Nicole Kidman is training for a surprising new role inspired by her mother's death

There's been a lot of speculation about Nicole Kidman's next move following her shock divorce from Keith Urban after 19 years of marriage.

The couple announced their separation in September last year, and their divorce was finalised in January.

Nicole has spoken very little about parting ways with Keith, instead continuing to bring fans brilliant performances on screen in the likes of Scarpetta and Margo's Got Money Troubles.

While the actress remains quiet about her private life, she's been very open about continuing to improve herself professionally, and has now revealed she'll be training for a very surprising new role that has nothing to do with Hollywood.

Nicole is set to become a death doula. This is a non-medical role where a person offers emotional and spiritual support to those at the end of their life, sitting at the other end of the spectrum to the more commonly known birth doulas.

The actress began considering taking on the role of death doula after her mother Janelle passed away in September 2024.

Speaking at the University Of San Francisco during their Silk Speaker Series, the star explained why she'd developed a passion for end-of-life care, sparked by the death of a loved one.

Admitting others might think the choice "sounds a little weird," she tells the Daily Mail, "I am looking to expand myself. I am looking to become a death doula."

Nicole adds, "My father was very involved with palliative care. There are birth doulas and recently I learned about death doulas. As my mother was passing, she was lonely, and there was only so much the family could provide."

While her mother was dying, Nicole shares that while family did everything they could to be with her, balancing children and careers meant they couldn't be with her all of the time.

For the periods of time Nicole and her sister couldn't be with Janelle, a death doula stepped in to care for her.

Explaining how this inspired her own decision to train to be a death doula, Nicole shares, "That's when I went, 'I wish there was these people in the world that were there to sit impartially and just provide solace and care.' 'I feel it’s really important to have care on earth for the beginning and the end."

The actress lost her psychologist father, Antony, in 2014. While accepting an award at the Palm Springs film festival last year, Nicole spoke about the grief of losing both parents.

"I went home over Christmas," she began per The Times, adding, "I’ve lost both my parents, and I’m in that place, like, oh, ah, OK, this is different now."

"They’ve given me the resilience and they’ve given me the love and they’ve given me the strength to keep moving forward."

She continued, "Thank you for giving me the chance to say this is for my mum. My whole career has been for my mum and my dad and they’re not here anymore. I want to keep working and giving to the world."

"I’m sorry I’m crying. I didn’t want to do that but I feel my mama right now. This is for your mama."