Nicole Kidman's 10 Best Movies and TV Shows

The best Nicole Kidman films and TV shows feature decades of major releases that showcase the Australian actress's talent. After starting out in smaller Australian films in the '80s, Kidman landed her first major role in the 1989 psychological thriller. Deadly Calm and this attracted the attention of Hollywood, where his first big break came in the Tom Cruise action film. Days of Thunder in 1990. This led her to become one of Hollywood's top leading ladies.

Over the course of his decades-long career, Nicole Kidman won an OscarBAFTA Award, Primetime Emmy Award and several Golden Globes. She was also the first Australian actress to win the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2024. She has taken on roles in almost every genre imaginable, from comedies and biopics to action films, superhero films and even musicals. Kidman worked with famous directors Stanley Kubrick, Tony Scott, Yorgos Lanthimos and Robert Eggers.

10

Being the Ricardos (2021)

Lucille Ball

In 2021, Nicole Kidman took on a difficult role because she played someone who is a recognizable figure to most fans. Kidman played Lucille Ball in Being the Ricardosa film that details the love story between Lucy and Desi Arnaz. The two shared a combustible marriage while starring as wife and husband on the hit comedy I love LucyEasily the most beloved series in early television history. Javier Bardem played Dezi Arnaz in the film.

Being the Ricardos ended up only having a limited theatrical release from director Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) made an agreement to make the biographical film with Amazon, meaning its main release was on Prime Video. Despite this, the film received a lot of criticism, with Kidman and Bardem receiving Oscar nominations for Best Actor and Best Actress, and even JK Simmons was nominated for Best Supporting Actor. The film also received five Golden Globe nominations, including one for Kidman.

9

The Northman (2022)

Queen Gudrun

Robert Eggers remains one of the most promising directors in Hollywood today thanks to his indie sensibility. After releasing his first film The WitchIn 2015, moviegoers wanted to see what was next. He still hasn't dropped the ball, releasing The Lighthouse, The Northmanand the 2024 horror remake Nosferatus. To The NorthmanEggers told his epic historical film about the Viking people. Nicole Kidman has signed on as Queen Gudrún, mother of Amleth (Alexander Skarsgard).

The story follows Amleth, a young man when his uncle Fjölnir (Claes Bang) staged a coup and beheaded King Aurvandill (Ethan Hawke). Amleth then goes into hiding and plans his revenge to take back his father's clan. Kidman's role is very important, as she was the one who planned the coup and had her husband murdered, and she has no love for her son, as he was born as a result of rape. In a rare villainous role, Kidman gave an impressive performance in this universally acclaimed film.

8

The Deceived (2017)

Martha Farnsworth

In 2017, Nicole Kidman joined forces with director Sofia Coppola for a Southern Gothic thriller, The deceived. The story takes place during the American Civil War in a boarding school where only the director, five students and a teacher remain. While the youngest student, Amy (Oona Laurence), is in the woods, she finds an injured Union Army corporal named John (Colin Farrell) and brings him back to the school. Nicole Kidman plays the role of Miss Farnsworth, the headmistress.

Farrell was the only major male character in the cast, which also included Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning. While The deceived had a limited release, critics mainly praised the film, with Sofia Coppola's direction restrained, allowing the cast to shine. Coppola won Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival, with the cast taking home Best Ensemble Performance at the International Online Cinema Awards.

7

The Others (2001)

Grace Stewart

In 2001, Nicole Kidman worked with director Alejandro Amenábar on the gothic horror film The others. The film takes place in 1945 with Grace Stewart living in a remote cottage on the island of Jersey. She lives there with her two young children, Anne and Nicholas, and struggles to keep them healthy as they have light sensitivity issues. After Grace hires three new employees as a housekeeper, gardener and maid, she soon comes to believe that her house may be haunted by spirits and struggles to keep her children safe.

The others has a twist that has been spoofed and referenced in many haunted house films since it was released, but it's done masterfully here. Kidman is perfect as the mother who slowly realizes the truth about her life and home and has to face what she has done and what the future holds. Kidman won a Saturn Award for her performance, with nominations for the BAFTA Awards, Goya Awards and Satellite Awards.

