Nicole Kidman has found herself in the headlines today after sources revealed that the acclaimed actor has split with her husband of 19 years, Keith Urban.
While her personal life might be in the spotlight, we thought it would be nice to take a walk down memory lane to look at some of our favourite Nicole Kidman roles.
Before she was an Oscar-winning household name, Nicole kickstarted her career at just 16 years old in the remake of Bush Christmas. However, it wasn’t until the 1983 classic BMX Bandits that she really started to gain traction in the Aussie entertainment industry. From there, her notoriety grew as she caught the attention of audiences in the United States after she appeared in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm, alongside Billy Zane and Sam Neill.
From there, her star power only grew as she copped a series of Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for her extremely varied performances across film and television.
In 2010, Nicole launched a production company named Blossom Films alongside Per Saari. Blossom Films has produced a series of independent films before teaming up with Amazon Studios to launch addicting television series such as Big Little Lies, Expats and Nine Perfect Strangers.
While there’s a lot of incredible Nicole Kidman roles to choose from, below are the TV WEEK team’s favourites throughout the years.
Nicole Kidman’s best roles, according to the TV WEEK team
Practical Magic (1989)
In 1989, Nicole starred alongside Sandra Bullock in the classic witchy film Practical Magic. The dynamic duo played sisters Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian (Nicole Kidman), who are taken in by their spinster magical aunts when their parents die. They went on to live their separate adult lives, mostly attempting to avoid magic due to a family curse that threatens to kill any man they fall in love with.
When the sisters find themselves in trouble, they resort to using magic to help them out of the disastrous situation. In the process, they have to confront their past and their magical heritage in order to save their future and the teeny-tiny town that fears them.
Practical Magic was a huge hit and a sequel, Practical Magic 2, was confirmed earlier this year. According to PEOPLE, filming wrapped on September 13 with the film scheduled to be released on September 18, 2026.
Big Little Lies (2017)
Based on the hit book by Aussie author Lianne Moriarty, Big Little Lies took the world by storm. The psychological drama series follows a group of mums at a wealthy primary school in Monterey, California, gearing up for a new school term. When a single mother named Jane (Shailene Woodley) moves to town with her son Ziggy (Ian Armitage), she’s taken under the wing of picture-perfect Celeste (Nicole Kidman) and vivacious Madeline (Reese Witherspoon).
Jane’s arrival is certainly a spanner in the works for the close-knit town filled with secrets, but the turmoil is taken to a whole other level when a murder takes place during a school function.
“Nicole’s best work in my opinion is her gut-wrenching portrayal of Celeste Wright in Big Little Lies,” TV WEEK’s editor-in-chief, Amber, says.
“Despite reading the book before watching the series, Nicole takes that character to the next level, and it was hard to watch – but in a good way!”
Australia (2008)
Australia is a Baz Luhrmann spectacular set in — you guessed it — Australia in 1939, just before World War II. The almost three-hour film followed a noblewoman named Lady Sarah Ashley as she travels down under to inspect a cattle ranch she inherited. But when English cattle barons make plans to sneakily take her land, she joins forces with a stockman known as The Drover (Hugh Jackman) to drive her cattle across the country to Darwin. But when they get there, they’re confronted by an attack by Japanese forces.
While the film had mixed reviews, we love how Baz Luhrmann and the cast leaned into grand epic tropes with an Aussie backdrop. It’s a classic, after all.
Nine Perfect Strangers (2021)
Nine Perfect Strangers was another Lianne Moriarty classic turned into a series and starring Nicole Kidman. It follows a group of nine extremely different people who attend a wellness retreat to gain respite from their lives and hopefully better themselves. Nicole plays the mysterious and compelling retreat owner Masha, who uses healing methods that are so unconventional, the guests’ lives are turned upside down.
The series is filled with twists and turns, and features an incredible cast including Melissa McCarthy, Michael Shannon, Luke Evans, Asher Keddie, and Bobby Cannavale.
“I was obsessed with Nine Perfect Strangers season one,” says TV WEEK Digital editor Laura.
“Admittedly, Nicole’s Russian accent is a bit of a shock, but once you get over that jump scare, her performance as the creepy resort leader is nothing short of amazing.”
Dead Calm (1989)
Filmed in the Great Barrier Reef, Dead Calm is an Australian classic. It follows a young mother named Rae (Nicole Kidman) who has recently lost her son in a car accident. Her husband, a naval officer named John (Sam Neill) suggests that they take out their yacht for a month-long trip into the Pacific Ocean to work through their grief.
During their trip, they come across a man named Hughie (Billy Zane) who claims his ship is sinking and that his fellow sailors died of food poisoning. But when John ventures on to Hughie’s boat to investigate, it becomes clear that Hughie is a psychotic killer. Now, separated from her husband, Rae must play a game of cat and mouse with Hughie in order to stay alive.
“As edge-of-your-seat boat thrillers go, this early Nicole movie is a salty success,” says TV WEEK writer Stephen.
“It’s impossible to take your eyes off a feisty Nicole as she battles a sleazy psycho played by Billy Zane. And yes, it’s her performance in this Aussie film that caught the eye of future husband, Tom Cruise.”
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
While Dead Calm is believed to be the film that saw Nicole catch the attention of her ex-husband, Tom Cruise, Eyes Wide Shut is rumoured to be the start of their romance. The film follows a doctor named Bill (Tom Cruise) who is shocked when he discovers that his wife, Alice (Nicole Kidman), is harbouring sexual fantasies about a man she met. With this new knowledge unlocked, he becomes obsessed with having his own sexy encounter. Along the way, he gets wrapped up in an underground sex group and discovers he may have bitten off more than he can chew.
Despite receiving mixed reviews, over time the film has become more widely appreciated for the complexity and depth of its scenes and the actor’s performances.
Moulin Rouge (2001)
As one of Baz Luhrmann’s muses, it’s no wonder that Nicole’s performance in Moulin Rouge has made this list. The beloved musical film follows the story of Satine (Nicole Kidman), a performer and courtesan at the Moulin Rouge in Paris, and Christian (Ewan McGregor) an English writer inspired by the Bohemian revolution. The moment he lays eyes on Satine, Christian falls in love. However, her affections are also desired by the club’s patron, a weaselly man named The Duke (xx).
Satine must keep the Duke on the hook to keep the Moulin Rouge in business but desperately wants to follow her heart to be with Christian. But as the love triangle ensues, it soon becomes clear that no one will be a true winner.
“Moulin Rouge is a classic,” TV WEEK Digital editor Laura says.
“It’s also a pretty amazing reminder that Nicole Kidman has an amazing singing voice.”
Not a bad list, hey? Nicole Kidman movie marathon, anyone?
Share this post