An Australian-American actress born in 1967, Nicole Kidman is one of Hollywood's greatest stars. She won the Academy Award in 2003 for The Hours, and has left her mark on world cinema through the range of her roles and her artistic commitment.
Nicole Kidman(1967 — ?)
Nicole Kidman
États-Unis, Australie
8 min read
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- Born on June 20, 1967, in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Australian parents
- Began her career in Australian cinema in the 1980s, notably in Dead Calm (1989)
- Rose to international fame alongside Tom Cruise in Days of Thunder (1990) and Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
- Won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2003 for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in The Hours
- Appointed UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, committed to fighting violence against women
Works & Achievements
An Australian thriller by Phillip Noyce that introduced Nicole Kidman to Hollywood. This intense film opened the doors to her international career.
A spectacular musical by Baz Luhrmann in which Nicole Kidman plays Satine, a singer at the famous Parisian cabaret. The film revolutionized the aesthetic of the musical genre in cinema.
An adaptation of Michael Cunningham's novel in which Nicole Kidman portrays Virginia Woolf with a complete physical transformation. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for the role in 2003.
An experimental film by Danish director Lars von Trier, shot on a minimalist set. Nicole Kidman shows remarkable artistic boldness here, moving radically away from mainstream Hollywood cinema.
An intimate drama by John Cameron Mitchell in which Nicole Kidman plays a grieving mother. Her restrained performance earned her a fourth Academy Award nomination.
A television series produced by and starring Nicole Kidman, in which she plays a victim of domestic violence. She won both the Emmy Award and the Golden Globe for Best Actress.
An Aaron Sorkin film in which Nicole Kidman portrays Lucille Ball, a star of American television in the 1950s. A further demonstration of her ability to disappear into complex historical figures.
Anecdotes
Nicole Kidman was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Australian parents, which gave her dual Australian-American citizenship. As a child, she suffered from severe shyness, and it was precisely to overcome it that she turned to acting classes in Sydney — discovering a passion that would transform her life.
At 16, Nicole Kidman dropped out of high school to pursue a career in Australian cinema, shooting her first professional film in 1983. Her family, including her psychologist father, supported this bold choice, which quickly propelled her onto the international stage.
To portray Virginia Woolf in The Hours (2002), Nicole Kidman wore a large prosthetic nose and gained weight, to the point of being unrecognizable. This radical transformation earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2003, rewarding months of preparation.
Nicole Kidman is one of the first major Hollywood stars to have actively campaigned for UN Women, becoming a UN Goodwill Ambassador in 2006. She has used her fame to raise awareness about violence against women and gender equality around the world.
In 2001, at the Academy Awards ceremony, Nicole Kidman appeared alone for the first time following her divorce from Tom Cruise, with whom she had formed one of the most high-profile couples of the 1990s. This image of an independent, resilient woman became emblematic of her personal and professional journey.
Primary Sources
"I want to thank everyone who believed in this film, in this extraordinary story. Virginia Woolf taught me that women have a voice, and that they must use it."
"Violence against women and girls is a global crisis. We must act together to change mindsets and protect those who are most vulnerable."
"I grew up in Australia with values very different from Hollywood. My father always told me: choosing a role means choosing what you want to say to the world."
"Cinema has the power to make us feel what others feel, to cross borders, cultures, and eras. That is why it is so precious and so necessary."
Key Places
The city where Nicole Kidman grew up and made her debut in theater and film. Sydney remains a strong part of her identity, and she returns there regularly.
The heart of Nicole Kidman's international career since the 1990s. She has filmed her biggest movies there and spends part of the year living in the area.
Nicole Kidman's adopted home city since her marriage to musician Keith Urban in 2006. She has built a family life there, away from the Hollywood spotlight.
The setting of the film Moulin Rouge! (2001) and a symbolic city for Nicole Kidman, who has shot several films there and enjoys a particularly devoted following among French audiences.
The city where Nicole Kidman performed on Broadway in The Blue Room (1998) and where she filmed many scenes for The Hours, a film steeped in New York's literary and intellectual world.
Typical Objects
For The Hours (2002), Nicole Kidman wore a prosthetic nose designed by makeup artist Stuart Wilson, a symbol of her commitment to complete physical transformation in order to disappear into her characters.
Nicole Kidman is known for meticulously annotating her scripts ahead of filming, working through the psychology of her characters with her preparation team before even arriving on set.
The lavish costumes worn by Satine in Moulin Rouge! (2001), created by Catherine Martin, have become iconic and illustrate the close collaboration between actress and creative team in spectacular cinema.
The Academy Award for Best Actress received in 2003 represents the culmination of twenty years of work and a shift in status within the global film industry.
Since her marriage to musician Keith Urban in 2006, Nicole Kidman has regularly accompanied her husband on tour, reflecting the importance of country music in her personal life.
As a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador since 2006, Nicole Kidman participates in international conferences and forums, lending her voice to the organization's work on gender equality.
School Curriculum
Vocabulary & Tags
Key Vocabulary
Tags
Daily Life
Morning
During filming periods, Nicole Kidman rises at dawn, often around 4 or 5 in the morning, to head to the hair and makeup trailers. When she is at home with her family in Nashville or Sydney, she starts her day with an hour of yoga or meditation before having breakfast with her children.
Afternoon
Filming afternoons are devoted to the most demanding scenes, rehearsals with directors, and script work sessions. Outside of filming, Nicole Kidman takes part in production meetings — she serves as a producer on several of her projects — and in her advocacy work for UN Women.
Evening
Premiere nights and award ceremonies are meticulously prepared alongside her teams of stylists and publicists. Outside of public events, she favors family dinners and attends concerts by her husband Keith Urban, whose most devoted supporter she is.
Food
Nicole Kidman follows a balanced diet, favoring lean proteins and fresh vegetables, guided by the recommendations of nutritionist physicians who work with her during the physical preparations for her roles. She adapts her eating habits to meet the physical demands of each character she plays.
Clothing
On red carpets, Nicole Kidman is dressed by the world's leading fashion houses — Balenciaga, Chanel, Alexander McQueen — in often spectacular outfits that are widely analyzed in the fashion press. In everyday life, she favors a much more understated and low-key style — simple jeans and sweaters — reflecting a personality far removed from the glamour she projects in public.
Housing
Nicole Kidman divides her life between several residences: a property in Nashville with Keith Urban, a home in Sydney where she reconnects with her Australian family, and an apartment in New York for her professional commitments. These places reflect the international scope of her career and her deep attachment to her Australian roots.
Historical Timeline
Period Vocabulary
Visual Style
Un style visuel oscillant entre le glamour hollywoodien classique des années 2000 et la rigueur du cinéma d'auteur européen, avec une palette contrastée entre chaleur dorée et froideur nordique.
Sound Ambience
Une atmosphère mêlant les sons des plateaux de tournage hollywoodiens, la vie familiale australienne et l'univers des grandes cérémonies de récompenses cinématographiques.
