Nicole Kidman Defends Age Gap Between Her And Zac Efron In A Family Affair

28 June 2024, 16:05 | Updated: 30 June 2024, 15:47

Nicole Kidman Praises Zac Efron For Playing Her Boyfriend In A Family Affair Despite Age Difference. Picture: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix, Netflix

By Sam Prance

'A Family Affair' is the second time Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron have played love interests on screen.

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Nicole Kidman has opened up about playing Zac Efron's love interest in A Family Affair and their age difference in the movie.

In Netflix's new movie A Family Affair, Zara (Joey King) works as the assistant to a self-absorbed celebrity named Chris Cole (Zac Efron). Zara's life turns completely upside down when she discovers that her mother Brooke (Kidman) is having a secret romance with Chris. The rom-com explores how Chris being closer in age to Zara than Brooke effects them all.

Now, Nicole and Zac have discussed what it was like acting together and why we "need" to see stories like this on screen.

Read more: Anne Hathaway Defends Age Gap Between Solène And Hayes In The Idea of You

How old are Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron?

Watch the A Family Affair trailer

Talking about the double standards in cinema, Nicole told People: "We’ve had it from way back with older men and younger women, that’s just always been the norm — it’s okay, it’s completely acceptable." She then added: "The problem is we’ve not had the equivalent from all different viewpoints, with women telling the stories."

Praising Zac for being open to playing her love interest, Nicole continued to state: “And we need game men. [Zac] came in and makes the film because he was like, 'I’m here to have fun, to play, and to very much be a part of this and be there for you,' for both Joey and I."

For context, Nicole Kidman is currently 57, Zac Efron is 36 and Joey King is 24. This means there are 21 years between Nicole and Zac, and 12 years between Zac and Joey.

Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron In The Paperboy in 2012. Picture: Alamy

As for their sex scenes, Nicole said: "It's really helpful when you're doing this sort of work together that you've already got a history together, because it's easy. You're not working to create a history. So I'm not like, ‘Can I touch you?’ I feel incredibly trusting of Zac." Zac agreed by saying: "We both feel safe, and we take care of each other."

This isn't the first time that Zac and Nicole have played love interests. In the 2012 film The Paperboy, Zac and Nicole play two characters who end up romantically involved. Zac was just 24 at the time while Nicole was 45. Speaking about Nicole with People, Zac said: "I’m still so enamored with Nicole."

He ended by saying: "There’s a part of me that pinches myself when I realise 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."