Nicole Kidman Biography And Filmography:

An inspiring debut film as a young teen actress in her native Australia lead Academy Award winning actress Nicole Kidman to Hollywood in the early 1990s, where she quickly established herself as a charming female star in many major films. Her reputation, however, was largely due to a high-profile marriage to super-star Tom Cruise, which put her in the middle a paparazzi firestorm that masked her own talents for nearly ten years. After their high-profile divorce in 2001, Nicole Kidman defied critics with a run of amazing performances in almost every area of film – from big drama like her Oscar winning work in "The Hours" (2002), to historical classics like "Cold Mountain," (2003) – to musicals, where she impressed moviegoers with her inspiring voice in "Moulin Rouge" (2001). 

Nicole Kidman even did well in comedy roles, like her modern-day Samantha in "Bewitched" (2005) and as the over-the-top aspirant weather girl in the black comedy, "To Die For" (1995). In fact, due in large part to her incredible skill and acting flexibility – to say nothing of her fashion reign as queen of the red carpet – by 2007, Kidman had succeeded in leaving behind her earlier identity as Mrs. Tom Cruise by becoming the highest paid actress in the movie industry, as well as a much sought-after spokesperson for high fashion television commercials and print work.

A dual citizen of Australia and the United States – Nicole Kidman was born on June 20, 1967 to Australian parents in Hawaii – Kidman spent her earliest years in Washington, D.C. before returning to Australia, where her father had a career as a biochemist and psychologist and her mother was a nursing instructor. Her performing career got an early start with ballet training at three and showed a natural talent for acting in her primary and high school years. In 1983, Kidman starred in the Australian kids’ comedy, “BMX Bandits;” she soon made for an appealing young teen star in the popular holiday feature “Bush Christmas” (1983) and 12 episodes of the family series “Five Mile Creek” (1983-85). 

In 1984, Kidman's mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, that caused her to temporarily stop her University education and help provide for the family by working as a massage therapist at age 17. After her mother’s recovery, Kidman again chased acting at Sydney’s Australian Theatre for Young People.

By the mid-1980s, the light skinned redhead was a regular on Australian television, with prominent appearances in several series and television movies, including the girlfriend of a conscientious objector in the 1987 miniseries “Vietnam” and an attractive girl in the comedy “Emerald City” (1988), which won her a nomination from the Australian Film Institute. The following year proved to be a good one for Kidman; she starred as a young Englishwoman sentenced to death for smuggling drugs in the much-admired Australian miniseries “Bangkok Hilton” (1989); even more importantly, she won international praise in Phillip Noyce’s edgy thriller “Dead Calm,” about a couple (Nicole Kidman and Sam Neill) who innocently rescue a shipwrecked psychopath (Billy Zane) who then torments them. 

After critics singled out Kidman’s performance as the unwavering wife, Hollywood soon called for her talents. And at the front of that rush to sweep her up and bring her to the United States was Hollywood’s then biggest star – Tom Cruise – who had first seen her in “Dead Calm” and insisted Kidman be his next leading lady. Regardless of the fact that she was a relative nobody in the States and did not symbolize the typical bombshell leading lady of the time, Tom Cruise got what he wanted.

Regrettably, the American movie business showed to be an uncomfortable match for Nicole Kidman. Her first American feature, Tony Scott’s “Days of Thunder” (1990), was a tactless and over-hyped NASCAR drama that gave her little to do than trade emotional glimpses with her new supporter, Tom Cruise. Kidman returned briefly to John Duigan and Australia for “Flirting” (1991), his sequel to his enchanting young teen angst movie “The Year My Voice Broke” (1987) where she co-starred as a self-conscious student at an all girls’ boarding school. Also in the cast was beautiful blonde actress Naomi Watts, with whom Kidman would remain a close friend after the two had met at an audition years before. 

Critics cheered her role as a seductive moll to gangster Dutch Schultz in “Billy Bathgate” with Bruce Willis, even winning a Golden Globe nomination for her performance (which included her first on-screen nude scene) – but audiences and fans of the original novel stayed away. Nicole's next few years were marked by average projects and sporadic box office hits, including Ron Howard’s historical epic “Far and Away” (1992) with then husband Tom Cruise, the medical thriller “Malice” (1993) with Alec Baldwin and Gwyneth Paltrow, the melodrama “My Life” (1993) with Michael Keaton, and Joel Schumacher’s “Batman Forever” (1995), with Val Kilmer as the Caped Crusader, Jim Carrey as The Riddler, Drew Barrymore as Sugar and Nicole Kidman as a psychiatrist and love interest. 

