nicole Kidman won a SAG in the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series category for her work in Big Little Lies.
The first encounter has also led to a string of other gigs for Nicole – she is set to star in and produce Nine Perfect Strangers, another novel by Moriarty.
The Australian writer has risen to fame quickly since Big Little Lies was adapted for the small screen. The series was globally successful with strong acting talent including Reese Witherspoon and Shailene Woodley.
After starting her writing career 15 years ago, Moriarty has written 11 books and sold more than 14 million copies worldwide. Two of her sisters, Nicole and Jaclyn are also novelists.
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