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Nicole Kidman is almost unrecognisable in stunning throwback photos that inspired her iconic role in Moulin Rouge

She looks completely different!
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Cast your mind back to 2001, when John Howard was our Prime Minister and low-rise jeans were still in fashion.

Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise had just announced their divorce after more than a decade of marriage, and she was the star of one of the biggest movies of the decade, Baz Luhrmann’s musical extravaganza Moulin Rouge.

The movie earned Nicole an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe win for best actor, truly cementing her as a global superstar.

Now, the 52-year-old has shared some stunning throwback photos from that glorious time in her life, more than 20 years ago now, as well as shedding some light on exactly how she came to be cast in the iconic role.

Nicole Kidman starring at Satine in the iconic 2001 film Moulin Rouge.

(Credit: Supplied)

Nicole (centre) with the film’s director Baz Luhrmann and her co-star Ewan McGregor at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival.

(Credit: Getty)

Nicole and Baz at the 2001 premiere of Moulin Rogue in Beverly Hills, LA.

(Credit: Getty)

Taking to Instagram on Wednesday morning, Nicole shared several images from an old Vogue shoot, revealing it was the first time she worked with Moulin Rouge director Baz Luhrmann, who also directed Romeo & Juliet, The Great Gatsby and Strictly Ballroom, as well as his wife and costume designer wife Catherine Martin, who always creates the costumes in Luhrmann’s films.

It seems it was collaborating on this particular photoshoot that led to Nicole being cast in the role of a lifetime.

“Who could have imagined that this photoshoot would lead to me being cast in #MoulinRouge ❤️ ” Nicole captioned the series of images.

“It was the first time I worked with @BazLuhrmann and @CatherineMartinDesigns when they took over editing an issue of @VogueAustralia xx.”

The photos show a gorgeous young Nicole embracing her inner chameleon, showing off a series of different looks in fun wigs and costumes.

Nicole is no stranger to changing her appearance for her work, whether it’s for a photoshoot or a film or TV role.

She famously donned a prosthetic nose when she played Virginia Woolf in the 2002 film The Hours, a performance for which she won an Oscar.

WATCH BELOW: Nicole Kidman opens up about her marriage to Tom Cruise in rare interview. Story continues after video.

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She also wore a wig to play Celeste in the HBO adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s hit novel Big Little Lies, and recently wowed audiences with her transformation into former Fox News presenter Gretchen Carlson in the new movie Bombshell, who famously sued her employer Roger Ailes for sexual harassment.

Now, Nicole is happily married to the love of her life, husband Keith Urban, and the couple have two daughters together, Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret.

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