A24’s latest film Babygirl has finally hit UK cinemas, with Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson leading the cast. Among the supporting actors is Esther-Rose McGregor, who portrays Nicole Kidman’s on-screen daughter Isabel.
Babygirl official trailer
A24’s sizzling new thriller has finally graced UK cinemas, featuring Nicole Kidman helming a stellar cast. Helmed by director Halina Reijn, noted for her 2022 darkly comedic hit Bodies Bodies Bodies, the film Babygirl saw its UK premiere on January 10.
It weaves the tale of a high-powered CEO (Kidman) who tumbles into an intense love affair with her considerably younger intern (Harris Dickinson). Kidman and Dickinson may dominate the screen time, but their fellow cast members also deliver compelling performances.
One such talent is Esther-Rose McGregor, who steps into the role of Nicole Kidman’s on-screen daughter Isabel. As audiences eagerly tune into this much-awaited drama, we uncover all you need to know about Esther-Rose, not forgetting her A-list celeb father.
Born into the spotlight on November 7, 2001, in London, Esther-Rose uprooted to Los Angeles at the tender age of 11, navigating through the challenges that came with a drastic relocation.
“It was a very drastic change; going to a new school and being alienated just because of the way that I spoke. I did everything I could to fit in, which is something I never really had to do in the past,” she revealed to British Vogue in 2023.
The now 23-year-old starlet was clear of her ambition to break into the industry from the get-go, as she mused over her journey during an interview with Present Space in 2024, reports the Daily Record.
Esther-Rose has always been passionate about acting, a dream she’s nurtured since childhood. “Acting is actually something that has been my main goal in life and my main love since I can’t even remember. I did a lot of theatre growing up. I was in a conservatory school. I did a lot of summer programmes in New York and London. I didn’t really want to go to school for acting, though. That was just kind of how I did it. I started auditioning when I was in about 11th grade,” she divulged.
While her heart belongs to the stage and screen, Esther also boasts talents as a certified tattoo artist, having opened a parlour in New York with a mate, and curates an Instagram showcase @mcgregortattoo, celebrating inked artistry.
Famous father
Esther-Rose McGregor, offspring of silver screen icon Ewan McGregor and art director Eva Mavrakis, embraces the “privilege” of her upbringing by her Emmy Award-laden father without reservation.
“Of course, my dad is an actor in the industry and I’ve been so privileged to have been able to grow up on sets and find my love for acting at such a young age – I don’t think I would have if I wasn’t around it,” she recounted to Variety in 2024.
Yet, she pays no mind to those who label her a ‘Nepo Baby,’ a term slung at celeb offspring carving similar paths as their famous parents.
“I don’t think I’d ever take being called a Nepo Baby negatively. If you want to, you can, but I won’t let it diminish the f****g hard work that I’ve put into this. If I wanted to sit on my a**, I would not be working right now,” she asserted.
Where you’ve seen Esther-Rose before
Although aficionados may well reckon they spotted her in the Disney+ saga Obi-Wan Kenobi alongside her dad, Esther-Rose has largely been weaving her narrative through the art of cinema.
Her latest stint was in the poignant Spanish flick The Room Next Door, where she rubbed shoulders with Tinseltown royalty Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton. Preceding this, she took on the role of an anonymous teen in the gritty 2023 odyssey Bleeding Love, featuring not only her dad but also her big sister Clara.
Not to be overlooked is Esther-Rose’s headlining gig in the 2022 teen rite-of-passage drama High School, which springs from the memories penned by musician siblings Tegan and Sara Quin.
Music career
Esther-Rose is carving out her path in the music industry alongside Leo Major. Their combo, dubbed French Thyme, dabbles in the realm of synth-driven tunes.
As the outfit’s frontwoman, she recently spilled the beans on the genesis of their moniker and its ties to her youth.
“My mother is French. I grew up with only French in the house. It was very important that we kept the language with us, and with that came listening to a lot of French music,” she let slip to Present Space.
She nodded to France again, crediting her mother’s cultured palate for fuelling her own artistic fire: “Some of my favourite movies are also from France, so I can thank my mom for that, because she’s got great taste in music and showed me some people that really inspired me.”
Babygirl is out in cinemas now
