Nicole Kidman got so into character during the filming of "Nine Perfect Strangers," she refused to answer to her own name.
The Oscar winner, 54, stayed completely in character as Masha, a wellness resort director, for the entire five months she shot the upcoming Hulu limited drama series, she revealed during a recent Television Critics Association panel, reports Deadline.
"I’d only respond as Masha," explained Kidman. "I wanted a very calm healing energy to emanate all the time so I remember going over to people and sort of putting my hand on their heart, holding their hand, they would talk to me or use my name, Nicole, when I would completely ignore them."
"The only way I could actually relate to people was that way because I felt like otherwise I would be doing a performance and I didn’t want to feel that way," added the actor.
Kidman joked that she went "bats--- crazy" while filming the series, which is based on a novel by Liane Moriarty — the same author who penned the bestseller that inspired the HBO series "Big Little Lies," which also starred Kidman.
The series, which Kidman described as "trippy," tells the story of nine stressed-out city dwellers who meet at a wellness resort. Masha is tasked with looking after them all during a 10-day retreat.
"When people say define what it is, we still can’t. I mean I dare you to ask any of us what genre this is, we have no idea," Kidman said of the show.
"Nine Perfect Strangers" also stars Melissa McCarthy, Michael Shannon, Luke Evans, Bobby Cannavale and Regina Hall.
Of course, playing Masha isn't the only acting challenge that's come Kidman's way this year.
The actor revealed in June that playing Hollywood icon Lucille Ball in the upcoming biopic "Being the Ricardos" also kept her on her toes.
“I am way out of my comfort zone right now, Chris. I’m free-falling,” she told comedian Chris Rock when the pair spoke as part of the "Variety Studio: Actors on Actors" series.
Portraying the legendary funny lady forced Kidman to change her speaking style. It also gave her the chance to stretch her comedy muscles.
“I’d like to be funny. I’m never cast funny,” she said.
“Oh, you could be funny,” Rock replied. “You’re playing Lucille Ball. You better be funny."