No matter what quality work Nicole Kidman was producing though, the most prominent part of her Hollywood life in those days was her relationship with Tom Cruise, which flowered on the set of “Days of Thunder.” By the time of the movie’s release in 1990, the couple had married; by 1992, they had adopted a daughter, Isabella, and in 1995, a son, Connor. Because of Tom Cruise’s high profile in the film industry, Nicole Kidman was soon a regular feature in magazines and tabloids, which regularly questioned her position on his well-publicized relationship with the Church of Scientology, as well as his sexual orientation because there was speculation that Cruise was gay. Regardless of the speculation, the couple enjoyed a long and happy relationship for the remainder of the decade and well into the early 2000s. There was no denying that had Kidman not had the world’s biggest movie star on her arm, her talent – no matter how impressive – would not have fast tracked like it did throughout the 1990s as the taller half of the most famous couple in the world.

For the meantime, Kidman found more rewarding work in independent features, starting with Gus Van Sant’s black comedy “To Die For,” which won her a Golden Globe nomination (and revitalized her standing in the eyes of critics) as a thick but merciless weather girl who gains the national attention she desired by pressing a high school girl (Joaquin Phoenix) into murdering her husband (Matt Dillon). Her performance was so wild and dramatic, that she was thrilling in a way she had never been before on screen. 

It was, in fact, this role in “To Die For” which truly made not only the Hollywood community – but moviegoers in general – sit up and notice her apart from her famous husband. Energized by the critical and popular attention, Kidman then teamed with Jane Campion for an adaptation of Henry James’ “Portrait of a Lady” (1996), which saw her make major changes to her look, including the wearing of a corset to bring her waistline down to 19th-century proportions. “The Peacemaker” (1997), with George Clooney, and the supernatural comedy “Practical Magic” (1998) with Sandra Bullock, were pleasing, but Kidman ended the century by co-starring with Tom Cruise in “Eyes Wide Shut” (1999), about a New York City doctor, who is married to an art curator, and pushes himself on a harrowing and dangerous night-long odyssey of sexual and moral discovery after his wife admits that she once almost cheated on him.

Sadly, the project created more controversy for Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman’s hard to watch awkward love scenes, following a tabloid assertion that the couple needed a “sex coach” to instruct them on believable love-making following the release of the film. Amazingly, the touchy couple – more Tom Cruise than Nicole Kidman – later sued for defamation and won. Not helping matters was a sexually explicit orgy scene that was poorly edited for American audiences by Warner Bros. after Kubrick suddenly died after the film was complete.

The media frenzy surrounding Kidman and Cruise grew even more when the couple separated in 2000 shortly before their tenth wedding anniversary. No cause aside from irreconcilable differences was given, though the press reported that Nicole Kidman was three months pregnant at the time of the separation and then suffered a miscarriage. Other reports said the miscarriage came before the divorce announcement, with Cruise filing in 2001, with his only public comment being the mysterious and often pondered, “Nic knows what she did.” The marriage was ended that year, leaving Nicole Kidman devastated – particularly when the actor took up with yet another unknown star in his current film “Vanilla Sky” (2001) – Penelope Cruz. In interviews several years after their marriage ended, Kidman remarked that she bore Cruise no ill feelings, and still felt love for her former husband – but also remarked entertainingly at the time, that the one good thing about the marriage ending was that she could “finally wear heels again.”

Kidman bounced back from this regrettable turn of events – all of which went down during the publicity for her next film – the amazing “Moulin Rouge” (2001), director Baz Luhrmann’s visually striking, post-modern musical about the lost romance between a writer (Ewan McGregor) and a dance hall singer (Nicole Kidman). Moviegoers loved the old-fashioned romance and musical numbers – something not seen or accepted on screen for many years. Even critics were impressed by Kidman’s vocal telent; her duet with McGregor – the sweeping “Come What May” – was a smash hit in her native Australia and placed highly on numerous international charts, leading to a further duet with UK pop sensation Robbie Williams on a cover of “Somethin’ Stupid,” from his 2001 album "Swing When You’re Winning". For her performance, Nicole Kidman landed her first Oscar nomination and took home a Golden Globe.

