Samara Weaving has reflected on her experience filming Nine Perfect Strangers in the wake of the final episode, which airs tomorrow on Amazon Prime Video.

Speaking in a Q&A session on Prime Video’s social media, Samara spoke about what it was like to work with certain high-profile actors, and how she prepared for her role as Jessica.

“I’m most proud of staying cool when Michael Shannon and Nicole Kidman were there, keeping it together, and getting through a scene because my character is insane, I’d have to do all these crazy things in front of them,” she divulged.

“I did some really intense scenes with Nicole, like crying in front of her and then like, ‘okay, well, now you’re friends’,” the former Home and Away actress admitted.

“It was so much fun, it was very surreal… I’ve had to pinch myself.”

The much-discussed method acting of Nicole Kidman during Nine Perfect Strangers meant that Samara met Nicole for the first time when their characters did. Nicole enters the room as Masha, the owner of Tranquillum House, where the main characters have come to stay, and are congregating while they wait for her. “I didn’t really have to act because my jaw hit the ground, and she floated,” Samara said of the filming experience. “It was really amazing – it was so good for the director to do that.”

As Jessica Chandler, Samara plays a social media influencer who suffers from body dysmorphia, a role that proved challenging for Samara. “I have a great drama coach, and we did a deep dive because it was hard to find a line to ground her and make her relatable,” the Australian actress reflected. “The biggest help was the hair and makeup team, who transformed me into this other human being, which helped bring her to life.”

“Jessica … uses plastic surgery as a coping mechanism, but that doesn’t get to the root of the issue,” Samara explained. “As the series progresses, we start peeling back those layers and realising why she acts the way she does, and looks the way she does, is because of working in an industry. “So much of it is external validation,” she said.

The series, which has been widely watched and discussed for its all-star cast, was actually shot locally in Byron Bay, when COVID-19 restrictions meant shooting could not take place in America. This meant the Australian actors on the show – Samara, Nicole, and Asher Keddie as well, were treated to time at home. “I didn’t think I’d be able to come back here and so it was amazing that I was given this opportunity. I could go to my parents who, if it weren’t for this, I probably wouldn’t have seen them for two years,” Samara admitted gratefully. Samara is currently based in the US, where she is garnering more attention for her acting, and more roles in Hollywood films, too.

As the series winds down, WHO has been treated to an exclusive clip from the final episode, Ever After.

“I think you’ll be satisfied with the ending, and it’s crazy, so it doesn’t disappoint,” Samara teased during the Q&A.