Nicole Kidman Biography

Nicole Kidman, Actress

Birthdate: June 20, 1967

Birthplace: Honolulu, Hawaii

Sign: Gemini

Australian actress Nicole Mary Kidman, AC was born on June 20, 1967 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Because her parents are Australian, she had been granted a duel citizenship of Australia and the U.S. She is a daughter of a nursing instructor and a biochemist/author. The family had remained in the U.S. until she was four years old. She has a younger sister named Antonia.

Kidman had ballet lessons when she was four. She attended St. Mary's Cathedral College but dropped out when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. She concentrated on her familial responsibility until her mother recovered. She then went to Phillip Street Theater and majored in voice production and theater history.

Her first role was in the 1983 Pat Wilson's music video "Bop Girl." She had signed on later that year in the TV series "Five Mile Creek" in Australia and films "BMX Bandits" and "Bush Christmas." She had appeared in numerous Australian movies and TV series from 1983 to 1989.

In 1989, she starred in the thriller film "Dead Calm." The film and her performance were given positive reviews. In 1990, she appeared in "Days of Thunder" opposite her would-be husband Tom Cruise. Kidman and Cruise appeared again together in 1992's "Far and Away." She had been included in "Batman Forever" in 1995.

Her 1995 film "To Die For" earned her critical acclaim. She won a Golden Globe Award for her role in the film. In 2002, she received an Academy Award nomination for her performance as Satine in the 2001 musical film "Moulin Rouge." She also won her second Golden Globe for her role opposite Ewan McGregor. She also starred in the horror film "The Others" in the same year.

Her third Golden Globe came when she played Virginia Woolf in "The Hours." She also received an Academy Award, a BAFTA, and numerous other critics' awards.

Not all of Kidman's films were praised. Her films such as "The Stepford Wives" and "Bewitched" were panned. Some of her films received mixed reviews namely "Birth" and "The Interpreter."

Kidman lent her voice in the animated film "Happy Feet," in which played the lead's mother, who is a penguin. The film garnered critical and commercial success, which earned $384 million worldwide.

Kidman was married to Tom Cruise, who she met on the set of "Days of Thunder." They were married in 1990 in Colorado. They have two adoptive children named Isabella Jane Cruise (born December 22, 1992) and Connor Anthony Cruise (born January 17, 1995). They separated before their 10th wedding anniversary. She was three months pregnant at that time and eventually had a miscarriage. Kidman had said in later interviews that she was shocked when Cruise filed for divorce.

She met country singer Keith Urban at the Australian event fest in Los Angeles in January 2005. They were married on June 25, 2006 in Sydney, Australia. Kidman is currently pregnant with her first biological child.

Kidman became the holder for the most money paid per minute to an actor when she did a three-minute commercial for Chanel No. 5 perfume. She reportedly earned $3.71 million. She was listed on the 2005 Forbes Celebrity 100 List as the 45th Most Powerful Celebrity. In 2006, she became the highest paid actress in the industry. She was also honored with a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), an order of chivalry "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service," in the same year.