Murray Bartlett talks starring alongside Nicole Kidman on Nine Perfect Strangers Season 2
Don't miss out on the headlines from TV. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Aussie actor Murray Bartlett is far from The White Lotus.
The 54-year-old went from playing resort manager Armond in the first season of the dark comedy to being cast as cancelled puppeteer Brian on Season 2 of the drama series Nine Perfect Strangers.
But Bartlett, who was born in Sydney and raised in Perth, is far from lost – and he is no stranger to fellow Aussie actress Nicole Kidman, who reprises her role of enigmatic wellness guru Masha Dmitrichenko in the new season.
Australian actor Murray Bartlett stars in Season 2 of Nine Perfect Strangers. Picture: Disney/Reiner Bajo
Bartlett won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie for The White Lotus in 2022. Picture: Frederic J. Brown / AFP
'She's an icon in the world, but she's like a special icon for us. So I think it was a thrill for all of us to jump on board with her and be able to be part of this world with her,' he tells news.com.au ahead of the Season 2 premiere on May 22 on Prime Video.
'It's an extraordinary character that she's created and she's wild and mysterious and unpredictable. And so that was also a thrilling kind of ride to be on, to be in scenes with this character. You're not sure whether she's helping you or messing with you, which I think makes the show really compelling to watch.'
Season 2 of Nine Perfect Strangers premieres on Pirme Video on May 22.
Like in Season 1, nine people with different traumas convene for 10 days at fictional wellness retreat Zauberwald in the Austrian Alps led by Masha (Kidman).
But with the Russian guru's unconventional approach to healing, it's anyone's guess what journey is required for them to undergo their transformations.
Nicole Kidman returns as mysterious wellness guru Masha. Picture: Disney/Reiner Bajo
Murray plays a once-popular children's TV show host and puppeteer who is 'cancelled' for his offensive meltdown on screen.
'I love the character. I love the way he was written. I think it's really interesting to explore the nuances of cancel culture and what it looks like from both sides and trying to suspend judgement on both sides of a situation like that and just kind of dive into the emotional stuff that people are projecting or dealing with in that kind of situation. So I felt there was so many kind of interesting things to explore with Brian,' he says.
Bartlett plays a children's entertainer who gets cancelled following an on-air meltdown. Picture: Disney/Reiner Baji
Mainly for Bartlett, it was the cast that made the series. Among them are billionaire father Peter Sharpe (Mark Strong) and son David (Henry Golding), glamorous divorcee Victoria (Christine Baranski) and her enraged daughter Imogen (Annie Murphy) and a nun named Agnes with a mysterious past (Dolly De Leon).
Season 2 features a stellar cast that includes Henry Golding, Christine Baranski, Annie Murphy, Dolly De Leon and Aras Ayin. Picture: Disney/Reiner Bajo
'It's this great ensemble show. I didn't know at the time when I signed on what a wonderful group it would be, but it's amazing to be able to be part of such a great ensemble and to tell this story together and lean on each other and develop those relationships,' Bartlett says.
Co-star Annie Murphy agrees. She played Alexis Rose in the award-winning Netflix hit Schitt's Creek on all six seasons. In Nine Perfect Strangers, Murphy portrays Imogen – a guarded woman raised with wealth and privilege.
Annie Murphy, who is best known for playing Alexis Rose in Schitt's Creek, also stars in the series. Picture: Disney/Reiner Bajo
'I was so excited by the prospect of working with a big cast,' Murphy tells news.com.au. 'Schitt's Creek was such a special show because it was such an ensemble piece and that really is where I feel most comfortable and the opportunity for adventure. We spent six months in Munich and travelling around Austria. It was just an obvious no-brainer to hop on board.'
Adds Bartlett: 'I love a situation like that. Similar to your experience in Schitt's Creek, I had that in White Lotus and other jobs that I've done where I love being part of an ensemble. And this was a pretty extraordinary special group to be part of.'
Murray Bartlett played hotel manager Armond on Season 1 of The White Lotus. Picture: HBO
While parts of the show explore the depths of trauma and mental health, Bartlett says the cast, the location and the comedy in the chaos balance out the darkness.
'There's so many beautiful layers in the show connected to that dealing with trauma and facing your demons and trying to let go of the baggage you might've been carrying,' he says.
'But also its beautiful locations. It's beautifully shot. It's a gorgeous place to spend some time in watching this show. It's got a lot of complimentary aspects to it that it's got those depths, but it's funny. It's a really brilliant group of actors inhabiting some really funny, fascinating, interesting characters.'