“Moulin Rouge” truly marked the beginning of Kidman’s career as a top box office draw. She followed the musical with a dramatic role as a horrified mother trapped in her own home by mysterious figures in Alejandro Amenabar’s stunning ghost story, “The Others” (2001), before returning to independent movies with the peculiar thriller “Birthday Girl” (2002), in which she played a Russian mail order bride who makes trouble for her new husband (Ben Chaplin). That same year, Kidman hid her beauty under layers of makeup to play the distressed author Virginia Woolf, whose life and work offered a link for women in the 1950s and the modern day in Stephen Daldry’s acclaimed, “The Hours” (2002). Nicole Kidman triumphed in the role, winning an Oscar for her powerful performance – something her ex-husband had yet to win – as well as a Golden Globe and a BAFTA. The following year, Nicole received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was honored by the American Cinematheque.

Kidman branched out into producing with “In the Cut” (2003) starring Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jane Campion’s sexually hot thriller with Meg Ryan as an unusual female boxing manager. Nicole also kept a hand in independent films by starring in Lars von Trier’s notorious experimental drama “Dogville” (2003), as a gangster’s moll who tolerates incredible cruelty at the hands of the population of a small town; as well as a concerned cleaning woman who starts an affair with a married college professor (Anthony Hopkins) in Robert Benton’s adaptation of Philip Roth’s “The Human Stain” (2003). That same year, Kidman finally hit  big with the epic Civil War romance “Cold Mountain” with Jude Law, Natalie Portman and Renee Zellweger, which brought Kidman another Golden Globe nomination. The picture also brought her back to the tabloid pages with reports that she had had an affair with her co-star, Jude Law, but Kidman fought back and won undisclosed damages from the UK paper that printed the rumor. 

From 2004 to 2006, Kidman’s movie output varied wildly in both subject matter and quality. She appeared in the remake of “The Stepford Wives” (2004) with Glenn Close, and her art house feature of the period, “Birth” (2004), which raised eyebrows for a scene in which 10-year-old actor Cameron Bright – whose character is a reincarnated adult – slips naked into a bath with Kidman (who earned a Golden Globe nomination for her performance). “The Interpreter” (2005) was a reasonably successful thriller by Sydney Pollack about a United Nations interpreter (Kidman) who becomes mixed up in a worldwide assassination plot, while “Bewitched” (2005) with Steve Carell was an adaptation of the classic television series (1964-1972) which bombed at the box office, despite a winning role by Kidman and a cast that included Will Ferrell, Michael Caine, Shirley MacLaine and Steve Carell.

Regardless of what looked to be a career decline, Nicole Kidman stayed extremely popular with moviegoers, and highly paid for her efforts. In fact, 2006 and 2007 reports named her the highest paid actress in the film industry. Nicole also won a place in the record books by becoming the highest paid actress per minute for her appearance in a series of television ads for the legendary perfume, Chanel No. 5. Kidman’s income for these commercials, which were directed by her old “Moulin Rouge” friend Baz Luhrmann, was a reported $3.72 million.

In 2005, Kidman met Australian country singer Keith Urban at an event in Los Angeles. The pair began dating six months later, ultimately marrying in 2006. Keith Urban, who had battled with drug addiction in earlier years, later checked himself into rehab in late 2006, and appeared sober in early 2007. His new wife seemingly stood by his side, often visiting him in rehab. 

Kidman returned to features in 2006 with “Fur” (2006) with Robert Downey Jr., an impressive biography of troubled photographer Diane Arbus. She later lent her voice talents to the Marilyn Monroe sounding mother of Mumbles, the penguin protagonist of the Oscar-winning animated feature “Happy Feet” (2006) with Robin Williams, which also featured her singing a version of the Prince hit “Kiss” with fellow Aussie co-star Hugh Jackman on its soundtrack. Kidman later paired with Daniel Craig for “The Invasion” (2007), a  remake of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” which was actually scheduled for a 2006 release, but rework pushed its release to the following year. 

