JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
A Family Affair Director Richard LaGravenese Reveals Nicole Kidman 'Tore' Zac Efron's Shirt In Just 'One Take' During Intimate Scene
Director Richard LaGravenese reveals that Nicole Kidman impressively ripped Zac Efron's shirt in one take in the new Netflix rom-com A Family Affair.
In the new Netflix romantic comedy, A Family Affair, Zac Efron is very protective of his unique shirt—until Nicole Kidman ends up on top of him in a steamy scene. At this moment, Kidman's character wants to tear off Efron's shirt, and when Nicole Kidman asks to rip off his shirt, Efron says “Yes, chef!”
Director Richard LaGravenese talks about Nicole Kidman's shirt-tearing scene
The movie, directed by Oscar-nominated Richard LaGravenese and written by Carrie Solomon, stars Efron as a movie star named Chris Cole, and Joey King as his overworked assistant, Zara.
Chris is a typical self-centered celebrity who often yells at Zara for small mistakes, like putting his precious Shahtoosh shirt in a plastic bag with his sneakers.
Zara eventually has enough and quits. Chris goes to her house to beg her to return, but she’s not there. Instead, Chris drinks with Zara’s mom, Brooke (Kidman). Sparks fly, and they end up in bed together.
In an interview with Decider, LaGravenese shared that he wanted the first sex scene to be funny rather than sexy. He said, "It wasn’t about being sexy. I didn’t need to worry about that being sexy, because they’re Nicole and Zac, so it’s going to be!"
The scene becomes hilarious when Efron tears open Kidman’s dress, and she asks to tear open his shirt, which he had previously made a big deal about to Joey King’s character.
When Nicole Kidman’s character asks, whether the shirt is Shahtoosh, Chris replies, “Yeah… I don’t care!” LaGravenese explained that the Shahtoosh shirt was fictional, as Shahtoosh is a rare fabric that’s mostly made of pashmina and illegal to import.
To help Kidman tear it open easily, the crew made a small hole in the shirt. Kidman, known for her strength, tore it on the first take. LaGravenese told the outlet, “She does have that strength, She tore it on the first take!”
The director noted that it “was more to get laughs—even though, when I saw it with an audience, I was surprised by how much they reacted to all of that, which is wonderful.”
The scene was funny but also highlighted Kidman and Efron’s great chemistry. They previously worked together on The Paperboy and were comfortable and confident in their roles. The humor continues when Joey King’s character walks in on her mom and boss in bed, and she nailed that scene after multiple takes.
Zac Efron on reuniting with Nicole Kidman
In 2012, they starred in The Paperboy, where Zac Efron’s naive character falls for Kidman's character, who loves an imprisoned murderer.
Efron tells PEOPLE, “We had so much fun doing that, but it was crazy.”
Despite the different roles, Efron's admiration for Kidman hasn't changed. Efron expressed, "I’m still so enamored with Nicole, there’s a part of me that pinches myself when I realize who I’m working with a lot. I think that was more pronounced during The Paperboy because I was a lot younger. I was very nervous back then.”
A Family Affair premiered on June 28, 2024, on Netflix.
ALSO READ: Who Is Jay Johnston? All About Bob’s Burgers’ Actor As He Pleads Guilty In Jan 6 Case
Latest Articles
