It's hard to believe it's been 16 years since we saw Nicole Kidman grace our cinema screens as 'real actress' Satine, as she plunged into the tempestuous world of the Moulin Rouge, embarking on an affair with youthful poet, Christian (Ewan McGregor), and subsequently making the medley of 'Children of the Revolution', 'Come What May' and 'Your Song' a staple karaoke request and anthem for the the early millennium.
However, in an interview between the film's leading stars for Variety's 'Actors on Actors' series, Kidman and McGregor admitted they knew Baz Luhrmann's film, Moulin Rouge, would be a hit from the moment they signed onto the project.
'I don't think you do work unless you think it's going to be great,' revealed McGregor. 'I've never approached anything thinking, "Well, this might be a bit crap but…"'
Six months before the pair began shooting in 1999, the cast took part in a two-week singing and dancing workshop, which Kidman admitted to having found incredibly difficult when learning how to salsa, tango and sing opposite her co-star.
'I just remember you having this exquisite voice and me going, "I'm never going to be able to hit these notes",' said Kidman.
'No, that's not true,' added McGregor. 'We were all in the same boat.'
Kidman begged to differ. 'You were so much better than me', she added, before recalling the amazing food and parties after the workshops.
'I remember absinthe being passed out at some point and me going, "Is this safe?" I was so naive,' joked Kidman.
However, one moment the pair remember fondly was the filming of 'Elephant Love Medley', which McGregor describes as 'so funny and silly'.
'All those workshops we did, we'd work on a scene and then a week later the work that we'd done on it as actors would have been incorporated in the writing. And that never happens. That's very rare,' said the Trainspotting actor.
Kidman added: 'It's just gorgeous. It's such a great thing to share. I always say this: when you get to share something like that together, it's yours forever. It's something we all created together and it bonds you in a very particular way, doesn't it?'
Can we just rewind to 2001 to relive the first time we watched Moulin Rouge, please?
Watch the interview below:
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
