Understanding the Age Difference: Nicole Kidman’s Age Gap with Harris Dickinson in Babygirl

The age gap between Babygirl‘s two main characters is striking, both in the narrative and in reality. Directed and penned by Halina Reijn, known for her work on Bodies Bodies Bodies, this A24 film has garnered impressive accolades, achieving a Certified Fresh rating of 77% on Rotten Tomatoes. As we approach the 2024-2025 awards season, Babygirl has secured a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama, and has been named one of the top 10 films of the year by the National Board of Review.

The film’s cast features distinguished actors, including Antonio Banderas, an Oscar nominee for his role in Pain and Glory, and Sophie Wilde, who gained recognition from the A24 horror hit Talk to Me. However, at the heart of the narrative are Nicole Kidman as CEO Romy Mathis and Harris Dickinson as her intern Samuel. Their complex relationship allows both to explore their identities and desires, even as it jeopardizes Romy’s professional and personal life.

Nicole Kidman’s Significant Age Difference with Harris Dickinson

Coincidentally Close Birthdays, Decades Apart

Watch the Trailer

Upon the film’s release on December 25, 2024, Nicole Kidman was 57 years old, having been born in Honolulu, Hawaii on June 20, 1967. In contrast, Harris Dickinson was born in London on June 24, 1996, making him 28 at the film’s premiere. The filming period, from December 2022 to February 2023, saw Kidman at 56 and Dickinson at 27. Their birth dates being so close results in a near 29-year age gap in real life.

This age difference is echoed in the film’s character ages, which the official screenplay reveals in its directions. Romy is introduced as being 49 years old, which aligns with her being a mother to a teenager and having been married to Jacob for 19 years, a detail emphasized in the dialogue. Jacob’s age is noted as 58, making him nine years older than Romy.

Furthermore, Samuel’s age is specified as 25. Though the legal age to bartend is 18 in New York, Samuel’s age complements his narrative role as he often frequents venues with Romy, where the minimum age is typically 21. The screened ages highlight a 24-year gap between Romy and Samuel, just a few years short of the actual age difference between Kidman and Dickinson.

The Significance of the Age Gap in Babygirl

Exploring Power Dynamics Through Age

Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson in Babygirl

While the age difference might raise eyebrows, Halina Reijn articulated her vision for the film in an interview with W Magazine. She emphasized that relationships between older men and younger women have become the norm and urged a reevaluation of societal perceptions, stating, “We need to free ourselves” from ingrained patriarchal notions.

If we see a movie where the male actor is the same age as the female actor, we find that odd. Which is insane. It should completely be normalized that the age gaps switch and that women have different relationships. We’re not trapped in a box anymore. We internalize the male gaze, we internalize patriarchy, and we need to free ourselves from it. It’s really hard.

Babygirl utilizes the age differences to delve deeper into the intricate power dynamics within the story. Despite Romy’s position of authority over Samuel in a professional context, she finds herself emotionally vulnerable with him, a contrast to her marriage. This complexity surrounding their age difference amplifies the intricacies of their relationship.

Nicole Kidman’s Age Gap Trend in Film

Familiar Territory for Kidman

Nicole Kidman drinking a glass of milk in Babygirl

The theme of significant age gaps is not new for Nicole Kidman. Prior to Babygirl, she starred in another age-gap film in 2024, A Family Affair, which premiered on June 28. In this Netflix production, she played a mother caught in a romantic entanglement with her daughter’s celebrity boss, portrayed by Zac Efron. Efron, born on October 18, 1987, is 20 years younger than Kidman’s character.

This isn’t Kidman’s first relationship with an age gap on screen. In 2012’s The Paperboy, she shared a romantic storyline with Zac Efron when she was 45 and he was just 24. Similarly, her role in To Die For featured her seducing a teenager, portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, who was 20 at the time of release, while Kidman was 28. Thus, adopting an age gap narrative in Babygirl feels quite familiar for her.

Sources: A24 & W Magazine

Source & Images