The first two episodes of Nine Perfect Strangers Season 2 premieres on Prime Video on May 22, 2025, with new episodes launching weekly
Originally published as Murray Bartlett on the 'thrilling ride' it was joining Nicole Kidman on Nine Perfect Strangers Season 2
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
4 hours ago
- West Australian
Hugh Jackman, Deborra-Lee Furness divvy up real estate amid divorce, including $35 million NYC apartment
As tensions heat up in their divorce, Hugh Jackman and Deborra Lee-Furness have started splitting up their real estate assets. Furness, 69, reportedly paid $11.7 million (AU$18 million) to the company that the couple used to buy their glamorous New York City penthouse in 2022 for $21 million. The luxury apartment in Manhattan's Chelsea neighbourhood is now valued at around $23 million, according to People , meaning that Furness has bought Jackman, 56, out. Property records suggest that the Australian actress made the payment on May 25, two days before she officially filed for divorce after 27 years of marriage. The three-bedroom and 3.5-bathroom apartment sprawls over 5,000 square feet across two floors, with an additional 3,700 square feet of outdoor space. It's tucked near the Hudson River in a neighbourhood known for bold facades and even bolder celebrity residents. The riverfront haven is just one of many standouts in the former couple's enviable real estate collection, which includes properties in the US, UK and at home in Australia. It is believed that they still own together a waterfront apartment overlooking the iconic Bondi Beach, a second apartment in New York City's West Village and a Hamptons beach house. The news comes after the former couple were reportedly struggling earlier this year to divvy up their estimated $250 million fortune after it was revealed they didn't have a prenup. The pair eventually reached an agreement behind the scenes. 'A settlement was reached that Deborra is pleased with, which includes a handsome spousal support payment,' a source revealed to The Daily Mail . 'There was some back and forth regarding this financial agreement, but in the end, she got what she believed she deserved. Both are coming out of this financially secure.' It is believed their marriage began to unravel during COVID, which is around the same time Jackman struck up a friendship with Sutton Foster, his co-star on the hit Broadway revival of The Music Man. In a recent statement, Furness hinted that the Wolverine star committed an act of 'betrayal', fuelling rumours that her former husband cheated on her with Foster. Furness is now reportedly planning to publish a tell-all book, which will detail her side of the divorce. Jackman is yet to release a statement about the divorce, but is believed to be 'extremely disappointed' in Furness' allegations about 'betrayal'.
Perth Now
4 hours ago
- Perth Now
Hugh Jackman, Deborra-Lee Furness split $35M NYC penthouse
As tensions heat up in their divorce, Hugh Jackman and Deborra Lee-Furness have started splitting up their real estate assets. Furness, 69, reportedly paid $11.7 million (AU$18 million) to the company that the couple used to buy their glamorous New York City penthouse in 2022 for $21 million. The luxury apartment in Manhattan's Chelsea neighbourhood is now valued at around $23 million, according to People, meaning that Furness has bought Jackman, 56, out. Property records suggest that the Australian actress made the payment on May 25, two days before she officially filed for divorce after 27 years of marriage. The three-bedroom and 3.5-bathroom apartment sprawls over 5,000 square feet across two floors, with an additional 3,700 square feet of outdoor space. It's tucked near the Hudson River in a neighbourhood known for bold facades and even bolder celebrity residents. The riverfront haven is just one of many standouts in the former couple's enviable real estate collection, which includes properties in the US, UK and at home in Australia. It is believed that they still own together a waterfront apartment overlooking the iconic Bondi Beach, a second apartment in New York City's West Village and a Hamptons beach house. The news comes after the former couple were reportedly struggling earlier this year to divvy up their estimated $250 million fortune after it was revealed they didn't have a prenup. The pair eventually reached an agreement behind the scenes. 'A settlement was reached that Deborra is pleased with, which includes a handsome spousal support payment,' a source revealed to The Daily Mail. 'There was some back and forth regarding this financial agreement, but in the end, she got what she believed she deserved. Both are coming out of this financially secure.' It is believed their marriage began to unravel during COVID, which is around the same time Jackman struck up a friendship with Sutton Foster, his co-star on the hit Broadway revival of The Music Man. In a recent statement, Furness hinted that the Wolverine star committed an act of 'betrayal', fuelling rumours that her former husband cheated on her with Foster. Furness is now reportedly planning to publish a tell-all book, which will detail her side of the divorce. Jackman is yet to release a statement about the divorce, but is believed to be 'extremely disappointed' in Furness' allegations about 'betrayal'.
