Elegant redhead Nicole Kidman, known as one of Hollywood's top Australian imports, was actually born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Anthony (a biochemist and clinical psychologist) and Janelle (a nursing instructor) Kidman. The family moved almost immediately to Washington, DC, where Nicole's father pursued his research on breast cancer, and then, three years later, made the pilgrimage to her parents' native Sydney. Young Nicole's first love was ballet, but she eventually took up mime and drama as well (her first stage role was a bleating sheep in an elementary school Christmas pageant). In her adolescent years, acting edged out the other arts and became a kind of refuge -- as her classmates sought out fun in the sun, the fair-skinned Kidman retreated to dark rehearsal halls to practice her craft. She worked regularly at the Philip Street Theater, where she once received a personal letter of praise and encouragement from audience member Jane Campion (then a film student). Kidman eventually dropped out of high school to pursue acting full-time. She broke into movies at age 16, landing a role in the Australian holiday favorite Bush Christmas. That appearance touched off a flurry of film and TV offers, including a lead in BMX Bandits and a turn as a schoolgirl-turned-protester in the miniseries Vietnam (for which she won her first Australian Film Institute Award). With the help of an American agent, she eventually made her US debut opposite Sam Neill in the at-sea thriller Dead Calm.

Kidman's next casting coup scored her more than exposure. While starring as Tom Cruise's doctor/love interest in the racetrack romance Days of Thunder, she won over the Hollywood hunk hook, line, and sinker. After a whirlwind courtship (and decent box office returns), the couple wed on December 24, 1990. Determined not to let her new marital status overshadow her fledgling career, the actress pressed on. She appeared as a catty high school senior in the Australian film Flirting, then as Dustin Hoffman's moll in the gangster flick Billy Bathgate. She reunited with Cruise for Far and Away, the story of young Irish lovers who flee to America in the late 1800s, and starred opposite Michael Keaton in the tear-tugger My Life. Despite her steady employment, critics and moviegoers still hadn't quite warmed to Kidman as a leading lady. She tried to spice up her image by seducing Val Kilmer in Batman Forever, but achieved her real breakthrough with Gus Van Sant's To Die For. As a fame-crazed housewife determined to eliminate any obstacle in her path, Kidman proved that she had an impressive range and deadly comic timing. She took home a Golden Globe and several critics' awards for the performance. In 1996, Kidman stepped into a corset to work with her countrywoman and onetime admirer, Jane Campion, on the adaptation of Henry James's The Portrait of a Lady. A few months later, she tore across the screen as a nuclear weapons expert in The Peacemaker, adding "action star" to her professional repertoire.

She and Cruise then disappeared into a notoriously long, secretive shoot for Stanley Kubrick's sexual thriller Eyes Wide Shut. The couple's on-screen shenanigans prompted an increase in public speculation about their sex life (rumors had long been circulating that their marriage was a cover-up for Cruise's homosexuality); tired of denying tabloid attacks, they successfully sued The Star for a story alleging that they needed a sex therapist to coach them through love scenes. Family life has always been a priority for Kidman. Born to social activists (mom was a feminist; dad, a labor advocate), Nicole and her little sister, Antonia Kidman, discussed current events around the dinner table and participated in their parents' campaigns by passing out pamphlets on street corners. When her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, 17-year-old Nicole stopped working and took a massage course so that she could provide physical therapy (her mom eventually beat the cancer). She and Cruise adopted two children: Isabella Jane (born in 1993) and Connor Antony (born 1995). Despite their rock-solid image, the couple announced in early 2001 that they were separating due to career conflicts. Her marriage to Cruise ended mid-summer of 2001.
