Nicole Kidman graces festival premiere of latest movie, talks about acting challenges

The biopic, depicting Princess Grace Kelly’s struggle in the middle of a dispute between Monaco and France in 1962,will open in Chinese cinemas on June 20.

“I studied her screen persona, but it is her vulnerability and humanity that are what I feel most related to,” the Hollywood superstar said as she explained how she approached the role to portray the legendary former film star Grace Kelly.

“She was incredibly fragile and strong at the same time, a dichotomy,” Kidman said.

Kelly’s unique experience in going from a Hollywood sweetheart to being a  royal princess“the extraordinary journey,” as Kidman puts it is a major reason behind the Aussie actress taking up the role.

“The most challenging for me was to move, sound and look like her,” she said.

“It’s like when I played Virginia Woolf. Part of my challenge was to look for things that were far out of reach. I like pushing myself out of the comfort zone, to explore and discover new territory, because I’m still very curious.”

Kidman said the biopic starts when Kelly is offered the lead role in Alfred Hitchcock\'s film Marnie (1964), a job she really wanted to take but couldn\'t due to her role as a young princess and mother.

This aspect of the story resonated with Kidman. “I feel this strong desire to be with family and also do something good in the world,” she said.

“The struggle to find balance between family and work is still relevant to so many women around the world, including Chinese women.”

The Oscar-winning actress revealed how she “felt the loneliest” when she was at her career peak after winning the Academy Award for The Hours.

“I had so much going on in my creative life and so little in my own life,” she recalled. “It just hit me that I needed to go and get a life.”