The Advertiser
5 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Iconic Australian migrant story returns to the stage
Stephen Nicolazzo felt like throwing away his culture as a kid but is now using it to bring an Aussie classic to the national stage. Born of Melina Marchetta's iconic 1992 book and award-winning film starring Pia Miranda, Looking for Alibrandi the stage show has embarked on a first national tour. The story follows feisty protagonist Josie Alibrandi as she navigates her final year at a prestigious Catholic girls' school in Sydney. Along the way she finds her father, falls in love and grapples with her identity as a third-generation Italian growing up in Australia. It's an experience Nicolazzo shared as the grandson of Italian migrants. In primary school, the now 38-year-old was embarrassed to pronounce Italian words his classmates struggled with. "You want to throw away your culture and your ethnicity when you're younger because of all of the pressures of being discriminated against," he told AAP. "That's a really strange feeling because you lock away a part of yourself as a result of the pressures of expectation." The lived experience of young Australians from Italian cultures has improved over the past 30 years. "But there are many other migrants who have come to this country since the book was written," Nicolazzo said. "They're experiencing the same discrimination and tensions that Josie faced." The production highlights important issues of acceptance and tolerance, and is relatable to a wide audience. Nicolazzo points to the story's universal recognition of concepts like having to deal with over-bearing family members or being spoken to in a certain way. "The people that watch it are sobbing and laughing because there's a familiarity to it that goes beyond nostalgia," he said. The show first graced Sydney and Melbourne stages in 2022 and has since undergone script changes to enrich one of Jose's love interests, John Barton. "The audience is getting the best version of the show, which is five years in the making," Nicolazzo said. Three new cast members have also joined the fold, including 23-year-old graduate Riley Warner, who plays Josie's knockabout boyfriend Jacob Cootes. The rising star is debuting in his first stage show, having met Nicolazzo as a student. "There's something about him that feels like a national audience needs to see him right away," Nicolazzo said. The show next appears in Sydney on June 11 before heading across NSW, Victoria and South Australia. Nicolazzo hopes audience members take one key message from his production. "It's about finding freedom from the shackles of a culture that doesn't want you to be a part of It," he said. "That's a hard thing to do but we can only do it by making art and talking to people." Stephen Nicolazzo felt like throwing away his culture as a kid but is now using it to bring an Aussie classic to the national stage. Born of Melina Marchetta's iconic 1992 book and award-winning film starring Pia Miranda, Looking for Alibrandi the stage show has embarked on a first national tour. The story follows feisty protagonist Josie Alibrandi as she navigates her final year at a prestigious Catholic girls' school in Sydney. Along the way she finds her father, falls in love and grapples with her identity as a third-generation Italian growing up in Australia. It's an experience Nicolazzo shared as the grandson of Italian migrants. In primary school, the now 38-year-old was embarrassed to pronounce Italian words his classmates struggled with. "You want to throw away your culture and your ethnicity when you're younger because of all of the pressures of being discriminated against," he told AAP. "That's a really strange feeling because you lock away a part of yourself as a result of the pressures of expectation." The lived experience of young Australians from Italian cultures has improved over the past 30 years. "But there are many other migrants who have come to this country since the book was written," Nicolazzo said. "They're experiencing the same discrimination and tensions that Josie faced." The production highlights important issues of acceptance and tolerance, and is relatable to a wide audience. Nicolazzo points to the story's universal recognition of concepts like having to deal with over-bearing family members or being spoken to in a certain way. "The people that watch it are sobbing and laughing because there's a familiarity to it that goes beyond nostalgia," he said. The show first graced Sydney and Melbourne stages in 2022 and has since undergone script changes to enrich one of Jose's love interests, John Barton. "The audience is getting the best version of the show, which is five years in the making," Nicolazzo said. Three new cast members have also joined the fold, including 23-year-old graduate Riley Warner, who plays Josie's knockabout boyfriend Jacob Cootes. The rising star is debuting in his first stage show, having met Nicolazzo as a student. "There's something about him that feels like a national audience needs to see him right away," Nicolazzo said. The show next appears in Sydney on June 11 before heading across NSW, Victoria and South Australia. Nicolazzo hopes audience members take one key message from his production. "It's about finding freedom from the shackles of a culture that doesn't want you to be a part of It," he said. "That's a hard thing to