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Nicole Kidman – Everything You Need To Know

Nicole Mary Kidman has risen to prominence as one of the industry’s most notable figures since first stepping into the spotlight. Initially, viewers were slow to accept her as a leading lady. However, her turning point came with the thriller Dead Calm (1989). Her versatility has always been her strength, allowing her to play with various genres, such as comedy, romance, thriller, and drama.

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A Quick Glance at Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman – The Shining Star

Nicole Kidman is one of Hollywood’s most famous actresses, with a long list of medals, honors, and achievements, including:

  • The Companion of the Order of Australia
  • The British Academy Film Award
  • An Academy Award
  • 6 Golden Globe trophies
  • 2 Primetime Emmy Awards
  • 1 BAFTA
  • 1 Screen Actors Guild Award 

Kidman, an actor by trade and philanthropist at heart, is a global icon who inspires people worldwide. Kidman grew a keen interest in acting and performing skills at a young age, and she trained professionally for it. She had given glimpses of success from her debut in the Australian film industry, and when she moved to Hollywood, it seemed like a much more attainable dream.

Image Source: glamour.com

Nicole Kidman’s American debut film was Days of Thunder. Over the years, Kidman has been a part of some of the best Hollywood movies. She has made a significant contribution to their popularity, including Batman Forever, To Die For, Moulin Rouge, The Others, The Hours, and so on. 

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkXQiGNZVvQ” watchon=”YouTube”]

Apart from acting, Nicole Kidman is also a producer who has demonstrated her talent in producing various movies and series, including being the co-producer of the TV series Big Little Lies and producing the film The Stepford Wives. Blossom Films is the name of the actress’s film production firm. She has also been named the World’s Most Beautiful Person by People Magazine, and in 2005, she was named the world’s second-highest-paid actress by the same publication. The multi-talented actress has had a successful career and continues to prove her worth in the profession.

Nicole Kidman Wins Best Actress in a Limited Series at the 2018 Golden Globes

Nicole Kidman is not just a talented performer, but she is also a friendly and benevolent person. She has always been actively interested in various causes, including the well-being of women and vulnerable children. She has also been named a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). 

Nicole Kidman: UNIFEM Goodwill Ambassador

Childhood and Adolescence

Nicole Kidman’s mother, Janelle Ann, was a nursing educator, while her father, David Kidman, was a scientist, clinical psychologist, and novelist. Antonio Kidman is her younger sister. Kidman’s parents were Australian citizens who were in the United States on an educational visa at her birth. As a result, young Kidman may claim dual citizenship in Australia and the United States.

Image source: The List

Kidman returned to Australia with her parents when she was four years old. Before enrolling at North Sydney Girls’ High School, she studied at Lane Cove Public School. Kidman was bitten by the acting beetle at a young age, evident throughout her elementary and middle school days. She even enrolled in ballet lessons. However, she had to discontinue her studies due to an unfortunate situation where her mother had breast cancer. To support her family financially, she started working as a massage therapist. 

Kidman later studied at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne and the Phillip Street Theater in Sydney. She continued her education by joining the Australian Theater for Young People.

Nicole Kidman studied acting, theater, and mime. Her innate ability for the same, combined with her beautiful looks, made her professional foray into the realm of showbiz a natural fit.

The Life Of Nicole Kidman

Personal History and Legacy

Marcus Graham, an Australian theater actor, was Nicole Kidman’s, first love. Though both of them had a real-time relationship, there was nothing formal among them to walk up to the aisle. Instead, she had an on-again, off-again affair with her Windrider co-star, Tom Burlinson, in the mid-1980s.

Image Source: HelloGiggles

However, while shooting on Days of Thunder sets, Kidman fell in love with co-star Tom Cruise. They married on Christmas Night in 1990 in Telluride, Colorado. They had adopted two children together, Isabella Jane, a daughter, and Connor Anthony, a son.

Nicole Kidman Remembers The First Time She Met Tom Cruise | PEN | People

After a decade of living together, the couple divorced, citing incompatible differences. After that, in 2003, Kidman dated artist Lenny Kravitz for a year. She even had a brief romance with Robbie Williams. Keith Urban, an Australian country musician, met her at G’Day LA, an event celebrating Australians, in 2005. On June 25, 2006, the two stepped up to the altar at Cardinal Cerretti Memorial Chapel in the gardens of St Patrick’s Estate in Manly, Sydney. 

The Starting Years

In 1983, Nicole Kidman made her cinematic debut adapting the Australian holiday period favorite ‘Bush Christmas.’ Following that, she appeared in other films, including BMX Bandits, Watch the Shadows Dance, and Windrider. Aside from cinema, Hollywood beauty has appeared in several television shows, including Five Mile Creek, A Country Practice, and the miniseries Vietnam.

Image Source: Blue ray.com

Emerald City debuted in 1988; Kidman played a supporting role in the film with style. She accomplished an excellent job in her role and was lauded by both the public and critics.

