Nicole Kidman

Date of birth: 06.20.1967

Nicole Mary Kidman is an Australian and American actress, producer, one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood. She won the Oscar in 2003 for her role as Virginia Woolf in the film 'The Hours' (the first actress from Australia to receive this award in the Best Actress category).

The most famous films and TV series featuring Nicole Kidman include: 'Billy Bathgate' (1991), 'To Die For' (1995), 'Batman Forever' (1995), 'Moulin Rouge!' (2001), 'The Others' (2001), 'Cold Mountain' (2003), 'Birth' (2004), 'Rabbit Hole' (2010), 'The Paperboy' (2012), 'Hemingway & Gellhorn' (2012), 'Grace of Monaco' (2014), and 'Lion' (2016).

Place of birth. Education. She was born on June 20, 1967, in Honolulu, the administrative center of the US state of Hawaii. Her parents are of Scottish and Irish descent and were both born in Australia. For a time, Nicole's father worked as a cancer research specialist in Washington, USA. When the future actress was four years old, her family returned to Australia: her dad got a position at the University of Technology Sydney. She has a younger sister, Antonia Kidman (1970) - a journalist and TV presenter.

At the age of four, Nicole began taking ballet classes. Her passion for dancing led her to the Australian Theatre for Young People, and then to Philip Street Theatre, where the future actress also honed her vocal skills and studied theater history.

Film career. Nicole first appeared onscreen in the music video 'Bop Girl' by Pat Wilson in 1983 when the future star was 15. That same year, Nicole Kidman began working in television and film, with her first roles in the movies 'BMX Bandits' and 'Bush Christmas.'

In the 1980s, she starred in several Australian films and TV productions - among them, the most popular was the miniseries 'Bangkok Hilton' - the story of an Australian tourist sentenced to death in Thailand on false charges of drug possession. The young actress's performance impressed not only the viewers but also critics, and the miniseries was acquired for viewing in many countries. In 1989, she starred in the thriller 'Dead Calm,' which enjoyed great success worldwide.

After the success of 'Dead Calm,' Nicole Kidman was invited to Hollywood, where she got a role in the film 'Days of Thunder,' where she starred alongside her future husband, actor Tom Cruise. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman also appeared together in two other projects: the costume saga 'Far & Away' directed by Ron Howard (1992) and Stanley Kubrick's film 'Eyes Wide Shut' (1999). Shortly after completing work on the film, the couple separated. It is said that by the time of the Kubrick film, the actress's career was not going well. Even participation in the blockbuster 'Batman Forever' (in which she appeared alongside such stars as Jim Carrey, Tommy Lee Jones, Val Kilmer, Drew Barrymore, and Chris O'Donnell) did not make her a true Hollywood star. She was primarily remembered as Tom Cruise's wife. Critics took notice of Kidman in 1996 after she starred in Gus Van Sant's satirical tragicomedy 'To Die For' as the career-obsessed TV presenter Suzanne Stone-Maret, willing to do anything, even commit murder, for fame and public recognition. For this role, she was predicted a nomination for an Oscar, the actress was nominated for the top film awards in America, and she even won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy, but the Oscar committee preferred other candidates.

In the late 90s, Nicole Kidman appeared in several films that performed reasonably well at the global box office (notably the action film 'The Peacemaker' with George Clooney and the comedy-thriller 'Practical Magic' with Sandra Bullock). Her participation in the adaptation of Henry James' dark novel 'The Portrait of a Lady' was also well-received, though the film did not achieve notable success with viewers.

A true breakthrough took place in 2001 when the long-awaited film by Australian director Baz Luhrmann, 'Moulin Rouge,' was released. In this musical, which elegantly intertwines decadent kitsch with elements of ancient Greek tragedy, Kidman played a courtesan named Satine. The tragic love story unfolds in Luhrmann's film in the rhythm of the cancan against the backdrop of luxurious Parisian sets, accompanied by renditions of songs by Elton John, The Beatles, Madonna, Queen, and other popular artists. For this film, the actress was nominated for an Oscar.

The next important milestone in the actress's career was the role of Grace Stewart in the mystical thriller by Alejandro Amenábar 'The Others.' This role established her reputation as a movie star capable of drawing full theaters. With a budget of $17 million, the film grossed over $200 million worldwide and received favorable reviews from critics. Kidman's performance, in which she transformed into a Hitchcockian blonde a-la Grace Kelly, was also praised with the highest accolades, and she received a nomination for a Golden Globe for her role in 'The Others.'

In 2001, the actress received a challenging role as English writer Virginia Woolf in the film 'The Hours,' directed by Stephen Daldry, based on the eponymous novel by Michael Cunningham, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1999. The film (like Cunningham's book) depicts one day in the lives of three women scattered across time but connected through Woolf's psychological novel 'Mrs. Dalloway,' which influenced their fates. In addition to Kidman, the film features an all-star cast: Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep, Ed Harris, Toni Collette, and Claire Danes. This film became one of the most notable premieres of 2002, and Kidman received the Berlin Film Festival award, the BAFTA award, the Golden Globe, and finally, the Oscar for her role as Woolf.

