Christine Baranski shares why Nicole Kidman kept distance on Nine Perfect Strangers set

News.com.au

5 days ago

They may be Nine Perfect Strangers on screen, but behind the scenes the new cast of the drama series are anything but.
Christine Baranski joins Nicole Kidman along with a star-studded line-up for season two, including Crazy Rich Asians star Henry Golding, The White Lotus star Murray Bartlett, and Schitt's Creek star Annie Murphy.
But while the cast bonded during the six months they filmed in the snowy Austrian Alps, in a case of life imitating art, Kidman kept her distance on the series, which is now streaming on Prime Video.
The Aussie actress reprises her role as Masha Dmitrichenko, a Russian wellness guru who uses unconventional and questionable methods to treat her guests as the fictional health retreat Zauberwald
Although Masha is sociable and people are drawn to her, she is equally complex and enigmatic – and it appears Kidman maintained this persona off-screen too.
'We bonded, the nine of us. And when [Kidman] would come in, it was sort of exactly like it would be in the show, which is she comes in and we're all, what's she all about? What's she going to do? And so the chemistry was sort of exactly right for it,' Baranski, 73, told news.com.au.
'She's rather perfect for that role. The character of Masha is so mysterious and has her own backstory that's very, very complicated and interesting. And Nicole is really tall and statuesque, and her look in this show, I think, is particularly arresting. So she's just perfect for this inscrutable, intimidating character.'
Still, there was nothing that could keep Baranski away from the show or Kidman.
'It's such a no-brainer. My agent said it was Nicole Kidman and the second season of Strangers, which was already an established hit. Then he mentioned the talent that they were offering roles to various actors, and they were all extraordinary people. And then he said that it was going to film in Europe, in Munich and the Austrian Alps,' the Mamma Mia star shared.
In season two, Baranski plays the glamorous and sensual Victoria, who enlists the help of Masha to repair her relationship with her daughter Imogen (played by Murphy). While they play an estranged mother-and-daughter duo, off-screen Murphy adored Baranski.
'She is the hostess with the mostest and she's so generous. Anytime she'd go away [from set], she'd come back with cakes and treats and all these things for us,' Murphy told news.com.au.
'We were staying in this town called Halstadt in Austria, which is this beautiful fairytale town around this alpine lake. And we're staying in this beautiful hotel and the hotel backed onto the lake.
'Christine arranged this evening for us, and the sun was just setting and we walked out and there was champagne and beautiful tables set up. She'd curated this incredible classical playlist for us that was kind of echoing across this still, beautiful lake. And it was just magical.'
In the series, there is also magic between Baranski's Victoria and her much younger lover Matteo (played by Aras Aydın). There seems to be a chorus of age-gap romances playing out on screens across Hollywood lately, but Baranski says there is nothing salacious about this May-December romance.
'It was very easy because Aras is so emotionally free and available and he's beautiful and so passionate. We didn't have to work at that [chemistry],' she said.
'As you can see from early on in the first few episodes, it's not just some sexy older woman-hot guy relationship. There's an enormous kind of tenderness and caretaking and loveliness between us.
'We valued bringing that out more than the sexy part because it's transcends age. People can love each other long after they feel sexy or hot for each other. The tenderness and the intimacy is what is most lasting and interesting.'