Kidman broke several ribs during a stunt sequence during the rework. The incident wasn’t the first time Kidman had been injured during the making of a movie; she hurt her knee during one of the more complicated dance numbers in “Moulin Rouge,” which forced her to drop out of David Fincher’s thriller “Panic Room” (2002).

Kidman returned to film with the comedy-drama “Margot at the Wedding” (2007). In this film, Kidman was in familiar territory as a phobic writer who clashes with her sister (Jennifer Jason Leigh) over her choice of fiancée (Jack Black). She then shifted gears to play a villainess (her first in her career) in the epic fantasy “The Golden Compass” (2007), an complex adaptation of Philip Pullman’s "The Northern Lights", the first novel in the popular "His Dark Materials" trilogy.

In January 2008, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban announced that Nicole was pregnant and there would be a new addition to the family mid '08. Kidman was scheduled to begin shooting the post World War II drama, "The Reader", with Ralph Fiennes this month. The press reported Kidman, who has suffered miscarriages in the past, is "so concerned about the welfare of her unborn child" that she quit the film. Kidman has two adopted children - Connor, 12, and Isabella, 14 - with ex-husband Tom Cruise. This would be Kidman's first child with new husband, Australian country music star Keith Urban.

Nicole Kidman cam roaring back to movies and films in 2008, first with the adventure "Australia" (2008), set in northern Australia before World War II, an English aristocrat who inherits a sprawling ranch reluctantly pacts with a stock-man in order to protect her new property from a takeover plot. Next was the dramatic "Need" (2009) about a prosperous New York therapist (Naomi Watts) who discovers that one of her patients, a suicidal woman (Nicole Kidman), is having an affair with her husband. The actress wrapped her year with the dramatic "Nine" (2009) with Penelope Cruz, where famous film director Guido Contini struggles to find harmony in his professional and personal lives, as he engages in dramatic relationships with his wife, his mistress, his muse, his agent, and his mother.

• Also Credited As:
  Nicole Mary Kidman
• Born:
  on 06/20/1967 in Honolulu, Hawaii
• Job Titles:
  Actor, Singer

Family

• Daughter: Isabella Jane Kidman Cruise. Born Dec. 22, 1992 in Florida; adopted by Kidman and Cruise in January 1993
• Father: Antony Kidman. Australian; involved with labor movement and progressive causes
• Mother: Janelle Kidman. Australian; edits her husband's books; involved with feminist causes; was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1984
• Sister: Antonia Kidman Hawley. Born c. 1971
• Son: Connor Anthony Cruise. African-American; born on Jan. 17, 1995 in Florida; adopted with Cruise on February 5, 2001

Significant Others

• Companion: Eric Watson. Owner of the "Warriors" rugby league club in New Zealand; rumored to have briefly dated in 2004
• Companion: Lenny Kravitz. Began dating early 2003; split January 2004, when Kravitz was photographed with another woman; rumored to have been briefly engaged
• Companion: Steve Bing. Rumored to have briefly dated in 2004/05
• Husband: Keith Urban. Met in January 2005, at a gala dinner in L.A. honoring noted Australians; rumors that they were dating began in July 2005; announced engagement May 2006; married June 25, 2006 in Sydney, Australia
• Husband: Tom Cruise. born on July 3, 1962; married on December 24, 1990 in Telluride, Colorado; co-starred in "Days of Thunder" (1990), "Far and Away" (1992) and "Eyes Wide Shut" (1999); announced separation in February 2001; Cruise filed for divorce on February 7, 2001; divorce finalized on August 8, 2001
• Companion: Marcus Graham. Australian; had relationship in the late 1980s
• Companion: Q-tip. rumored to be dating as of January 2003; reportedly introduced by Leonardo DiCaprio
• Companion: Russell Crowe. rumored to be dating as of October 2002; was later reported that the source who claim to have witnessed Kidman and Crowe kissing, dancing, etc admitted that he lied; Crowe later became engaged to girlfriend Danielle Spencer in December 2002
• Companion: Tobey Maguire. 8 years younger than Kidman; reportedly dating since March 2002

Education

• North Sydney Girls' High School, Sydney, Australia
• Philip Street Theatre, Sydney, Australia

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