Nicole Kidman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nicole Kidman AC
Kidman in 2024
Born	Nicole Mary Kidman (1967-06-20) 20 June 1967 (age 58) Honolulu, Hawaii, US
Other names	Nicole Urban
Citizenship	Australia US
Occupation	Actress producer
Years active	1983–present
Organisation	Blossom Films
Works	Performances discography
Spouse(s)	Tom Cruise ​ ​ (m. 1990; div. 2001)​ Keith Urban ​ (m. 2006)​
Children	4
Parent(s)	Antony Kidman (father)
Relatives	Antonia Kidman (sister)
Awards	Full list

Nicole Mary Kidman (born June 20, 1967) is a famous Australian and American actress and producer. She is known for her work in many different types of movies and TV shows. For many years, she has been one of the highest-paid actresses in the world. She has won many major awards, including an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and six Golden Globe Awards.

Kidman started her acting career in Australia in 1983 with the movies Bush Christmas and BMX Bandits. She became well-known for her roles in the thriller movie Dead Calm and the TV series Bangkok Hilton in 1989. She became an international star after appearing in Days of Thunder (1990). She then had leading roles in movies like Far and Away (1992), To Die For (1995), and Batman Forever (1995).

She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the musical Moulin Rouge! (2001). The next year, she won the award for playing the author Virginia Woolf in The Hours (2002). She also starred in successful movies like The Others (2001), Australia (2008), and Paddington (2014).

Kidman also found success in television. She produced and starred in the HBO series Big Little Lies (2017–2019), winning two Emmy Awards for her work. She has also starred in many other popular shows, including The Undoing (2020) and Nine Perfect Strangers (2021–present).

Besides acting, Kidman helps people around the world. She has been a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF since 1994 and for UNWomen since 2006. In 2006, she received the Companion of the Order of Australia, one of Australia's highest honors. In 2024, she became the first Australian actor to receive the AFI Life Achievement Award.

Early life

Nicole Mary Kidman was born on June 20, 1967, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her Australian parents were in the United States on student visas at the time. Her mother, Janelle, was a nursing instructor, and her father, Antony, was a scientist and author. She has a younger sister, Antonia, who is a journalist. Because she was born in the U.S. to Australian parents, Kidman has dual citizenship for both countries.

When Kidman was three, her family moved back to Australia. She grew up in Sydney and started taking ballet lessons at a young age. She discovered her love for acting in primary and high school. She said she was inspired to become an actress after watching Margaret Hamilton play the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz.

As a child, Kidman was very shy and even had a stutter. She found that acting helped her overcome her shyness. She attended the Phillip Street Theatre, where she studied drama. Because she has fair skin and red hair, she often rehearsed indoors to stay out of the sun. She was encouraged to pursue acting full-time and decided to leave high school to focus on her career.

Career

Early work and breakthrough (1983–1994)

In 1983, when she was 16, Kidman made her movie debut in Bush Christmas. She also had a role in the TV series Five Mile Creek. She gained more attention in Australia with movies like the action-comedy BMX Bandits (1983).

Her big break came in 1989 with the thriller Dead Calm. In the movie, she played a woman whose boat trip is interrupted by a mysterious stranger. The film was a success and helped her become known outside of Australia. Critic Roger Ebert praised her performance.

Soon after, she starred with Tom Cruise in the action movie Days of Thunder (1990). This was her first major Hollywood film and it became one of the highest-grossing movies of the year. In 1992, she and Cruise starred together again in the movie Far and Away.

Worldwide recognition (1995–2003)

Kidman at the premiere of Moulin Rouge! at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival

In 1995, Kidman played Dr. Chase Meridian in the superhero movie Batman Forever. That same year, she starred in the dark comedy To Die For, where she played a woman who wants to become a famous TV newscaster. Her performance was highly praised, and she won a Golden Globe Award.

In 1999, she and Tom Cruise starred in their final film together, Eyes Wide Shut. After a break, Kidman returned to the screen in 2001 with two major roles. She played a cabaret dancer named Satine in the musical Moulin Rouge!. Her acting and singing were praised, and she earned her first Academy Award nomination.

That same year, she starred in the horror film The Others. She played a mother who believes her house is haunted. The movie was a huge box office hit, and her performance earned her more award nominations.

Kidman at the premiere of Dogville at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival

The next year, Kidman played the famous writer Virginia Woolf in the movie The Hours. To look like the author, she wore a special prosthetic nose that made her almost unrecognizable. For this role, she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. She was the first Australian actress to win this award. In her acceptance speech, she talked about how important art is, especially during difficult times in the world.

In 2003, Kidman starred in three very different movies. One was Dogville, an experimental film set on a simple stage. She also appeared in the war drama Cold Mountain, where she played a woman waiting for her love to return from the American Civil War.

Established actress (2004–2016)

Kidman in 2006

In 2004, Kidman starred in the drama Birth and the comedy The Stepford Wives. During this time, she also became the face of the Chanel No. 5 perfume brand. The commercials she made for Chanel were very popular.