The Golden Compass (2007): $15,000,000
Margot at the Wedding (2007): $6,000
Bewitched (2005): $17,500,000
The Interpreter (2005): $17,500,000
Birth (2004): $15,000,000
The Stepford Wives (2004): $15,000,000
Cold Mountain (2003): $15,000,000
Dogville (2003): $2,800,000
The Hours (2002): $7,500,000
Birthday Girl (2001): $1,500,000
The Others (2001): $7,000,000
Moulin Rouge! (2001): $7,000,000
Eyes Wide Shut (1999): $6,500,000
Practical Magic (1998): $6,000,000
The Peacemaker (1997): $5,000,000
The Portrait of a Lady (1996): $2,500,000
Batman Forever (1995): $2,500,000
To Die For (1995): $2,000,000
My Life (1993): $500,000
Far and Away (1992): $250,000
Billy Bathgate (1991): $200,000
Days of Thunder (1990): $200,000
Listed in "People Weekly"s "Most Intriguing People" list. (December 25 1995/January 1 1996 issue) 2000: She and her husband Tom Cruise donated to Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign for a seat in the U.S. Senate representing New York state. Suffered a broken rib while rehearsing a dance routine for the movie Moulin Rouge!. Production was halted while she recovered. 1999: Chosen by People Magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World. 1996: Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World. Wore a corset while filming The Portrait of a Lady to take her waist down to 19". Spent two weeks in bed after filming of The Portrait of a Lady - diagnosed as suffering from "emotional stress". Her father is renowned Sydney psychologist Dr. Antony Kidman, famous in his own right for work done with breast cancer patients, among other things. Family: sister, Antonia Kidman, brother-in-law, Angus Hawley, father, Dr. Anthony David Kidman, mother, Janelle Ann MacNeille Kidman, son, Connor Antony, daughter, Isabella Jane. 10/99: Crusader against child abuse. "Children should be allowed to grow up without fear of cruelty.". 2/5/01: Separated from husband Tom Cruise. In Moulin Rouge! Kidman sang alongside Ewan McGregor. 1/17/95: Conor Antony (adopted son) born. 12/22/92: Isabella Jane (adopted daughter) born. Sang alongside Robbie Williams in a remake of the duet "Something Stupid", originally sang by Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra. Scared of butterflies. 2001: Named one of People Magazine's 25 Most Intriguing People of 2001. 2001: Named E!'s Celebrity of the Year. 2001: Named Entertainment Weekly's Entertainer of The Year. Played a young girl named Grace on a sketch on Saturday Night Live with Mike Myers, the next time she played a character named Grace was her 2001 movie, The Others. She played a character named Grace for the third time in Dogville. She was supposed to be the star of Panic Room, but she hurt herself in a stunt for Moulin Rouge!. So, she played the voice of Jodie Foster's divorced husband's wife. 2002: Was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine. Sister of Australian television personality Antonia Kidman. Although naturally left-handed, she taught herself to write right-handed for her role in The Hours, where she played the right-handed author Virginia Woolf. 1/13/03: Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Found out about her first Academy Award nomination, for Moulin Rouge!, while shooting Dogville in Sweden. 2003: Ranked #31 in Premiere's annual Power 100 List. Had ranked #83 in 2002. First Australian actress to win the Best Actress Academy Award. 8/02: Voted the 5th Sexiest Female Movie Star in the Australian Empire Magazine. Measurements: 34B-23-36 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine). In recent polls, she was elected alongside fellow Aussie Hugh Jackman as one of the favorite upcoming romantic couples on screen. Originally cast as Mrs. Smith in Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Has appeared in My Life with Michael Keaton, Batman Forever with Val Kilmer, The Peacemaker with George Clooney and The Portrait of a Lady with Christian Bale. All four actors have played Batman in a movie. She was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1999 (1998 season) for Best Actress for her performance in "The Blue Room". Best friends with Naomi Watts. 