Jamie Lee Curtis Reveals She Has a Nasty Nickname for Nicole Kidman

Jamie Lee Curtis isn’t shy about sharing her thoughts on co-star Nicole Kidman. Speaking to Vogue about their upcoming Prime Video series Scarpetta, Curtis revealed she jokingly calls Kidman “HBIC,” which stands for head b*** in charge.

“You know in the military when people say: Attention! That’s how it feels,” Curtis explained. She described what she calls “the Nicole effect,” saying Kidman brings a level of seriousness, complexity, and intensity to any project she touches.

Curtis, who co-produced the series and holds the option on the Scarpetta novels, said she handed that opportunity to Kidman, marking a shift in an industry historically dominated by men.

“Clearly women are changing things,” she said. Curtis also pointed out Kidman’s influence in the film industry, noting her lead role in AMC cinema ads. “That’s not Brad Pitt or George Clooney or Tom Cruise or Ryan Gosling doing that. It’s Nicole f**** Kidman,” Curtis said.

Scarpetta, developed by Liz Sarnoff for Amazon Prime Video, is based on Patricia Cornwell’s popular crime novels.

The story follows Kay Scarpetta, a brilliant forensic pathologist who uses cutting-edge technology to solve complex crimes. Inspired by former Virginia Chief Medical Examiner Marcella Farinelli Fierro, Scarpetta travels across places like Florida, Virginia, and South Carolina while tackling criminal investigations.

Kidman stars as the adult Kay Scarpetta, with Rosy McEwen playing her younger version. Jamie Lee Curtis appears as Dorothy Scarpetta, Kay’s older sister, and Amanda Righetti plays young Dorothy.

Other cast members include Ariana DeBose as Lucy Farinelli-Watson, Bobby Cannavale as Pete Marino, Jake Cannavale as young Pete, Simon Baker as FBI profiler Benton Wesley, and Hunter Parrish as his younger self.

Curtis also reflected on how women in Hollywood are shifting the types of roles available. She contrasted Kidman’s career from earlier films like Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut, which she described as a Homeric odyssey of s** and oddity, to more recent projects like Babygirl, where Kidman plays a CEO exploring a complex s**** relationship. “One ends with the word f*** and the other one ends with the actual action,” Kidman joked, laughing at the contrast.

Scarpetta promises a mix of crime-solving, family drama, and suspense, highlighting the talents of both Kidman and Curtis as they bring Patricia Cornwell’s iconic characters to life on screen.

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