EmeraldCity 1988 NicoleKidman

The 1989 release of ‘Dead Calm’ represented a watershed event in Kidman’s career. Her performance as Rae Ingram earned rave reviews and pushed her to international fame and recognition. Since then, there has been no turning back for this terrific and talented performer who has given back-to-back blockbusters. ‘Days of Thunder’ was Kidman’s big break in Hollywood. Her début in the American film business was recognized by this film, one of the year’s top films.

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Calm-Nicole-Kidman/dp/B000I3QU9O” watchon=”Amazon”]

The Australian charmer Nicole Kidman was experiencing well-deserved professional success. Yet, despite her pride in her accomplishment, she maintained her focus and paid close attention to her career graph, which was steadily rising. She gave outstanding performances in films such as ‘Flirting,’ ‘Billy Bathgate,’ ‘Far and Away,‘ and ‘My Life.’

Years of Fame and Success

Nicole Kidman had an incredible year in 1995. She was cast as the lead in the films ‘Batman Forever’ and ‘To Die For.’ While the former was the most successful live-action film of 2011, the latter garnered her the first Golden Globe nomination. However, while her movies were doing well at the box office and earning widespread popular and critical praise, Kidman did not abandon her love of theater and was seen in David Hare’s play, ‘The Blue Room,’ which premiered in London.

Batman Forever – Trailer

Following that, she co-starred in the film ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ with Tom Cruise. Though the picture received excellent reviews upon its initial release, it was eventually the subject of censorship concerns due to the vivid nature of the adult scenes.

Stardom Kidman’s next big-screen role was in the British-American film Birthday Girl, where she portrayed a mail-order bride. However, her flexibility was put to the test in 2001, when two of her movies, which got opposed, were released. While Moulin Rouge was a musical in which she portrayed a nightclub actress and courtesan, ‘The Others,’ a Spanish horror thriller, cast Kidman as a Catholic mom of two. Surprisingly, Kidman was excellent in both films and received great feedback.

Birthday Girl (2001) Official Trailer #1 – Nicole Kidman Movie

Kidman then starred in Stephen Daldry’s film The Hours. She played a writer who suffers from depression and mental illness crises in the film. She played the part with such conviction and brilliance that she received an Oscar, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and other critics’ accolades.

The Hours | Official Trailer (HD) – Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore | MIRAMAX

The Fall and the Resurrection

Kidman’s career’s increasingly prosperous tale ended in the year 2004. Her movies, ‘Birth,’ ‘The Stepford Wives,’ ‘The Interpreter,’ and ‘Bewitched’ all failed at the box office, putting Kidman’s career to a halt. In 2006, Kidman co-starred in the film ‘Fur’ with Robert Downey Jr. Though the picture did not perform well in ticket sales, the actors received favorable reviews. In addition, Kidman was a voiceover artist in the film Happy Feet, released the same year.

Image Source: FanPop

The following two films in which Kidman starred did not do anything to resurrect her career. Though her performances in the 2007 film The Golden Compass and the 2008 film Australia received mixed reactions, her acting was noteworthy and received great praise and accolades. Finally, the film Nine, in which Nicole Kidman has a minor role, was released in 2009. Again, despite receiving mixed reviews, the film earned her two nominations.

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.primevideo.com/detail/The-Golden-Compass/0ND8E5FMXBXSHC6DYZODMD0LJL” watchon=”PrimeVideo”]

Australia Trailer HD

Since 2010, Kidman has starred in many films, namely ‘Rabbit Hole,’ ‘Trespass,’ ‘Hemingway & Gellhorn,’ ‘The Paperboy,’ and ‘Stoker.’

Appearance in Commercials

Aside from films, Nicole has been in numerous adverts. For example, she was the Chanel No. 5 cologne brand’s face. Kidman set the record for the most significant amount paid per minute to an artist with her three-minute performance on Chanel No. 5 at US$12 million. In addition, she was the face of the Nintendo ad campaign and an international Schweppes commercial.

Chanel No.5 commercial (starring Nicole Kidman) HQ

Major Projects

Nicole Kidman’s filmography took a significant leap in 1995, when two of her pictures, Batman Forever and To Die For, created tremors at the box office. The films not only performed exceedingly well at the theaters (Batman Forever grossed a whopping $336.53 million, the most ever by a live-action film as of 2011), but they also received worldwide popularity and critical praise. She was then nominated for her first Golden Globe for the movie To Die For.

Image Source: Screen Rant

Moulin Rouge and The Others, both released in 2001, smashed the theaters. While the former reported $179 million in revenue, the latter earned over $218 million. The films received multiple nominations for the top awards, culminating in Kidman’s second Golden Globe win.

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlGuRKbre6M” watchon=”YouTube”]

Moulin Rouge! (2001) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers

The Hours received widespread acclaim from both audiences and critics. The picture grossed $108 million worldwide and earned Kidman a slew of critical accolades, like her first Academy Awards.

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.hulu.com/movie/the-hours-490eeb36-ca51-48e9-af49-14c5f4873170″ watchon=”Hulu”]

The Hours (2002) Official Trailer # 1 – Nicole Kidman HD

Achievements & Awards

  • Nicole Kidman was given the Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) at the Australian Day Honors in 2006 for her efforts in the film industry and charitable endeavors.
  • In 2009, she participated in several postage stamps alongside other well-known Australian actors. Each actor made appearances, once as themselves and as the role for which they received the Academy Award.
  • She was nominated for three Academy Awards, winning one for the film ‘The Hours.’ She became the first Australian actress to receive the Academy Award for Best Actress.
  • Kidman received three Golden Globe nods for her performances in the films ‘To Die For,’ ‘Moulin Rouge,’ and ‘The Hours.’ She was nominated for three BAFTA awards, ultimately winning one for the film ‘The Hours.’
  • Kidman has been nominated for six AACTA awards, including one for her work in ‘Vietnam.’ This outstanding actress was shortlisted seven times for the Critics’ Choice Awards. She won the prize once before for her role in the film ‘To Die For.’

Nicole Kidman winning Best Actress

Exciting Facts About Nicole Kidman

Born in the Hawaiian Islands

Despite her Australian dialect, Kidman was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1967 to an Australian family: nursing instructor Janelle Ann Kidman and scientist and clinical psychologist Antony David Kidman. Kidman’s parents relocated the family to Washington D.C. shortly after her birth before returning to her parents’ birthplace of Australia, where she grew up.

Dropout from High School

Nicole Kidman has been interested in the arts since she was a child, beginning with ballet and school plays. The actress dropped out of high school to explore acting full-time, and she earned her first film part when she was 16 years old.

Goodwill Ambassador for UN Women

Kidman was named the United Nations Goodwill Ambassador in 2006. According to the UN Women website, “her efforts are geared toward raising awareness on the breach of women’s rights around the globe, with a special emphasis on putting a spotlight on violence against women, probably the most complex human rights violation that affects as many as one in every three women.”

“Working with UN Women, I have met women who had to overcome huge challenges, yet who went on to support others and organize to accomplish social change,” she told the organization. Kidman added, “These women represent resilience, strength, dignity, and hope.”

The First Australian Artist to Win an Oscar for Best Actress

Nicole Kidman is a five-time Oscar nominee, but she is also the first Australian (the actress has citizenship in the US and Australia) to win the Oscar for best actress. Kidman won the gold medal in 2003 for her portrayal as the leading woman in The Hours.

Videos

73 Questions With Nicole Kidman

Top 10 Nicole Kidman Movies

Nicole Kidman Movies

MoviesGenre
1. Nine Perfect Strangers (2021)Thriller, Mystery, Drama
2. Bombshell (2019)Drama
3. The Goldfinch (2019)Drama

4. The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)

Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller

5. Lion (2016)

Biography, Drama
6. Queen Of Desert (2015)Romance, Adventure Drama
7. Secret In Their Eyes (2015)Psychological Thriller, Drama
8. Strangerland (2015)Thriller, Drama, Mystery
9. Before I Go To Sleep (2014)Psychological Thriller, Drama, Mystery
10. Grace Of Monaco (2014)Romance, Drama
11.  Hemingway & Gellhorn (2012)Romance, Drama
12. Trespass (2011)Crime, Thriller
13. Australia (2008)Romance, History, War
14. God Grew Tired of Us: The Story of Lost Boys of Sudan (2006)Documentary

15. Cold Mountain (2003)

Adventure, Drama, History, War, Romance
16. Dogville (2003)Crime, Drama
17. The Human Stain (2003)Romance, Drama, Thriller
18. Moulin Rouge! (2001)Musical, Drama, Romance
19. The Others (2001)Mystery, Thriller, Horror
20. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)Drama, Thriller
21. The Peacemaker (1997)Action, Adventure
22. The Portrait Of A Lady (1996)Romance, Drama
23. Shine (1996)Biography, Drama, Music
24. To Die For (1995)Comedy, Crime, Drama
25. Malice (1993)Mystery, Thriller, Crime
26.  Billy Bathgate (1991)Action, Drama, Historic
27. Bangkok Hilton (1989)Action, Drama, Adventure
28. Dead Calm (1989)Horror, Thriller
29. Chase through the night (1983)Drama, Thriller
30. Skin Deep (1983)Drama, Family

Awards

Academy Awards(Oscars)

2003Best Actress The Hours (2002)

Golden Globe Awards

2018Best Performance Actress in a Limited Series Big Little Lies (2017)
2003Best Performance Actress in a Motion Picture The Hours (2002)
2002Best Performance Actress – Comedy or MusicalMoulin Rouge (2001)
1996Best Performance Actress – Comedy or MusicalTo Die For (1995)