Nicole Kidman was born on June 20, 1967, in Honolulu, Hawaii, the daughter of Australian parents who happened to be in the U.S. at the time for her father’s research. Most people know her as an Australian star, but it’s a little-known fact that she actually has dual citizenship – American and Australian. Home, though, has always meant Sydney, where she grew up and found her love of acting.
Her journey to international stardom wasn’t a straightforward fairy tale. Nicole’s early days were spent performing in suburban theatres and in small Aussie films like “Bush Christmas” and “BMX Bandits.” She jokes those roles taught her everything – like how to take a punch, or crash a bike on cue. But it was her breakout role in Philip Noyce’s thriller “Dead Calm” (1989) that put her on Hollywood’s radar. When she starred in “Days of Thunder” a year later, co-starring with a dashing Tom Cruise, her world changed unimaginably fast. Few might realize that Kidman was just 23 when she married Cruise and was suddenly under a relentless spotlight while still figuring out who she wanted to be as an actress.
Throughout the ’90s, Nicole carved a career that zigged and zagged between crowd-pleasers and riskier, edgier films – a move that wasn’t always understood in an industry eager to pigeonhole her. With “To Die For,” she won over critics, but it wasn’t until her marriage ended that her work took on a new, electric intensity.
From Personal Pain to Professional Triumph
The early 2000s were a turbulent, transformative period. After her split from Cruise in 2001, Nicole’s work became, by her own admission, a lifeline. She poured herself into a series of films that revealed her depth and courage as a performer: “Moulin Rouge!,” “The Others,” and her Oscar-winning portrayal of Virginia Woolf in “The Hours.” Looking back, some say you can see a rawness and vulnerability in those roles – a kind of openness that only comes from heartbreak and rebuilding.
Privately, Nicole was piecing her life back together. There were a few romantic chapters that didn’t last, including a little-whispered engagement to Lenny Kravitz in the early 2000s – a fact she only spoke about many years later. But fate took a kinder turn in 2005, when she met country singer Keith Urban at a gala for Australians in the U.S. They quickly became inseparable, marrying in 2006 and welcoming two daughters – Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret.
Remarkably, Nicole’s career has only strengthened with age. In an industry that too often sidelines women over 40, she’s found some of her most complex, celebrated roles later in life. Her Emmy-winning turn in “Big Little Lies,” the haunting performance in “The Undoing,” and her uncanny transformation as Lucille Ball in “Being the Ricardos” all showcase an artist willing to bare her soul, experiment, and surprise audiences.
The Real Nicole
For all her fame, there’s still something mysterious about Nicole Kidman. Friends describe her as down-to-earth and warm, but fiercely private. Over the years, she has spoken with disarming honesty about living with anxiety and the strange isolation of fame. Maintaining boundaries has mattered to her – not just for herself, but to give her four children something close to normalcy.
Her partnership with Keith Urban stands as one of Hollywood’s most enduring and quietly supportive marriages. The two intentionally keep parts of their life away from the cameras, splitting time between Nashville, LA, and Australia. When asked about the secret to their happiness, Nicole shrugged: “We just love being together. It’s that simple.”
Before Urban, Nicole’s love life was often fodder for rumor mills. She and Tom Cruise were married for 11 years and adopted two children, Isabella and Connor. Their high-profile split fueled endless tabloid speculation about Scientology, though Nicole has always kept details close to the chest. With Lenny Kravitz, she shared a whirlwind, almost-secret romance. Despite persistent tabloid claims, Nicole was never romantically involved with Steve Bing or Robbie Williams – just more Hollywood gossip that never matched the reality.
Now in her mid-50s, Nicole Kidman shows no signs of slowing down. She juggles acting, producing films through her production company Blossom Films, and enjoying family life. If anything, the sense of gratitude she brings to her life and work seems to have deepened with time.
Past Relationships
Keith Urban
Steve Bing
Robbie Williams
Lenny Kravitz
Q-Tip
Jude Law
Russell Crowe
Tom Cruise
Marcus Graham
Tom Burlinson
“I’m still as passionate about acting as I was when I started – maybe even more so,” Nicole reflected recently. “I know how lucky I am to tell stories, to really connect with people. That’s all I ever wanted.”