Jamie Lee Curtis Has a Not-So-Pretty Nickname for Nicole Kidman

Jamie Lee Curtis recently opened up about her admiration for co-star Nicole Kidman while working on the upcoming Amazon Prime series Scarpetta.

Curtis, who is also a co-producer on the show, jokingly referred to Kidman as “HBIC, head b*** in charge.” She described what she calls “the Nicole effect,” saying, “You know in the military when people say: Attention! That’s how it feels.” Curtis added that Kidman brought “a different level of seriousness, of complexity, of intensity” to the production.

Curtis also credited Kidman for helping shift opportunities for women in Hollywood. “It’s a shift in the right direction, from a really very heavily male-dominated industry,” she said.

She pointed out that Kidman’s presence in major campaigns, like AMC cinema ads, showcases her influence: “That’s not Brad Pitt or George Clooney or Tom Cruise or Ryan Gosling doing that. It’s Nicole f**** Kidman.”

Scarpetta, based on Patricia Cornwell’s crime novels, follows the brilliant forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta.

The show, developed by Liz Sarnoff, features Kidman as Scarpetta and Curtis as her older sister, Dorothy. The story revolves around Scarpetta solving complex cases using advanced forensic technology across locations like Florida, Virginia, and Charleston, South Carolina.

The cast also includes Rosy McEwen as young Kay Scarpetta, Amanda Righetti as young Dorothy, Ariana DeBose as Lucy Farinelli-Watson, Bobby Cannavale as Pete Marino, Jake Cannavale as young Pete, Simon Baker as FBI profiler Benton Wesley, and Hunter Parrish as young Benton.

Curtis and Kidman’s collaboration on Scarpetta highlights the increasing influence of women in the entertainment industry, both in front of and behind the camera.

Curtis noted how women actors are establishing production companies and redefining the types of roles available. Kidman herself has reflected on her career trajectory, moving from projects like Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut to more recent works like Babygirl, which explore complex female perspectives.

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