Nicole Kidman is a box office powerhouse and has been dominating the media scene since the 80s. She's had her fair share of success in both film and television, as well as serving as executive producer and producer on several of her movies and TV series. Of course, being married to country legend Keith Urban and raising their two daughters is a priority in her life, but she still finds time to bless fans with her onscreen presence. During her acting career, she's managed to rack up a whopping 260 award nominations and 112 wins. She won her first and only Oscar for her 2003 performance in The Hours but she's easily got room on her shelf for another little gold statue down the road.
As of 2023 alone, Kidman has nine productions in the works. The woman is busy. Five of those are TV roles, including the highly anticipated CIA thriller from Taylor Sheridan, Special Ops: Lioness, as well as various films. When spanning her entire career repertoire, it's almost impossible to pick out her best films and shows, but here are 15 of her all-time best. Sit back and enjoy some of the best acting you'll see from Kidman's incredible career spanning over three decades.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
MPTV/1999 WARNER
Kidman starred alongside her then-hubby Tom Cruise in this late nineties Stanley Kubrick thriller. She plays Alice Hartford, who shares her sexual fantasies for another man, which makes her husband incredibly jealous. Her husband, Bill Hartford, indulges in a late-night foreplay-esque fantasy that borders on an obsession.
Where to watch: Max
The Others (2001)
Miramax
Grace (Kidman) lives in an old house in the country with her two photosensitive children. She moves to the house during World War II to await news about her MIA husband. Throughout her stay, odd occurrences, and her children's claim to see ghosts, Grace is convinced the house is haunted. This mystery horror flick earned 55 nominations and won best screenplay. You'll never see the ending coming.
Where to watch: Max
The Interpreter (2005)
Phil Bray/Universal
Kidman stars in this suspense thriller, playing an interpreter working at the United Nations. When she accidentally hears about a suspected assassination plot on an African dictator, Zuwanie, a secret service agent (Sean Penn), is assigned to the case. Ultimately, Kidman winds up getting investigated as a prime suspect in the case.
Where to watch: Rent on Prime Video
Moulin Rouge (2001)
20th Century Fox
The 2001 jukebox musical was a smashing success from acclaimed director Baz Luhrmann, winning 87 awards, including two Oscars. Kidman plays Satine, the Moulin's Rouge dance club's top courtesan. She starts an affair with the bohemian Christian, much to the dismay of the Duke, a very wealthy and important client. Satine and Christian attempt to defy the odds and wind up together, though Satine's deadly illness throws a wrench in their plans.
Where to watch: Hulu
The Hours (2002)
Paramount Pictures
This harrowing story focuses on one day in the lives of three women, Clarissa Vaugh, Laura Brown, and Virginia Woolf, who are all living in different decades. Tragically, suicide, mental illness and depression are the underlying themes that tie these women's lives together. Kidman is joined by a powerhouse female cast, including Meryl Streep Claire Danes and Julianne Moore.
Where to watch: Freevee, Paramount+
Rabbit Hole (2010)
JOJO WHILDEN/Lionsgate
This adaptation of David Lindsay-Abaire's Pulitzer Prize-winning play centers around a picture-perfect family, with Kidman playing Becca Corbett. Even though her life and marriage appear happy on the outside, the tragic death of her four-year-old son in a car accident threatens to tear the family apart. Becca and her husband learn to deal with their unimaginable loss in opposite ways, which causes tension between the two of them.
Where to watch: Roku, Tubi, PlutoTV
The Paperboy (2012)
Lee Daniels Entertainment
This 2012 film focuses on a reporter who returns home to Florida to cover a death-row inmate's personal story in an attempt to prove his innocence. Kidman plays the convicted inmate's pen pal and fiancé. Kidman's performance opposite Matthew McConaughey and Zac Efron earned her a Golden Globe nomination.
Where to watch: Roku, Peacock, Vudu
Big Little Lies (2017)
Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/HBO
Though not a movie, one of Kidman's most celebrated roles is that of Celeste Wright on Big Little Lies. The HBO series focuses on the lives of five upper-class women who live in an affluent neighborhood in California. The veil of perfection is slowly lifted, showing an intimate and more sinister way of life. The show is based on Liane Moriarty's best-selling novel, with Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern rounding out the stellar cast. Even though the show is only two seasons, it racked up five well-deserved Emmy awards. While everyone makes the show worthwhile, Kidman is particularly magnetic as a woman caught in an abusive marriage.
Where to watch: Max
Being the Ricardos (2021)
Prime Video
Kidman took on the iconic role of everyone's favorite charming redhead, Lucille Ball, in the biopic of Lucille and Desi Arnez's life. The movie focuses on the duo's interpersonal relationship and how certain decisions impacted their careers, marriage, and future. Kidman was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress, with co-stars Javier Bardem and J.K. Simmons also landing nods for Best Actor and Supporting Actor, respectively.
Where to watch: Prime Video
Lion (2016)
Long Way Home Productions
Lion is based on the true story in which a young Indian boy gets lost from his family during a train ride and is abandoned in Kolkata, which is another world away for the child. Eventually, an Australian couple adopts the boy, and Kidman becomes his adoptive mother. Years later, she is there to help and guide her son as he works to reunite with his birth family.
Where to watch: Roku, Tubi, PlutoTV, Freevee
Dogville (2003)
Lions Gate Home Entertainment
Kidman plays Grace, a woman on the run from the mob, who finds refuge in the town of Dogville. The townspeople agree to keep her hidden and away from those desperate to find her in exchange for her labor. However, the more people look for her, the more the town demands to keep her safe.
Where to watch: iTunes
Cold Mountain (2003)
Miramax
This historical epic takes place during the American Civil War, with Kidman playing Ada Monroe. She is waiting for her injured soldier, W.P. Inman, to return from the war so that they can start their life together.
Where to watch: Paramount+, PlutoTV
Birth (2004)
Zade Rosenthal/New Line Cinema.
Kidman plays Anna, a widow who believes her dead husband has been reborn into a 10-year-old boy. One of the most infamous scenes that put the movie on the map is where Kidman and the young boy take a bath together. Even though the actress and child appear to be together, they are not. It's actually clever camera angles and movie magic that are used to shoot the intimate scene.
Where to watch: Vix, Rent on Prime Video
Dead Calm (1989)
Kennedy Miller Productions
In the 80s, when Kidman's career really started kicking off, her starring role in Dead Calm really proved that she had what it takes to take on drama, thrillers and ultimately become a Hollywood leading lady. Kidman stars as Rae Ingram, who is sailing out at sea with her husband John (a pre-Jurassic Park Sam Neil). They pick up a mysterious stranger (Billy Zane) who has abandoned a sinking ship and isn't all he seems to be. It's the ultimate unexpected thriller, all taking place within the small walls of a ship isolated at sea. Is there anything worse than being stuck just feet away from the enemy with quite literally nowhere to run? Shout out to Kidman's natural red hair that we rarely get to see with those wild curls.
Where to watch: Rent on Prime Video
Practical Magic (1998)
Getty
In all its witchy glory, this 90s gem has become a Halloween classic over the years, thanks to Kidman and Sandra Bullock's rendition of the Owens sisters in the adaptation of Alice Hoffman's novel. Kidman shines as Gillian, the more rebellious sister who absolutely loves falling in love, until she meets the wrong guy that just might ruin their family. Watch for the performance, stay for the dreamy New England setting that really brings the story to life.
Where to watch: Rent on Prime Video
READ MORE: First Look at Zoe Saldaña, Nicole Kidman in Taylor Sheridan's CIA Thriller 'Special Ops: Lioness'
