Nicole Kidman takes subtle dig at legendary director

The Aussie actor has raised a few eyebrows with her remarks about Hollywood filmmaker Martin Scorsese.

Nicole Kidman has seemingly shaded Martin Scorsese for having male protagonists in most of his films.

The Oscar-winning actor, 57, went viral earlier this year for listing every director she has ever worked with while accepting the American Film Institute’s prestigious Life Achievement Award.

When asked by Vanity Fair magazine if there are any notable names she still has her eye on, the Moulin Rouge star admitted she would love to work with the 81-year-old — if he ever writes a role for her.

“I’ve always said I want to work with Scorsese, if he does a film with women,” she told the outlet.

Along with the Departed director, Kidman also named Kathryn Bigelow, Spike Jonze, Paul Thomas Anderson and Michael Haneke as directors on her wish list, reports The New York Post’s Page Six.

While Kidman didn’t elaborate on the subtle dig, Scorsese has been criticised in the past for his male-heavy films — such as The Godfather, The Irishman, Goodfellas, The Wolf of Wall Street and many more.

Kidman hinted at Scorsese’s history of making predominantly male-led films. Picture: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix

In 2011, Meryl Streep shared similar sentiments about Scorsese during an interview with website The Talks.

“I would like Martin Scorsese to be interested in a female character once in a while, but I don’t know if I’ll live that long,” she bluntly told the outlet.

Over a decade later and Streep, 75, has yet to collaborate with Scorsese. She has, however, worked alongside Kidman.

The legendary director has defended his directorial choices in the past, insisting that he tries to accurately portray masculinity in a way that speaks to everyone.

“The films I’m dealing with have often been about men’s worlds, where the women seem to be adjuncts,” he told Entertainment Weekly in the ’90s.

“I think the women in Goodfellas and Raging Bull are very strong. But they’re not in the ring,” he continued.

“In general, I have to be true to the society in which a story operates. I don’t think it’s right to overbalance it just for the sake of trying to be politically correct.”

During his decades-long career, the legendary director has only worked on flicks with a female protagonist a few times — the first being nearly 50 years ago.

Martin Scorsese (centre) with Robert DeNiro (left) and Al Pacino. Picture: Lia Toby/Getty Images

Ellen Burstyn starred in his 1974 drama Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, which won her an Oscar nomination.

Scorsese’s last project, Killers of the Flower Moon, also featured a strong female lead in Lily Gladstone, who was nominated for the Oscar for Best Actress. Gladstone starred opposite Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro in the movie, which was based on a book by David Grann.

Cathy Moriarty, Winona Ryder, Jodie Foster and Sharon Stone all also earned Oscar nominations for their roles in Scorsese films.

This article originally appeared in Page Six and was reproduced with permission.

Originally published as Nicole Kidman takes subtle dig at legendary director