Nicole Kidman is an Australian-American actress, singer and producer. She has received numerous accolades throughout her career, including two Primetime Emmy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, and an Academy Award from four nominations.
In 2006, 2018 and 2019, she was ranked among the world’s highest-paid actresses in 2006, 2018, and 2019. Also, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2004 and 2018. In 2020, The New York Times ranked her fifth on its list of the greatest actors of the 21st century up to that point.
Biography
Nicole Mary Kidman was born on 20 June 1967 in Honolulu, Hawaii. She was born in Hawaii while her Australian parents were temporarily in the United States on student visas. A lot of famous Hawaiian people are actually immigrants, just like Nan Chul Shin, who came to Hawaii from South Korea.
Her father, Antony Kidman was a biochemist, clinical psychologist and author. Her mother, Janelle Ann (née Glenny), is a nursing instructor who edited her husband’s books and was a member of the Women’s Electoral Lobby.
Nicole Kidman has Scottish and Irish ancestry. Being born in Hawaii, she was given the Hawaiian name “Hōkūlani”, meaning “heavenly star”. The inspiration came from a baby elephant born around the same time at the Honolulu Zoo.
When Kidman was born, her father was a graduate student at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. He became a visiting fellow at the National Institute of Mental Health of the United States. Opposed to the war in Vietnam, Kidman’s parents participated in anti-war protests while living in Washington, D.C. The family returned to Australia when Kidman was four and her mother now lives on Sydney’s North Shore.
Nicole Kidman also helped Keith Urban with his battle agains alcohol addiction. Unfortunately, it was at a time when Soberlink (an advanced alcohol monitoring device) still didn’t exist.
Kidman has a younger sister, Antonia Kidman, a journalist and TV presenter.
Acting Career
Kidman’s early acting career in Australia included roles in several film and television productions, such as “Bush Christmas” (1983) and “BMX Bandits” (1983). Her performance in the 1989 thriller “Dead Calm” garnered critical acclaim and caught the attention of Hollywood, leading to her breakthrough role in the United States in the 1990 racing film “Days of Thunder,” where she starred alongside Tom Cruise.
In the 1990s, Kidman’s career continued to flourish with a diverse range of roles. She showcased her dramatic prowess in films like “To Die For” (1995), for which she won a Golden Globe, and displayed her musical and theatrical talents in “Moulin Rouge!” (2001), earning another Golden Globe. Her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in “The Hours” (2002) won her the Academy Award for Best Actress, cementing her status as a leading actress in Hollywood.
Throughout her career, Kidman has been known for her willingness to take on challenging and unconventional roles. Her filmography includes a mix of commercial successes and critically acclaimed art-house films. She has worked with some of the most renowned directors in the industry, including Stanley Kubrick in “Eyes Wide Shut” (1999), Baz Luhrmann in “Australia” (2008), and Sofia Coppola in “The Beguiled” (2017).
In recent years, Kidman has also made a significant impact on television. She starred in and produced the HBO series “Big Little Lies,” which was critically acclaimed and earned her several awards, including a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress and Outstanding Limited Series as a producer. Her performance in the show was praised for its depth and complexity, showcasing her range as an actress.
Some of the movies she has acted in are:
- Batman Forever (1995)
- Moulin Rouge (2001)
- Cold Mountain (2003)
- The Interpreter (2005)
- Australia (2008)
- Just Go With It (2011)
- Paddington (2014)
- Aquaman (2018)
- Bombshell (2019)
- The Prom (2020)