In 2006, she voiced a character in the animated movie Happy Feet, which was a huge box office success. The following year, she played the villain Mrs. Coulter in the fantasy movie The Golden Compass.

In 2008, she reunited with Moulin Rouge! director Baz Luhrmann for the movie Australia. She starred opposite Hugh Jackman as an English woman who travels to the Australian outback. In 2010, she produced and starred in Rabbit Hole, playing a mother dealing with the loss of her son. Her performance earned her another Academy Award nomination.

Kidman at the 2012 Tropfest in Sydney, Australia

In 2012, she starred in the HBO movie Hemingway & Gellhorn, which earned her an Emmy nomination. She also appeared in The Paperboy, which earned her Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.

In 2014, Kidman played the actress and princess Grace Kelly in Grace of Monaco. She also played the villain in the family-friendly movie Paddington. In 2016, she starred in Lion as the adoptive mother of an Indian boy searching for his birth family. The role was special to her because she is also a mother of adopted children. Her performance earned her another Academy Award nomination, this time for Best Supporting Actress.

Success in television (2017–present)

Kidman in 2017

In 2017, Kidman returned to television in a big way with the HBO series Big Little Lies. She co-produced the show with her co-star Reese Witherspoon. Kidman played Celeste, a woman in a difficult marriage. Her performance was called one of the best of her career, and she won two Emmy Awards for her work on the show.

That same year, she starred in three movies that were shown at the prestigious 2017 Cannes Film Festival: The Beguiled, How to Talk to Girls at Parties, and The Killing of a Sacred Deer.

In 2018, Kidman played Queen Atlanna, the mother of the title character, in the superhero movie Aquaman. The film was a massive success, earning over $1.1 billion worldwide and becoming her highest-grossing film.

Kidman with the cast of Aquaman (2018)

In 2020, she starred in and produced another hit HBO series, The Undoing. In 2021, she played the famous comedian Lucille Ball in the movie Being the Ricardos. Her performance was highly praised, and she won a Golden Globe Award and received her fifth Academy Award nomination.

Kidman has continued to star in and produce popular shows like Nine Perfect Strangers and Special Ops: Lioness. In 2024, she starred in the Netflix series The Perfect Couple and the movie Babygirl, for which she won the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival.

Working with female filmmakers

In 2017, Kidman promised to work with a female director at least once every 18 months. She did this to help create more opportunities for women in the film industry. This has led her to work on many projects directed by women.

Some people have noted that she often plays wealthy and stylish women in these roles. However, Kidman brings something new to each character, showing their hidden feelings and struggles. Her work has helped many female filmmakers get their start and has created more jobs for women in Hollywood. As of 2024, she had worked with 15 female directors in just seven years.

Directors who have worked with her praise her talent and support. Lulu Wang, who directed Expats, said, "Nicole, being able to support me, created this entire network and world of filmmakers, women, people of color who’ve never had the opportunity to be in this space."

Personal life

Relationships and family

Kidman met actor Tom Cruise on the set of their movie Days of Thunder in 1989. They married in 1990 and adopted two children together, a daughter named Isabella and a son named Connor. The couple announced their separation in 2001 and divorced later that year.

Kidman and her husband Keith Urban in 2011

In 2005, Kidman met Australian country singer Keith Urban. They married in Sydney, Australia, in 2006. Kidman has said that they got to know each other better during their marriage and that she helped him through some difficult times.

The couple has two daughters. Their first, Sunday Rose, was born in 2008. Their second daughter, Faith Margaret, was born in 2010 through a gestational carrier. The family has homes in the United States and Australia.

Beliefs and charity work

Kidman was raised in a Catholic family and continues to practice her faith. She is also a strong supporter of women's rights. In 2009, she spoke to the U.S. government to support a law aimed at stopping violence against women. She has also shown her support for same-sex marriage in Australia.

Kidman (right) attending the 'International Center to End Violence' with Nancy Pelosi (left) and Esta Soler (center) in 2010

Kidman is known for her charity work, especially for children. In 1994, she became a Goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. After her mother survived breast cancer, Kidman helped design T-shirts to raise money for cancer research. In 2006, she also became a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), where she works to end violence against women.

Acting credits and accolades

Kidman at the 83rd Academy Awards in 2011

Some of Nicole Kidman's most popular and critically acclaimed films include:

Kidman has been recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences with five nominations, including one win:

• 74th Academy Awards: Best Actress, nomination, for Moulin Rouge! (2001)
• 75th Academy Awards: Best Actress, win, for The Hours (2002)
• 83rd Academy Awards: Best Actress, nomination, for Rabbit Hole (2010)
• 89th Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actress, nomination, for Lion (2016)
• 94th Academy Awards: Best Actress, nomination, for Being the Ricardos (2021)

In 2003, Kidman received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She has also won many other awards, including a BAFTA Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and six Golden Globe Awards. In 2024, she received the AFI Life Achievement Award, a very high honor in the film industry.

See also

In Spanish: Nicole Kidman para niños

• List of Australian Academy Award winners and nominees
• List of actors with Academy Award nominations
• List of actors with three or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories