Zac Efron and Nicole Kidman have reunited for the romantic comedy A Family Affair. It’s been 12 years since they first collaborated in The Paperboy, reported People. Zac Efron was in a different headspace when he was wooing Nicole Kidman on screen over a decade ago. In 2012, the two featured in The Paperboy, in which Efron’s wide-eyed character falls for an older lady (Kidman) who is romantically involved with a convicted killer. “We had so much fun doing that, but it was crazy,” said Efron.
The two reunited in a more lighthearted fashion in Netflix’s romantic comedy, A Family Affair. This time, Efron, 36, portrays a narcissistic, relationship-challenged Hollywood star who pursues the mother (Kidman, 57) of his assistant (Joey King, 24).
One thing has remained the same, though, no matter what’s on the page. “I’m still so enamoured with Nicole,” said Efron. “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. 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,” said Kidman. “You’re not working to create a history. So I’m not like, ‘Can I touch you?’ I feel incredibly trusting of Zac.” Efron added, “We both feel safe, and we take care of each other.”
Kidman called the script, written by Carrie Solomon, a breath of fresh air in the rom-com space. “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,” shared Kidman, adding, “The problem is we’ve not had the equivalent from all different viewpoints, with women telling the stories.”
She continued, “And we need game men. [Efron] came in and made 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.”
On set, Efron was working extra time, cramming in tough exercises as he prepared to shoot the wrestling sports thriller The Iron Claw. “A lot of the stuff that I was doing in preparation kind of worked its way in A Family Affair,” said Efron, adding, “Like the ice bath was just in front of my trailer. I was constantly doing it because I was so sore.”
A Family Affair is streaming on Netflix, reported People.