6

Rabbit Hole (2010)

Becca Corbett

In 2010, Nicole Kidman took on a role in the drama film Rabbit Hole. Directed by Hohn Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the furious itch) and based on the play by David Lindsay-Abaire, the film is one of Kidman's most profound. She plays Becca, who along with her husband Howie (Aaron Eckhart) is mourning the death of her four-year-old son. Joining them in the cast was a group of famous actors, including Dianne Wiest, Giancarlo Esposito and Miles Teller in his film debut.

Rabbit Hole received critical praise after its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Nicole Kidman was especially credited for her performance in the film as a grieving mother. The role earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. She also received nominations for the Golden Globe, Independent Spirit, Satellite and SAG Awards.

5

Big Little Lies (2017)

Celeste Wright

Nicole Kidman went into television and began not only starring in TV shows but also producing them to ensure they were developed in the way she felt they deserved. The best of them came in 20917 with an adaptation of the novel Big little lies by Liane Moriarty. Created by David E. Kelley (Ally McBeal), the HBO series features five women who become involved in a murder investigation. Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, Zoë Kravitz and Reese Witherspoon join Kidman in the cast.

After the explosive first season concluded the murder investigation, Meryl Streep joined the cast for season two as the murder victim's mother, searching for answers. Big little lies was critically acclaimed, with 16 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, winning eight. Kidman won an Emmy for her performance and the first season also won Best Limited Series.

4

Lion (2016)

Sue Brierley

Nicole Kidman took on a supporting role in the 2016 biographical drama Lion. In this film, Dev Patel stars as Saroo Brierley, a man who was separated from his family in India as a child and returns 25 years later to find them. Based on the 2013 nonfiction book A long way home From the real Brierley, the film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and received critical praise for both the story and the acting. with Patel and Kidman receiving high praise for their work.

Both Patel and Kidman received Oscar nominations for their performances and the film also received four other nominations. Kidman plays Sue Brierley, the Australian who adopted him, teaching him English and raising him in Tasmania. While the plot focuses on Saroo searching for his biological mother, Kidman delivers a strong performance from Sue, the woman who raised him as a mother but who fully supports his dreams of finding the family he lost as a child.

3

To Die For (1995)

Suzanne Stone Maretto

Nicole Kidman teamed up with Gus Van Sant in 1995 for the black comedy film To die. This was one of Kidman's first film roles and showed that she was ready to make a name for herself as a leading actress. The film based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Joyce Maynard tells a story inspired by real-life American Pamela Smart who was convicted of being an accessory to first-degree murder, conspiracy to murder and witness tampering in the death of her husband.

There are some major differences in the film and Pamela Smart's story, as the real Smart is serving a life sentence, while Suzanne in the film got what she deserved after plotting her husband's death. Young Joaquin Phoenix and Casey Affleck star as the high school students she convinced to kill her husband, while Matt Dillon plays her husband. Critics praised Kidman's performance, and she won her first Golden Globe Award as well as a BAFTA nomination.

2

The Hours (2002)

Virginia Woolf

In 2002, Nicole Kidman joined forces with Meryl Streep and Julianne Moore for Stephen Daldry's period drama. The hours. This film resulted in Daldry's second of three Oscar nominations for Best Director (2000s Billy Elliot and 2008 The reader). The three actresses play characters all linked to Virginia Woolf's 1925 novel Mrs.although they all live in different time periods.

Nicole Kidman actually plays Virginia Woolf in 1920s England as she struggles with depression while writing Mrs.. Moore plays Laura Brown, a pregnant housewife in 1951 in an unhappy marriage. Streep plays Clarissa Vaughan, a woman in 2001 who prepares an awards party for her poet friend Richard, a man fighting AIDS. The hours it received nine Oscar nominations and Kidman won the film's only Oscar when she took home the award for Best Actress.

1

Moulin Rouge! (2001)

Satina

In 2001, Nicole Kidman took on one of the most difficult roles of her career when she signed on to star in Baz Luhrmann's musical. Moulin Rouge! Kidman has previously said she needed convincing to join Moulin Rouge! because she didn't think she could handle the performance. She finally took on the role and it was one of the best decisions of her career as she totally owned the role of Satine.

Moulin Rouge! stars Ewan McGregor as Christian, a poet who falls in love with Moulin Rogue star Satine, a cabaret actress and courtesan. However, he realizes too late that this may be a relationship meant only for his dreams. The film was a box office and critical success and earned eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Nicole Kidman. It also won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and Kidman for her performance.