Nicole Kidman and Liev Schreiber’s relationship has its shimmering facade shattered within minutes of The Perfect Couple, currently airing on Netflix.
But viewers have been left flabbergasted by another red flag in the onscreen romance, realising that Nicole is best friends with Liev’s real-life ex Naomi Watts.
Naomi, 55, and Liev, 56, were together for 11 years – from 2005 until they split in 2016, although they never married. They are parents to two children: Sasha, 17, and Kai, 15.
Eight years on from the split, and Naomi’s pal Nicole, 57, who she has been friends with for over 30 years, stars as Liev’s wife in The Perfect Couple, with the two engaging in a very racy sex scene.
Nicole Kidman and Liev Schreiber star in The Perfect Couple but viewers have been left flabberghasted after realising that Nicole is best friends with Liev’s real-life ex Naomi Watts
Naomi’s pal Nicole, 57, who she has been friends with for over 30 years, stars as Liev’s wife Greer Garrison Winbury, with the two engaging in a very racy sex scene
Fans soon clocked that it might have been an awkward vibe on set, thanks to Nicole and Naomi’s friendship.
‘Watching episode 1 of the perfect couple and suddenly remembered that liev schreiber, who plays nicole’s husband in the show was in a relationship with naomi watts, one of nicole’s closest friends. like whoaaaa,’ one commented on X.
‘I need more discourse on what the vibe was between Nicole & Liev on set – given that he is split from her bestie Naomi…’
‘Starting Perfect Couple and just wondering the dynamic between Liev Shrieber and Nicole Kidman since that’s is the bff of his ex wife (Naomi Watts),’ agreed another.
Others pointed out that Nicole actually reached out to her best friend to check she was OK with her taking on the role.
‘The fact that Nicole asked Naomi if it was ok to ask Liev Schreiber to be her husband in The Perfect Couple and she was like… of course! awee,’ gushed one fan.
It was Naomi who revealed that Nicole had checked in to ask her about the onscreen pairing with Liev.
‘We always check in, we’re besties,’ Naomi, 55, said to Entertainment Weekly during the Toronto International Film Festival.
Naomi and Liev were together for 11 years – from 2005 until they split in 2016, although they never married (pictured in 2016)
Fans soon clocked that it might have been an awkward vibe on set, thanks to Nicole and Naomi’s friendship
Others pointed out that Nicole actually reached out to her best friend to check she was OK with her taking on the role
Adding: ‘That was very kind of her to do that.’
Naomi revealed during the interview she hadn’t yet but plans on watching it.
‘I’m desperate to [watch] because everyone is raving about it. It just launched, what, two days ago,’ she said.
‘I’m very much looking forward to it. I have seen the trailer. It looks fantastic.’
After her split from Liev, Naomi went on to marry Billy Crudup in June 2023, after dating for six years.
Naomi and Billy, 56, met in 2017 on the set of their series Gypsy.
Liev married former pageant queen Taylor Neisen, 32, in July 2023, after dating for six years.
Liev and Taylor welcomed their first child together, daughter Hazel in August 2023.
The Perfect Couple has been a smash hit for Netflix. The cast also includes: Eve Hewson, Sam Nivola, Billy Howle, Dakota Fanning and Jack Reynor
The Perfect Couple director Susanne Bier has explained how Nicole and Liev’s sex scene was deliberately ‘uncomfortable’.
Speaking to Metro.co.uk, Susanne said the scene which shows Nicole’s character Greer repeatedly telling her husband Tag (Schreiber) not to touch her before she succumbs and they have sex, is meant to play as a tense, uncomfortable moment for the viewers.
‘It’s sort of a little bit of an uncomfortable sex scene in there. It doesn’t feel entirely mutual in a way,’ the director explained.
‘It was a way of describing the emotional thing that was going on between the two of them, as opposed to just describing the physical.
‘But also, it was very conscious. We understand exactly what’s going on, but we are still keeping certain things literally on the ropes,’