1998: She was awarded the Special Award at the London Evening Standard Theatre Awards for her special and significant contributions to London Theatre for her performance in "The Blue Room". A very tall woman at nearly 5' 11", she actually stood about 4 inches taller than ex-husband Tom Cruise, and rarely wore heels when seen publicly with him so that they could appear similar in height. Since their divorce, she is rarely seen on the red carpet without high heels, and she often meets 6' 4" actors in the eye. Scored an IQ of 132+ While she usually commands $10 million+ for a movie, she is willing to receive only $500,000 for her role in "Eucalyptus (2006)". Produced by Fox Searchlight, its financing guideline shows that each actor signed on to the project can receive no more than $500,000, to keep costs low. This movie will be produced in Australia, another reason she decided to accept it. Frequently does her own nude scenes, declining to use body doubles. Replaced Rene Russo as Dr. Chase Meridian in Batman Forever when Val Kilmer replaced Michael Keaton. Likes the poetry of Anne Carson and the writing of Phillip Larkin. Writes short stories in her free time and hopes to publish them one day. Is in the 50th-anniversary edition of the Guinness Book Of Records as the highest-paid actress in a commercial. She netted $3.71 million for her part in a four-minute Baz Luhrmann-directed Chanel No. 5 movie ad. The ad, costing $11 million a minute, is a short film titled "No 5: The Film". Guinness book editors noted the actress earned $928,800 per minute. Costumes designed by Karl Lagerfeld and score by Debussy. Good friends with Russell Crowe. Was considered for the role of Catwoman. Had played a witch twice. Once in Practical Magic and again in Bewitched. 2005: Premiere Magazine ranked her as #48 on a list of the Greatest Movie Stars of All Time in their Stars in Our Constellation feature. 2004: One of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People for most wanted skin. Friends with Renée Zellweger and Jim Carrey. Is a pianist, and did her own piano-playing in Cold Mountain. Is highly conscious of avoiding excessive sun exposure, and is rarely seen during her downtime without a hat, sunglasses and wearing sunscreen. In fact, best friend Naomi Watts has said that "Nicole won't cross the street without a hat." In addition to having worked with all four of the most recent Batmans, she has also worked with both of the most recent actors to play Alfred Pennyworth. In Batman Forever, she appears with Michael Gough. In Bewitched, her father is played by Michael Caine. Shares her birthday with Brian Wilson, Josh Lucas, Tina Sinatra, Lionel Richie, Olympia Dukakis, Martin Landauand Errol Flynn. Has one niece: Lucia (b. 1999) and two nephews: Hamish (b. 2001), James (b. 2003). 8/04: Australian business magazine Business Review Weekly listed Kidman as the richest Australian woman under age 40, estimated at a worth of $155 million (Australian). Is a childhood friend of Peter Overton, a reporter for the Australian 60 Minutes program. Both lived in the same suburb of Sydney when they were children. Has Irish ancestry. She and ex-husband Tom Cruise made 3 movies together: Days of Thunder, Eyes Wide Shut and Far and Away. They met on the set of Days of Thunder. Attended the same high school attended by Catherine Martin (two time Oscar winner for costume design and direction on Moulin Rouge! and wife of Baz Luhrmann) and legendary Australian actress Ruth Cracknell. Godmother of Harry (b. 19 September 2001), the son of Simon Baker and Rebecca Riggs. Riggs and Kidman are close friends. Named goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Fund for Women. Was listed as a potential nominee on both the 2006 and 2008 Razzie Award nominating ballots. She was suggested in the Worst Actress category on the 2006 ballot for her performance in Bewitched. And she was suggested again two years later on the 2007 ballot in the Worst Actress category again for her performances in the films The Golden Compass and The Invasion. She failed to receive either nomination. 2006: Her performance as Suzanne Stone Maretto in To Die For is ranked #40 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time. 2006: Accompanied her boyfriend Keith Urban to the Grammy Awards. It was their first public appearance together. 2005: Ranked as #69 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005" special supplement. 5/17/06: Engaged to country musician Keith Urban. Is allergic to strawberries. Wore a wedding gown at her wedding to Keith Urban by the label Balenciaga. Married Keith Urban in the St. Patrick's church in Manly, a suburb of Sydney. 