Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman (born 20.6.1967)

Nicole Kidman is an Academy Award winning actress. In 2006, she was the highest-paid actress in the movie industry.

Nicole Kidman: Childhood

Nicole Kidman was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to Janelle Ann Glenny Kidman and Dr. Antony David Kidman. Her mother is a nursing instructor. Antony is a biochemist and clinical psychologist in New South Wales. The family returned to live permanently in Australia when Nicole was four.

When Nicole Kidman left school, she studied at the Philip Street Theatre (with her friend, actress Naomi Watts) and the Australian Theatre for Young People.

Nicole Kidman: Acting Career

In 1983, Nicole Kidman appeared in a Pat Wilson music video for the song 'Bop Girl'. By the end of 1983, Kidman had secured TV work, in the series Five Mile Creek as well as film work, in BMX Bandits and Bush Christmas. She went on to appear in a number of Australian films and television series, whilst still in her teens. Most notably, she featured in A Country Practise, Emerald City and Bangkok Hilton.

Nicole Kidman gained her first batch of good critical reviews in 1989 for her appearance in Dead Calm, alongside Billy Zane and Sam Neill. The next year, she starred in Days Of Thunder, which also starred Tom Cruise. Kidman and Cruise co-starred again in 1992, in Far And Away. Three years later, she was a member of the Batman Forever cast.

In 1995, Kidman's critical acclaim rose to a new level. To Die For was a satirical comedy that won her a Golden Globe Award as well as another five 'best actress' awards. In 1999, both Kidman and Cruise appeared in Stanley Kubrick's final film, Eyes Wide Shut. Kidman's 2001 performance in Moulin Rouge earned her an Academy Award nomination. She played the character Satine, opposite Ewan McGregor. The role also won her her second Golden Globe Award. Having broken her ribs filming Moulin Rouge! Kidman was forced to turn down the lead role in Panic Room, which was eventually taken by Jodie Foster. She did, however, appear in The Others, a horror film that was well received. Further acclaim for Kidman came with her role as Virginia Woolf in The Hours. The film earned her another Academy Award as well as a Golden Globe and a BAFTA, along with a number of smaller awards.

In 2002, Kidman transferred her talents to the stage, in London and New York, appearing in The Blue Room. The play was a huge success and became notable for Kidman exposing her flesh to the audience. That same year, Kidman appeared in three starkly contrasting films: Dogville, by Lars Von Trier, the Human Stain, alongside Anthony Hopkins and Cold Mountain, which earned her yet another Golden Globe nomination.

However, Nicole Kidman suffered a small fall from grace in 2004 when her appearance in The Stepford Wives (along with Bette Midler, Faith Hill and Glenn Close) was slammed by movie critics. Her next film, Birth, won a Golden Lion nomination at the Venice Film Festival as well as a Golden Globe nomination for Kidman.

In 1995, Kidman starred in The Interpreter, which was a commercial success, grossing almost $165 million at the box office. Her second film of the year was Bewitched, based on the 1960's TV sitcom of the same name.

Following these releases, Kidman starred in the Diane Arbus bio-pic, Fur, provided a voice for the animated Happy Feet and featured in the sci-fi movie The Invasion.

Nicole Kidman was chosen to star in the first film of Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, the Golden Compass. The lack of box office success, however suggests that a sequel may not be likely.

Nicole Kidman: Personal Life

Kidman married her several-time co-star Tom Cruise on Christmas Eve, 1990. They adopted two children, Isabella Jane (b.1992) and Connor Anthony (b.1995). Not long after their 10th wedding anniversary the pair split and Kidman suffered a miscarriage. The marriage was dissolved in 2001, with 'irreconcilable differences' cited as the reason.

Other brief romantic affairs include Robbie Williams and Lenny Kravitz.

In January 2005, Kidman met the country singer Keith Urban. They married in June 2006. In January 2008, it was confirmed that Nicole was three months pregnant with the couple's first child together.