"Bewitching" Nicole Kidman

She was all class in white cashmere. He was decked out in plaid Bermuda shorts and a baggy t-shirt. Talk about the world's most mismatched couple! Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell, despite being at each end of the fashion spectrum, hit it off on first meeting. Good thing since she plays witchy Samantha and he's her main man Darrin in the movie version of the hit TV show "Bewitched".

In addition to her mega-star status, Nicole was sought after for the film because she looks a lot like the original Samantha, Elizabeth Montgomery.. same nose anyway. When we cornered class act Nicole at the Four Seasons hotel in Beverly Hills recently, she was sick of doing that nose twitching thing but was otherwise happy to give us the scoop on making the film. Wearing black coat over classy black dress, no jewelry and her strawberry blonde hair in a loose bun on the side of her head, Tom Cruise's ex-wife greeted her Bewitched co-star the flamboyant Shirley MacLaine (in bright orange pants suit) with a hug as Shirley left the room and Nicole entered.

In person, Nic (as Shirley, Tom and her pals call her), is radiant. She is actually that tall (I'm 5'7" and she's at least 5'10"). She speaks with just a touch of her native Aussie accent and, since her hand was resting on my tape recorder, I got a little concerned that I might not hear her responses but no worries. We got the details on her insecurities, the magic of movies, working with wacky Will, replacing a TV icon, seeing herself on a building-tall poster and playing a penguin...

TeenHollywood: Okay, the nose twitching.. did that come naturally to you?

Nicole: Oh, no. I needed a mirror and I needed the slow-mo on the VCR. And I would put her [Elizabeth Montgomery's] nose in slow motion and then I would put up the mirror and I would kind of try to mimic it. And my mum would say, "No, that wasn't very good, try again".

TeenHollywood: What interested you in taking on this light romantic comedy? Was it a break from your more serious roles?

Nicole: It was... yeah, and also because I'd watched the series as a kid and there seemed something quite fun; the idea of having watched something as a little girl and then being able to step into it as a woman and kind of pay homage to it.

TeenHollywood: A lot of young people have watched the TV series in reruns. Were you at all hesitant in taking on a part that so many people still remember?

Nicole: I think you're always hesitant about any movie whether it be adapting a novel or, or trying to do a remake of a TV series. The lesson you learn is that you do not try to stay within the confinements of what's been set. Nora (Ephron, director) tackled it quite well. She was able to find another way of telling a story with this film.

TeenHollywood: If you could be a witch in real life, what would you use your power for do you think?

Nicole: Well, getting heavy here, I do a lot of fund raising for women's cancers, so I'd probably choose to eradicate not just women's cancers but all cancer. That would be a good thing.

TeenHollywood: That would be awesome but would you also maybe do something a little naughty with the magic?

Nicole: Well, it's kind of nice to be able to, if you're pissed off, walk through and blow up the cappuccino machine and make a dog jump into your arms and make him speak in tongues [laughs]. I think that that's sort of funny and cool. But at the same time, obviously I think the concept is that everyone wishes they could do a little magic. And I think the overall idea of the film is that to fall in love requires a little magic.

TeenHollywood: Samantha chows down on the Cool Whip when she's upset. What was with that?

Nicole: No, it's Nora and Cool Whip. There's a lot of consumption of food in this film when people are depressed. Nora was a food critic so when you make one of her films they say she has the best catering in the business.

TeenHollywood: We hear that she fed the cast and crew at her house.

Nicole: She invites you over on a Saturday night and she does all the cooking and she kind of has 30 people over. She loves to direct the film during the week and then entertain on the weekends.

TeenHollywood: Will Ferrell is so funny. Can you talk about working with him as Darrin? It's kind of an unexpected pairing.

Nicole: But they always seem to say that about me. They said that Sean Penn and I were unexpected but I suppose with Will and I it really is kind of an odd pairing. It was a really fun pairing. He's very generous with his talent And he would always be like, 'Come on, Nicole, you can do it' coaxing me out of my shell.

TeenHollywood: You are in "shell" after all your acting experience?

Nicole: I always have doubts, on everything! I think that that's something that motivates you. If you think you can do everything then there's a slight arrogance to that. I think it's always better to be, 'I'm not sure' and 'teach me' and 'I'm willing to listen' and 'I'm willing to learn'.

TeenHollywood: So, is there a time when you are playing a role, that you just go, 'okay, now I've nailed it'?

Nicole: No. There's a time when you step into it and you just go, 'well now I'm on the roller coaster, and I'll be kind of brave and throw myself into it and not worry if I fall flat on my face'. Much of your trepidation is based on 'I don't wanna make a fool out of myself' particularly if your nature is to be kind of redescent and shy to begin with. I always get accused of being really, really quiet because I sit there and I watch and I listen and I tend not to, to say much until I feel at ease, and that kind of takes me a little time.

TeenHollywood: In one scene in Bewitched, Will's character and his agent are making all kinds of silly diva star demands. Have you ever witnessed that kind of thing with other celebrities?

Nicole: I've tended to work with huge stars and I've never really seen that to be honest. They say that that usually happens with people that are in fear. A lot of the people that I work with tend not to be that fearful. They tend to be really hard workers and really passionate about what they do and are willing to do things for very little money to make a good film. I'm working on a film now where the budget is so small and we're kind of running trying to get everything we can so that the director gets his shots.

TeenHollywood: You seem to work so much.

Nicole: I just had a huge break. I took six months off and I'm going to go away again when I finish this film – but I'm not saying where.

TeenHollywood: How did you spend your time on vacation?

Nicole: I went to Australia. I took my whole family away for Christmas. We always do a big Christmas holiday. But now I don't tell anybody where I go or what I do because it gets publicized and then I can't go back.

TeenHollywood: Do you think that Bewitched will give you a younger audience?

Nicole: It's strange, because Moulin Rouge was the last film that I made that really appealed to young girls, and it's really lovely, making a film that you get stopped in the street by a 14-year-old and they say, 'oh, I loved that film!' Even though Bewitched hasn't come out yet, I was at the theater in New York last Sunday at a matinee, and these girls came up to me. They were like maybe 13 or 14, and they said 'we can't wait to see Bewitched!' And I thought 'oh, that's nice' It's really nice having that generation of girls respond to you.

TeenHollywood: There is a scene in which you and Will dance and play around on a sound stage at the studio. Was there ever a time when you wanted to do that?

Nicole: Yeah. There are times when I would walk on to the studio lot, and there is something magical, and I think you forget. I remember the first time I came to America and I walked onto the Paramount lot and I went '[gasp], so this is what it is'? It's magical and it inspires awe just because of the history; you know the people that have walked the same steps you've walked. There are times now, especially in the evening, when you're walking through those places, and there's that kind of beautiful twilight, and you're just going home, and you can kind of feel the ghosts. And it's lovely.

TeenHollywood: There is a giant building-sized Bewitched on the side of a nearby hotel. Can you can used to seeing that kind of thing?

Nicole: Well it's kind of weird, when it's just your legs and not your head. I'm like 'oh, what's that saying? Better leave her off the poster!' [laughs] But, I was driving in the car in New York, and the girl who was in the car with me was saying, 'oh when does Bewitched come out'? And then she looked up and it was like one of those neon light things blinking 'June 24. Bewitched, June 24th, Nicole Kidman. And she went, 'can you believe that? How weird is that?' No, you don't get used to it, but at the same time, who would think that you could come from a country as far away as Australia, and have your name in lights on Broadway? It can happen.

TeenHollywood: Okay, you are riding a broomstick in this. How have is it to strike a ladylike pose on a broomstick?

Nicole: They had a harness on me. Truly! You get harnessed on them, and then you lift it up, and you're like flying, and you're saying, 'does this look okay? Cross your legs!' So it's a little difficult, flying on a broomstick. I just wish I could do it. [laughs] Take off now, out through the window.

TeenHollywood: Do you think you'll do another musical?

Nicole: I did do a movie musical with George Miller, and it's called Happy Feet. So I got to sing a little bit. I'm a penguin. I hope a cute penguin. I'm a very small role. I'm a big penguin, but a small role [laughs]. From a witch to a penguin.

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Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment journalist and produced screenwriter.