Biography of Nicole Kidman

Nicole Mary Kidman is a multi-faceted personality. She is an accomplished actress, a singer, a humanitarian and a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) and UNIFEM (United Nations Development Fund for Women). She has won several awards for her outstanding performances in some very popular movies. She was the highest-paid actress of Hollywood in the year 2006.

Nicole Kidman was born to Dr Anthony David Kidman and Janelle Ann in Hawaii on June 20, 1967. Her father is a biochemist and a clinical psychologist. Her mother is a nursing instructor. After the birth of Nicole, her parents moved to Washington DC where her father was pursuing his research studies. When Nicole was four years old, they returned to Australia. Nicole has a sister named Antonia Kidman, who is a journalist.

Nicole did her schooling in Lane Cove Public School and and North Sydney Girls' High School. Then she joined Victoria College of Arts in Melbourne and later Phillip Street Theatre in Sydney. Well-known actress Naomi Watts and Nicole Kidman went to the same college and they are best friends ever since. As a child, Nicole was very fond of ballet. She was good at mime and drama as well. But as she grew up, she became more inclined towards acting.

Her acting career began at the age of 15, in a music video for the song "Bop Girl", a hit number, of famous Australian singer Pat Wilson, in 1983. This was followed by a number of supporting roles in films and TV series. She made her debut in Hollywood in 1989, in the movie Dead Calm, where she was the lead actress opposite Sam Neil. In this film, she portrayed the character of the wife of a naval officer. She received rave reviews from the critics, for her excellent performance in the movie. In 1990, she was paired with Tom Cruise, for the first time in Days of Thunder. Their second movie together was Far and Away which came in 1992.

In 1995, Nicole's role in a satirical comedy To Die For won her the first Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. Her second Golden Globe Award for Best Actress came in 2001 for a musical film, Moulin Rouge. The following year she received both the Academy as well as the Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress, for her outstanding performance as Virginia Wolf in The Hours. She was the first Australian actress to win an Academy Award. The icing on the cake was when Nicole received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003.

Apart from acting in films, Nicole has acted in a stage play The Blue Moon. She was the face of the famous perfume brand Chanel No. 5 for some years. Her talent, as a singer, got recognition in her famous film Moulin Rouge. Her vocal performance was well-appreciated. She also did a voice over for an animated film Happy Feet. She was ranked 45th in the list of the Most Powerful Celebrities issued by Forbes Magazine in 2005.

Nicole was married to actor Tom Cruise for 10 years. Their courtship began on the sets of Days of Thunder in 1990. The couple got married on Christmas Eve 1990 in Colorado. They adopted two children - a daughter Isabella Jane and a son Connor Anthony. The world was stunned when they went on to seek a divorce in February 2001. Nicole was three months pregnant then, and suffered a miscarriage. There were several rumors about the possible reasons for their break-up but both of them maintained a dignified silence.

Nicole met her present husband, singer Keith Urban, in January, 2005. They dated for one and half years before marrying. They exchanged vows on June 25, 2006 in Sydney. Nicole and Keith's daughter, named Sunday Rose Kidman Urban, was born on July 7, 2008 in Nashville, Tennessee. Nicole presently stays with her family in Tennesse.

Nicole Kidman's accomplishments are not confined to her movies. She has used her celebrity status to raise awareness on various social issues. She is associated with UNICEF as its Goodwill Ambassador since 1994. She helped UNICEF on several occasions to raise funds for the under-privileged children across the globe. She became a part of "Little Tee Campaign" to support those suffering from breast cancer. As a mark of acknowledgment for her contribution to society, the United Nations conferred her with the honor of "Citizen of the World" in 2004. The highest civilian honor of Australia, a Companion of the Order of Australia, was bestowed on her, on January 26, 2006 to recognize her spectacular achievements.

Nicole Kidman is an intense actress. Her elegance and charm have mesmerized her fans all over the world. It is likely that we may not be able to see much of her in films for the next few years due to her responsibilities as a mother. But this strong-minded, humble Aussie actress is unstoppable, and she will remain active with her on and off screen activities for many years to come.