Nicole Kidman’s Best Roles
Nicole Kidman first captured the world’s attention in her native Australia before making an electrifying leap to Hollywood and becoming one of the most celebrated actresses of her generation. Throughout her career she has been known for her incredible versatility and her fearless approach to choosing roles. She has navigated a wide array of genres with remarkable skill from suspenseful thrillers and lavish movie musicals to profound character dramas. Her dedication to her craft and her ability to completely transform for a role have earned her numerous accolades including an Academy Award.
In recent years Kidman has also become a dominant force in prestige television producing and starring in several critically acclaimed series that have sparked cultural conversations. She consistently seeks out complex and challenging material both in film and on the television screen proving her artistic curiosity is as strong as ever. This list celebrates a selection of her most compelling performances showcasing the extraordinary range and enduring power that have defined her remarkable career.
‘Being the Ricardos’ (2021)
In this biographical drama Nicole Kidman portrays the legendary actress and comedian Lucille Ball. The film focuses on one critical week of production for the hit television show ‘I Love Lucy’. During these few days Ball’s career and marriage to her co-star Desi Arnaz are threatened by a series of personal and professional crises. These include a political smear campaign a tabloid scandal and the immense pressure of creating one of the most popular shows in television history.
The movie was written and directed by Aaron Sorkin and it offers a behind-the-scenes look at the creative genius and complex relationship of its two famous subjects. To prepare for the role Kidman extensively studied Ball’s work to capture her distinct voice physical comedy and commanding presence both on and off the screen. Her performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
‘Dead Calm’ (1989)
Kidman stars as Rae Ingram a woman who is recovering from a tragic car accident that claimed the life of her young son. To help her heal her husband John suggests they take a long trip on their yacht across the Pacific Ocean. Their peaceful journey is shattered when they encounter a sinking ship and rescue its lone survivor a charismatic but deeply disturbed man. His arrival on their boat traps them in a terrifying and claustrophobic psychological game of survival.
This tense Australian thriller is based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Charles Williams. The film was a breakout role for Kidman introducing her to international audiences and showcasing her talent for conveying both vulnerability and strength. The movie is notable for its suspenseful atmosphere and for featuring a very small cast with the majority of the story focused on just three characters isolated at sea.
‘Rabbit Hole’ (2010)
In this powerful drama Kidman plays Becca Corbett a woman navigating the unimaginable grief of losing her young son in an accident. The film explores how she and her husband struggle to cope with their loss in very different ways which puts a severe strain on their marriage. Becca finds a strange source of comfort when she secretly begins to meet with the teenage boy who was driving the car that killed her son trying to find a way to move forward with her life.
The film is an adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name by David Lindsay-Abaire. Kidman not only starred in the movie but also served as a producer helping to get the independent project made. Her deeply moving and nuanced performance was widely praised by critics and earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
‘The Northman’ (2022)
Kidman portrays Queen Gudrún the mother of a young Viking prince named Amleth in this historical epic. After her husband the king is murdered by his own brother Amleth flees his kingdom vowing to one day return to avenge his father save his mother and kill the usurper. Years later Amleth is a ferocious warrior and he sets out on his brutal quest for vengeance where he discovers that the family history he believed is far more complicated than it seemed.
The film was directed by Robert Eggers and is based on the ancient Scandinavian legend that directly inspired William Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’. The movie is known for its stunning visuals and its commitment to historical accuracy in its depiction of Viking culture. Kidman’s character is a complex and formidable queen whose motivations are revealed as the dark family saga unfolds.
‘Paddington’ (2014)
In this charming family film Nicole Kidman plays the villainous Millicent Clyde a cold and calculating taxidermist who works at the Natural History Museum. When she learns that a rare talking bear from “Darkest Peru” has arrived in London she becomes obsessed with capturing him. Her goal is to add the bear named Paddington to her collection of stuffed animals to complete a set that her explorer father was never able to finish.
The movie is a live-action adaptation of the beloved children’s books by Michael Bond. Kidman’s role is a comedic and menacing one and she fully embraces the campy evil of the character. She provides a formidable threat to the kind-hearted and clumsy bear as he tries to find a new home with the Brown family. The film was a huge critical and commercial success.
‘To Die For’ (1995)
Kidman stars as Suzanne Stone a ruthlessly ambitious woman who dreams of becoming a world-famous television journalist. She works at a local cable station but is determined to do whatever it takes to get to the top. Believing her kind but simple-minded husband is holding her back she manipulates a group of impressionable high school students into getting rid of him for her. The story is told in a satirical mockumentary style.
Directed by Gus Van Sant this dark comedy was a major critical success for Kidman and her performance earned her a Golden Globe Award. The role established her as a versatile actress capable of carrying a film with a complex and challenging lead character. The witty screenplay was written by Buck Henry and was based on the novel of the same name by Joyce Maynard.
‘Cold Mountain’ (2003)
In this sweeping Civil War epic Kidman plays Ada Monroe a refined and cultured woman who moves from the city to a small rural town. She falls in love with a local man named Inman but their romance is cut short when he must leave to fight in the war. Left to manage her family’s farm alone the sheltered Ada struggles to survive until she is helped by a tough and resourceful drifter named Ruby Thewes who teaches her practical skills.
The film is based on the best-selling novel by Charles Frazier. The story follows two parallel journeys with Ada learning to be self-sufficient at home while Inman embarks on a perilous trek back to her. The movie was a major production that was praised for its beautiful cinematography and strong performances from its ensemble cast.
