Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron’s steamy Netflix movie, A Family Affair, has failed to resonate with critics – and New Idea hears the actress’ husband Keith Urban is “secretly thrilled” about it.
The age-gap rom-com sees Nicole, 57, and Zac, 36, reuniting following their 2012 movie, The Paperboy. Zac plays a Hollywood action star having an illicit romance with his assistant’s widowed mother (Nicole).
Keith Urban is reportedly relieved that the film’s poor critical reception hopefully means that Nicole and Zac won’t be doing a third collaboration any time soon.
“He absolutely trusts Nicole, but it unnerved him seeing her get so cosy with Zac on-screen a second time around,” the insider says of the country music singer.
“Nicole is a businesswoman and that’s two movies with Zac that have yet to set the world alight,” the Hollywood insider continues.
“She likely won’t be doing a third, which, deep down, has made Keith happy to no end – something he’s having to keep to himself of course!”
This comes two weeks after Urban was said to be furious that his absence at Nicole’s premiere afforded Zac Efron the chance to get cosy with the Aussie A-lister.
With commitments sadly keeping Keith away, Nicole was left to walk the red carpet with her co-stars Zac and Joey King. Later, at the afterparty, Nicole and Zac were seen deep in conversation. As Nicole rested her head on his shoulder, Zac seemed thrilled to be filling the void left by Keith!
“No doubt Keith didn’t like seeing another bloke putting his hands on his wife, even if it is in a movie or at a press event. What man would?” said a Hollywood source. “Even though everyone knows Nicole and Zac are just friends, it’s reportedly rattled Keith’s cage that Zac only did this movie because of Nic.”
Indeed, while doing press for A Family Affair, Nicole and Zac revealed they signed on to the rom-com because they wanted to work with one another again, following their first collaboration.
“We were easy with each other,” Nicole told Access Hollywood. “When we chose to do it, it was kind of like a mutual [decision].”
Zac added he was “excited” about their reunion from the get-go. He told ExtraTV that Nicole first texted him about the film, then called.
“[She said] ‘Do you want to do this because if you do it, I’ll do it.’ I was like, ‘Yeah! I do want to do it,’” he shared,
Like The Paperboy, A Family Affair sees Zac and Nicole engaging in some steamy sex scenes as their characters embark on an illicit romance. Zac says filming them felt “very easy” given their history.
“It would have upset Keith when Zac boasted about being ‘too’ comfortable with Nicole,” claims our insider. “That’s likely a huge red flag for Keith because it’s true.
“When they’re in the same room, they seem to have no boundaries when it comes to personal space because of the intimate work they’ve done. It would unnerve Keith to no end.”
Keith, of course, understands that this is just his wife’s nature. Nicole has admitted to being a very tactile person, and sometimes she overdoes it, like when she kissed her Big Little Lies co-star Alexander Skarsgård on the lips in front of Keith at the 2017 Emmy Awards.
Our source says Keith’s concerns could lie with Zac, especially as he has admitted to having a “huge crush” on Nic.
At Nicole’s recent AFI Life Achievement Award ceremony, Zac took to the stage and confessed as much.
He then turned to address Keith and told him “don’t get mad … we all do. I don’t know what to tell you man. You won.”
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