‘I had no choice’ - Jamie Lee Curtis reveals Nicole Kidman insisted she play her on-screen sibling

Jamie Lee Curtis revealed that Nicole Kidman insisted on playing her on-screen sibling in the upcoming Prime Video series Scarpetta in an exclusive interview with Us Weekly. Nicole Kidman will star in the series that she is producing. Curtis said:

"I had no choice."

Jamie Lee Curtis described how Kidman originally approached her with the offer-or rather, the insistence-that she join the cast as her on-screen sister in an exclusive interview with Us Weekly. The project, which is based on Patricia Cornwell's best-selling books about forensic pathologist Dr. Kay Scarpetta, had Curtis on board as an executive producer at the time. Curtis revealed:

“She actually introduced herself to me and we exchanged hellos and a little bit of chick bonding,”

She continued:

“But then we walked away and I was like, ‘Okay, wow. That was crazy.’ And six months later she heard that we were making the Scarpetta show and that I was producing and she basically said, ‘I want to be Scarpetta.’ And then when I went, ‘Okay, great,’ she said, ‘But you’re going to be in it with me, right?’”

Curtis chuckled as she described the incident:

“It was that moment of like, ‘Yes, Nicole Kidman. Yes. I’m going to be in a show with you. I had no choice. You had no choice. I was going to be a producer, and at that moment it was decided that I was going to act in the show.”

Jamie Lee Curtis takes on a new role: Producing and acting

Following that conversation, Jamie Lee Curtis was chosen to play the role of Dorothy Scarpetta, who is Kidman's character Kay Scarpetta's sister. The program has been picked up by Amazon Prime Video for two seasons, and from producing to acting, Kidman and Curtis are ready to stun everyone.

Jamie Lee Curtis dismissed the idea that she had particular preferences for parts. She said:

“Usually, if a part comes to me, there’s a reason. It’s not random,” she continued. “I don’t believe you’ll be seeing me playing Lady Macbeth. I don’t think you’re going to see Lady Macbeth in my filmography.”

She added:

“I pretty much do the work that comes to me … I love my life. I just love the fact that I get to be me, that I get to do what I do, that I get to do art and be a part of the art form that I get to be part of — entertainment. I love the combo platter of show business. I’m a marketing guru. I love marketing. And I just love the process of living a creating life. So I got no complaints.”

Jamie Lee Curtis had nothing but respect for Kidman and her creative drive, despite her initial hesitation to take on another acting role. She said at the 2025 Palm Springs International Film Awards:

“You dream and hustle and work hard with an internal drive mechanism and a level of ambition and a dedication to craft, plus an exceptional ability to shape shift and dodge and weave and apply the constant importing of new skills to hone and perfect the work.”

Nicole Kidman, who is 57, returned the compliment in an interview with E! News:

“That woman is fierce. She is, her talent is abundant, but she’s also just a woman’s woman. She stands by your side. She’s got your back. I can’t say enough lovely things about her. I think everyone in this industry knows that’s what she’s like. And she’s lived a life and she’s willing to share and support. I mean, she’s what you should be.”

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