‘The Undoing’ (2020)
Kidman stars as Grace Fraser a successful therapist living a seemingly perfect life in New York City with her husband and son in this television miniseries. Her world begins to unravel when a violent death occurs within her affluent social circle and her husband suddenly goes missing. Grace is left to face a series of terrifying revelations about her husband and her life as she becomes the center of a very public and scandalous murder investigation.
The six-part psychological thriller was created by David E. Kelley and was based on the 2014 novel ‘You Should Have Known’ by Jean Hanff Korelitz. The series was a huge ratings success keeping audiences captivated with its many twists and turns each week. Kidman’s performance as a woman whose carefully constructed reality is shattered was highly acclaimed by critics.
‘Eyes Wide Shut’ (1999)
In Stanley Kubrick’s final film Kidman plays Alice Harford a woman who is married to a successful New York City doctor. The story begins when Alice confesses to her husband that she once had a fantasy about another man which sends him into a spiral of jealousy and insecurity. This confession triggers a bizarre and dreamlike night-long journey for him through a shadowy world of secret societies and strange encounters while Alice remains at home.
The film is a loose adaptation of the 1926 novella ‘Dream Story’ by Arthur Schnitzler. It explores themes of desire fidelity and the hidden landscapes of the human psyche. The production was famously long and secretive with Kidman and her then-husband Tom Cruise working closely with the legendary director to bring his unique vision to the screen.
‘The Hours’ (2002)
Kidman delivers a transformative performance as the celebrated author Virginia Woolf for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. The film tells the interconnected stories of three women from different generations whose lives are linked by Woolf’s novel ‘Mrs Dalloway’. The movie follows Woolf in the 1920s as she writes the book a troubled housewife in the 1950s who is reading it and a modern-day book editor who is living a version of it.
To portray the famous writer Kidman wore a prosthetic nose that made her almost unrecognizable. Her performance captures the author’s brilliant mind as well as her struggles with mental illness. The film features a stellar ensemble cast and was praised for its complex narrative structure and its profound exploration of the inner lives of women.
‘The Others’ (2001)
In this atmospheric gothic horror film Kidman stars as Grace Stewart a devoutly religious mother who lives with her two young children in a remote and fog-bound mansion at the end of World War II. Her children have a rare disease that makes them extremely sensitive to light so they must live in near-constant darkness. The family’s isolated and eerie existence is disrupted by the arrival of three new servants and a series of strange and increasingly terrifying supernatural events.
The movie was a critical and commercial success praised for its suspenseful old-fashioned style that relies on atmosphere rather than graphic effects. It is known for its clever script and a shocking twist ending that redefines the entire story. Kidman’s performance was lauded for conveying the character’s growing fear and desperation as she tries to protect her children from a presence she cannot explain.
‘Moulin Rouge!’ (2001)
Kidman stars as Satine the beautiful and talented star courtesan of the famous Parisian nightclub the Moulin Rouge in this spectacular movie musical. The story follows her tragic romance with a poor young writer named Christian who comes to Paris to join the Bohemian revolution. Satine is torn between her love for Christian and her obligation to a wealthy and possessive Duke who is funding her next show and expects her in return.
Directed by Baz Luhrmann the film is celebrated for its dazzling visual style its energetic editing and its anachronistic use of modern pop songs to tell its 19th-century love story. Kidman performed her own singing for the role and her on-screen chemistry with co-star Ewan McGregor was a highlight. The movie was a worldwide phenomenon that helped to revive the movie musical genre.
‘Lion’ (2016)
In this powerful true story Kidman plays Sue Brierley an Australian woman who adopts a young boy from an orphanage in India. The film follows the incredible journey of her adopted son Saroo who was accidentally separated from his family at age five and ended up thousands of miles from his home. Twenty-five years later Saroo is haunted by his past and begins an obsessive search for his birth family using the new technology of Google Earth.
Kidman’s role is a deeply emotional supporting performance as the loving and supportive mother who helps her son navigate his complex identity. She met with the real Sue Brierley to prepare for the part and her portrayal earned her nominations for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. The film was a critical and commercial success celebrated for its incredibly moving story.
‘Dogville’ (2003)
Kidman stars as Grace Mulligan a mysterious woman who arrives in the isolated and seemingly idyllic town of Dogville while on the run from gangsters. The town’s residents agree to hide her in exchange for her help with various chores. At first the arrangement seems to work but the townspeople slowly begin to exploit her kindness turning her into a captive and subjecting her to escalating cruelty and abuse which leads to a shocking and violent conclusion.
This experimental film was directed by Lars von Trier and is famous for its minimalist staging. It was shot on a bare soundstage with no sets and with building outlines drawn on the floor. This unique style places all the focus on the actors’ performances and the dark moral fable of the story. The movie is a challenging and provocative examination of human nature.
‘Big Little Lies’ (2017–2025)
In this highly acclaimed television series Nicole Kidman plays Celeste Wright a former lawyer who is married to a wealthy and charismatic younger man. From the outside her life appears absolutely perfect but behind closed doors she is the victim of a volatile and abusive relationship. The story follows a group of affluent mothers in a picturesque coastal town whose lives begin to unravel in the wake of a murder that happens at a school fundraiser.
The series is based on the best-selling novel by Liane Moriarty. Kidman won an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe for her raw and compelling portrayal of Celeste. She also served as an executive producer on the show which was praised for its superb ensemble cast its gripping mystery and its nuanced exploration of serious themes.
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