do but we can only do it by making art and talking to people." Stephen Nicolazzo felt like throwing away his culture as a kid but is now using it to bring an Aussie classic to the national stage. Born of Melina Marchetta's iconic 1992 book and award-winning film starring Pia Miranda, Looking for Alibrandi the stage show has embarked on a first national tour. The story follows feisty protagonist Josie Alibrandi as she navigates her final year at a prestigious Catholic girls' school in Sydney. Along the way she finds her father, falls in love and grapples with her identity as a third-generation Italian growing up in Australia. It's an experience Nicolazzo shared as the grandson of Italian migrants. In primary school, the now 38-year-old was embarrassed to pronounce Italian words his classmates struggled with. "You want to throw away your culture and your ethnicity when you're younger because of all of the pressures of being discriminated against," he told AAP. "That's a really strange feeling because you lock away a part of yourself as a result of the pressures of expectation." The lived experience of young Australians from Italian cultures has improved over the past 30 years. "But there are many other migrants who have come to this country since the book was written," Nicolazzo said. "They're experiencing the same discrimination and tensions that Josie faced." The production highlights important issues of acceptance and tolerance, and is relatable to a wide audience. Nicolazzo points to the story's universal recognition of concepts like having to deal with over-bearing family members or being spoken to in a certain way. "The people that watch it are sobbing and laughing because there's a familiarity to it that goes beyond nostalgia," he said. The show first graced Sydney and Melbourne stages in 2022 and has since undergone script changes to enrich one of Jose's love interests, John Barton. "The audience is getting the best version of the show, which is five years in the making," Nicolazzo said. Three new cast members have also joined the fold, including 23-year-old graduate Riley Warner, who plays Josie's knockabout boyfriend Jacob Cootes. The rising star is debuting in his first stage show, having met Nicolazzo as a student. "There's something about him that feels like a national audience needs to see him right away," Nicolazzo said. The show next appears in Sydney on June 11 before heading across NSW, Victoria and South Australia. Nicolazzo hopes audience members take one key message from his production. "It's about finding freedom from the shackles of a culture that doesn't want you to be a part of It," he said. "That's a hard thing to do but we can only do it by making art and talking to people." Stephen Nicolazzo felt like throwing away his culture as a kid but is now using it to bring an Aussie classic to the national stage. Born of Melina Marchetta's iconic 1992 book and award-winning film starring Pia Miranda, Looking for Alibrandi the stage show has embarked on a first national tour. The story follows feisty protagonist Josie Alibrandi as she navigates her final year at a prestigious Catholic girls' school in Sydney. Along the way she finds her father, falls in love and grapples with her identity as a third-generation Italian growing up in Australia. It's an experience Nicolazzo shared as the grandson of Italian migrants. In primary school, the now 38-year-old was embarrassed to pronounce Italian words his classmates struggled with. "You want to throw away your culture and your ethnicity when you're younger because of all of the pressures of being discriminated against," he told AAP. "That's a really strange feeling because you lock away a part of yourself as a result of the pressures of expectation." The lived experience of young Australians from Italian cultures has improved over the past 30 years. "But there are many other migrants who have come to this country since the book was written," Nicolazzo said. "They're experiencing the same discrimination and tensions that Josie faced." The production highlights important issues of acceptance and tolerance, and is relatable to a wide audience. Nicolazzo points to the story's universal recognition of concepts like having to deal with over-bearing family members or being spoken to in a certain way. "The people that watch it are sobbing and laughing because there's a familiarity to it that goes beyond nostalgia," he said. The show first graced Sydney and Melbourne stages in 2022 and has since undergone script changes to enrich one of Jose's love interests, John Barton. "The audience is getting the best version of the show, which is five years in the making," Nicolazzo said. Three new cast members have also joined the fold, including 23-year-old graduate Riley Warner, who plays Josie's knockabout boyfriend Jacob Cootes. The rising star is debuting in his first stage show, having met Nicolazzo as a student. "There's something about him that feels like a national audience needs to see him right away," Nicolazzo said. The show next appears in Sydney on June 11 before heading across NSW, Victoria and South Australia. Nicolazzo hopes audience members take one key message from his production. "It's about finding freedom from the shackles of a culture that doesn't want you to be a part of It," he said. "That's a hard thing to do but we can only do it by making art and talking to people."
