Who’s A Death Doula? All About Nicole Kidman’s New Career Goal

Grief rarely announces what it will change. But for Nicole Kidman, it has quietly reshaped the way she views life, and more importantly, death.

In a candid, sold-out conversation at the University of San Francisco, held at the War Memorial Gym as part of the Silk Speaker Series, Kidman revealed an unexpected new life direction: she wants to train as a death doula. Seated alongside Vicky Nguyen, the Oscar-winning actor admitted that while the idea “sounds a little weird,” it comes from a deeply personal place.

The turning point was the loss of her mother, Janelle Anne Kidman, who passed away at 84 in September 2024, just as Kidman was preparing to attend the Venice Film Festival for the premiere of Babygirl. Telling about those final days, Kidman spoke about the complex reality of caregiving.

“As my mother was passing, she was lonely and there was only so much the family could provide. Between my sister and I, we have so many children and our careers and our work, and wanting to take care of her because my father wasn’t in the world anymore, and that’s when I went, I wish there was these people in the world that were there to sit impartially and just provide solace and care,” she shared adding,“So that’s part of my expansion and one of the things I will be learning.”

Who is a death doula?

A death doula, also known as an end-of-life doula, is a non-medical professional. They support individuals and families through the final stages of life.

Their work spans emotional reassurance, spiritual grounding, and practical guidance, helping people navigate death with dignity, clarity, and compassion.It remains unclear whether Kidman intends to practice formally or is simply seeking deeper understanding. But her interest reflects a broader cultural shift, one that is slowly bringing conversations about death out of the shadows.

Celebrities who are death doula

Nicole Kidman isn’t alone in choosing this intriguing training path. Other celebrities like Chinese filmmaker Chloé Zhao have also trained as a death doula, driven by a lifelong fear of mortality. “I have been terrified of death my whole life. I still am. And because I’ve been so afraid, I haven’t been able to live fully. And because I’m so scared of it, I have no choice but to start to develop a healthier relationship with it, or the second half of life would be too hard. It shouldn’t be this terrifying that I can’t even live,” she reportedly told New York Times. Last year, The Office actor Rainn Wilson, who played Dwight Schrute on the hit NBC sitcom, had shown interest in leaving Hollywood to become a death doula.

Now as Kidman continues her acting journey, with recent projects like Scarpetta and Margo’s Got Money Troubles, and the upcoming Practical Magic 2, it’s yet to be confirmed if becoming a death doula is her next career move or a life lesson.