The Daily Telegraph - Page three, January 10th 2003

Nic's knack for enjoying the simple things



EXCLUSIVE
By Sydney Confidential's Naomi Toy and Jo Casamento

Whatever may be said about Nicole Kidman, she is certainly a woman of her word. With only one afternoon to spare before heading back to LA, Kidman kept an on-air promise she made six months ago with one of Triple J's breakfast hosts, Wil Anderson, to go on a "date". After phoning a stunned Anderson on his radio program yesterday morning to accept the offer to have a quiet drink somewhere, Anderson was left to decide on the venue. And, on a sunny Sydney afternoon, where esle would you take a Hollywood superstar but down to your local - in this case, the North Bondi RSL. But if Anderson was hoping to captivate Kidman with jokes over a few cold ones, he was mistaken. His plan was foiled when members of The Daily Telegraph's Sydney Confidential gatecrashed the moment, armed with a few beers as an ice breaker.

Kidman, dressed casually in Converse boots, hipster jeans and a floral top, graciously accepted the offer and the pair shared their table. The famous redhead let her guard down and recalled what it was like to grow up in Australia - way before Tom Cruise, Academy nominations and Hollywood mansions became the norm. Kidman told of her days as a teenager when her parents took her to the local RSL and she played the pokies with her uncle. The actress stood and faced west for The Ode of Remembrance with other patrons. "It does take me back," she said after the minute's silence."There's nothing like this in America. It's such an amazing tradition."

While admiring the dazzling view, Kidman admitted that beer wasn't her usual tipple. "I usually drink apple martinis," she said.

While Anderson humourously attempted to play up the significance of their outing, Kidman pulled him into line. "It's not a date," she repeated, admitting that because of media pressure she only has to have a conversation with a man before they're romantically linked.

All week the breakfast host had been lamenting that Kidman had not called, even though she was evidently in town. "I had a lot of belief," he said during his program with Adam Spencer yesterday morning when the impromptu call from Kidman came. "I was like a kid believing in Santa Claus. Right up 'til Christmas I was very confident you were going to call," he said. "And then after Christmas I was pretty much out in the streets saying 'there is no Santa'."

But Kidman explained she had just been taking her time, having spent Christmas in Fiji and New Year's Eve with Baz Luhrmann. "I cannot believe this is happening," she laughed. "I'm a woman of my word, aren't I."

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