230 guests attended her wedding to Keith Urban. Among them were her best friend Naomi Watts, Russell Crowe, Baz Luhrmann, Hugh Jackman and Nicole's two children Isabella and Conor. Jim Carrey was invited and greatly wanted to come, in fact he booked plane tickets to Australia, but last minute scheduling conflicts stopped him from going. She asked her wedding guests not to buy any presents for her and Keith Urban but to donate the money instead to some humanitarian organization. Her sister, Antonia Kidman, was a bridesmaid at her wedding to Keith Urban. She and Keith Urban honeymooned in Tahiti -- more precisely the St Regis in Bora Bora. Eva Longoria Parker and her boyfriend Tony Parker were also coincidentally staying there at the time. (So much for "getting away from it all".). Her second wedding ceremony lasted 35 minutes. Four Oscar winners were at her wedding to Keith Urban: Russell Crowe, Jane Campion, Catherine Martin and Kidman, herself. Baz Luhrmann read a love Psalm by New Zealand writer Joy Cowley (a nod to Urban's birth place) at her wedding to Keith Urban. Three star performers sang at her wedding reception to Keith Urban. Hugh Jackman sang "Tenterfield Saddler", a favorite of Urban's. Keith Urban sang his hit song "Making Memories of Us" to her. Neil Finn sang "Fall At Your Feet". Dropped out of the role of Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator due to scheduling conflicts. Ex-girlfriend of Lenny Kravitz. 2006: Lives in an apartment in Sydney, with her husband, country music singer Keith Urban. (2006). Author Philip Pullman requested her specifically to play the role of Marisa Coulter in the movie adaptation of his book "His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass". Studied ballet and drama in Australia. Keith Urban's brother Shane Urban was best man at their wedding. Keith Urban gifted Nicole a first edition of Emily Brontë's novel, "Wuthering Heights", purchased from Sotherby's for $200,000 as a wedding present. Keith Urban's brother Marlon Holden was best man at their wedding. Stepmother of her children Isabella and Connor is Katie Holmes. Wrote the introduction to the book "Truth: Personas, Needs, and Flaws in the Art of Building Actors and Creating Characters" by her friend and acting consultant Susan Batson. 2004: Topped The Hollywood Reporter's list of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood . 9/01: Attended the Royal Premiere of Moulin Rouge! alongside Kylie Minogue, Prince Charles and Ewan McGregor. Was considered for the lead role in The Painted Veil, which eventually went to her best friend Naomi Watts. Is a fan of actress Aishwarya Rai, and her film Bride & Prejudice. Nicole got to meet Aishwarya for the first time at the 2005 Time Magazine's 100 most influential people in the world dinner held in New York City. Was cast as Ulla in The Producers, but backed out due to scheduling conflicts. The bridesmaids at her wedding were her daughter Isabella Jane Cruise, her sister Antonia Kidman and her niece Lucia. In honor of her June 2006 wedding to singer Keith Urban, Australian TV presenters Simon Reeve and Nelson Aspen teamed up to sing Nicole a live rendition of the theme song "Bewitched" on the morning news program Sunrise. 4/13/07: She was awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia, which is Australia's top civil honor, at a ceremony in Canberra. She was honored for her contribution to cinema as well as her charity work with women, children and cancer research. Was slated to star alongside Russell Crowe in the movie adaptation of Murray Ball's novel "Eucalyptus," but the project was dropped. Wore a red wig for her role in Moulin Rouge!. 2006: Presented her The Peacemaker co-star George Clooney his Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Was cast in Baz Luhrmann's doomed Alexander the Great-project. 2004: Presented her The Interpreter co-star Sean Penn his Best Actor Oscar. Jim Carrey is her best male friend. December 2007: According to Forbes, her movies averaged $8 of gross income for every dollar the actress got paid. Earns $4 million per year endorsing Chanel No. 5 perfume. Her three year contract is up for renewal in 2007. Turned down the lead role of "Roxie Hart" in Chicago because she had just completed Moulin Rouge! and did not want to do two musicals in a row. Her friend, Renée Zellweger, won the role of Roxie and an Oscar nomination for her efforts. In 2007, Forbes Magazine estimated her earnings for the year to be $28 million. Nicole and her husband, Keith Urban, are expecting their first child, together [January 7, 2008]. Because of the pregnancy, she had to drop out of her role as Hanna Schmitz in the film The Reader. She and husband Keith Urban, purchased a farm near Leipers Fork, Tennessee, which they are now renovating. (November 2007). Is left-handed.