In 2003, Kidman starred in the experimental film by one of the most famous and controversial European filmmakers, Danish Lars von Trier, 'Dogville.' The film generated significant resonance. That same year, the actress took on leading roles in the adaptation of Philip Roth's famous novel 'The Human Stain,' where she acted alongside Anthony Hopkins, and in the epic drama by Anthony Minghella 'Cold Mountain' (based on the novel of the same name by Charles Frazier), where she starred alongside Renée Zellweger and Jude Law. Of the three projects, only the latter film was relatively successful, grossing over $176 million worldwide and receiving seven Oscar nominations.

Additionally, for various reasons, Kidman turned down roles in 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' (the role went to Angelina Jolie) and 'The Aviator' (which was played by Cate Blanchett).

Of the next four films, two did not achieve significant success with audiences and critics. Kidman attempted to establish herself in the role of a comedic actress and participated in two big-budget comedies. The first was 'The Stepford Wives,' a remake of the 1974 film based on Ira Levin's novel. The second film, 'Bewitched,' a widescreen version of the popular American TV series, was not very successful financially. For this role, she received the Anti-award 'Golden Raspberry.' In 2005, the political thriller 'The Interpreter,' directed by Sidney Pollack, featuring Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn, was released.

In 2010, for her best actress role in the film 'Rabbit Hole,' Nicole Kidman was nominated for the Golden Globe and the Oscar. Nicole also served as a producer for this film.

In June 2010, TV Guide reported that Nicole would star alongside Clive Owen in a HBO television film about the romance between Ernest Hemingway and Martha Gellhorn. The working title of the film is 'Hemingway & Gellhorn'. The director was Philip Kaufman, and filming began in February 2011. The premiere took place in 2012, and for her role as Martha Gellhorn, she was once again nominated for the Golden Globe and the Emmy.

In 2012, the 65th Cannes Film Festival hosted the detective drama 'The Paperboy,' directed by Lee Daniels, where Nicole Kidman played the role of Charlotte Bless. Leading world film critics recognized this role as perhaps the best of the actress's career. For her complex transformation into the image of a fatal beauty, the actress received nominations for the Golden Globe and the US Screen Actors Guild Award.

In 2016, Kidman played Sue Brierley in the dramatic film 'Lion', based on the autobiography Sarah Brierley 'A Long Way Home,' for which she was again nominated for the Oscar.

In 2017, Kidman was honored with two Emmy awards for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Movie and as a producer, both awards she received for the series 'Big Little Lies'. Also, in 2017, the dramatic thriller 'The Beguiled' was released, in which Kidman starred alongside Colin Farrell, Elle Fanning, and Kirsten Dunst.

At the end of 2018, the superhero film 'Aquaman' premiered with Nicole Kidman in the role of Atlanna, the mother of Jason Momoa's character.

On March 14, 2019, the thriller 'The Last Face' was released, starring Nicole Kidman. Additionally, in 2019, the film 'The Goldfinch,' an adaptation of the novel by popular writer Donna Tartt, was released, where Kidman played Miss Barbour.

Music. Nicole Kidman is also known as a singer. She performed her parts in the film 'Moulin Rouge!' and the single 'Somethin’ Stupid,' recorded with British singer Robbie Williams, topped the UK singles chart, where it held the number one position for three consecutive weeks. Nicole also performed the vocal parts as the character named Norma Jean in 'Happy Feet,' singing among others Prince's song 'Kiss.' In the film-musical 'Nine,' the singer performed the classic composition 'Unusual Way' herself.

Awards. She has won four Golden Globe Awards (1996, 2002, 2003, 2018), the Silver Bear (2003), the BAFTA Award (2003), the Emmy Award (2017), and the Saturn Award (2002).

Nicole Kidman received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Personal life. The actress is married for the second time. Her first husband was actor Tom Cruise, and her second husband is musician and singer Keith Urban.

She met her future husband Tom Cruise while filming 'Days of Thunder' in December 1989; a romance developed between them, and they married on Christmas Eve of that year in Telluride, Colorado. The couple adopted two children - daughter Isabella Jane (December 22, 1990) and son Connor Anthony (January 17, 1995). During the filming of 'Eyes Wide Shut,' their relationship faced a crisis - they divorced in February 2001, just a short time away from their 10th wedding anniversary.

In January 2005, the actress met Australian singer Keith Urban, and they married on June 25, 2006, in Sydney (Australia). On July 7, 2008, the couple welcomed their daughter Sunday Rose Kidman-Urban in Nashville. On December 28, 2010, they had their second daughter - Faith Margaret Kidman-Urban, born via a surrogate mother, but she is biologically Kidman and Urban's daughter.

June 17, 2022