During an interview, Reese Witherspoon and her “Big Little Lies” co-star, Nicole Kidman, engaged in a playful exchange about Witherspoon’s habit of calling Laura Dern by her last name.
Although Reese Witherspoon prefers not to use her first name, she isn’t inclined to reveal it even to close friends.
During an interview with Vanity Fair, Reese Witherspoon and her “Big Little Lies” co-star, Nicole Kidman, engaged in a playful exchange about Witherspoon’s habit of calling Laura Dern by her last name.
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Kidman expressed her annoyance, saying, “I hate how you call her Dern! It sounds so weird. I always call her ‘Laura,’ and you’re like, ‘No, Dern!’”
Witherspoon explained her reasoning: “You know why? Because my name is Laura, and her name is Laura. It’s confusing to me.” Legally, Reese is named Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon.
“Oh! That’s right,” Kidman acknowledged, recalling the detail.
“So, I get confused and just call her Dern,” Witherspoon continued. “We can’t both be Laura.”
Kidman pointed out that Dern doesn’t call Witherspoon “Laura.”
“She doesn’t call you Laura, though,” Nicole noted.
“I don’t understand your point,” Witherspoon joked. “I don’t like your tone. You’re trying to make sense of it, but it’s just confusing.”
Reminiscing about their time on set, Witherspoon shared a fond memory involving Dern. “I called her, and said, ‘Dern, I was so funny today.’ And she replied, ‘Oh my God, Reese, I was so funny in my scene yesterday.’ I responded, ‘I know, I know. But today, Nicole was in the most serious drama I’ve ever seen.’”
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Their shared laughter filled the room.
“That’s right!” Kidman added.
Reflecting on the show’s success, Witherspoon admitted her initial doubts. “‘This show is not gonna work,'” she recalled telling Laura. “And it frickin’ worked.”
“Big Little Lies,” featuring Zoë Kravitz and Shailene Woodley, was such a hit that it was renewed for a second season in 2019, receiving 21 Emmy Award nominations and winning eight in 2017.
In November, Kidman confirmed a third season was in the works, and the actresses discussed its progress in their interview.
“We’re moving fast and furious. [Author] Liane [Moriarty] is delivering the book. We’re in good shape,” Kidman said.
In 2021, the sudden death of “Big Little Lies” director Jean-Marc Vallée at age 58 deeply affected the cast.
Witherspoon mourned Vallée on social media, writing, “My heart is broken. My friend. I love you,” on X, formerly Twitter.
Nicole Kidman, in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, expressed her grief: “It’s hard to imagine someone as vital, energetic, and present as Jean-Marc being gone. I’m shattered. He was at the center of my creative universe, and I can’t overstate his significance to me.”
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She continued, “Jean-Marc was responsible for some of the most rewarding professional experiences of my career. His friendship, kindness, and love were an inspiring force. I will always cherish those nights filming above the crashing waves of Big Sur. … It doesn’t get better than that. I am forever grateful for my time shared with this extraordinary human. Forever Jean-Marc.”
Laura Dern also paid tribute to Vallée, describing him on social media as one of the “great and purest artists and dreamers,” adding, “Our hearts are broken.”