Nicole Kidman’s favourite thing about being an actor: “I think that’s amazing”
We’re a long way from the 1983 Australian holiday drama, Bush Christmas, and so is actor Nicole Kidman, who made her feature film debut in it at 16. From that point on, her résumé speaks for itself. Throughout the 1990s, she played opposite her then-husband, Tom Cruise, in Days of Thunder, Far & Away, and Eyes Wide Shut. All films received high praise for their overall success as well as the individual execution of her acting abilities. And, let’s be honest, it must be challenging to work with your spouse every day for months.
Kidman’s career never seemed to tire, even after starting a family and divorcing Cruise in 2001. She never fell out of the spotlight, or, seemingly, just took a break, or became an exiled former great actor who was forgotten due to an issue as common as the cold. While she is a five-time nominee, in 2003, she won her first and only Oscar for ‘Best Actress in a Leading Role’ for The Hours. And now, as we reach the golden age of streaming and television shows, she’s also jumped into projects with many different networks: Big Little Lies, anyone?
With her recent, still very talked-about performance in the sultry Babygirl, and many more great projects in the pipeline, it’s clear that she’s on a career high at an age where Hollywood usually pushes female actors to the sidelines. It’s hard to tell when Kidman plans on slowing down, but why would she, as, judging from her interview with Allure a few weeks back, she seems to be having the time of her life. Among other admissions, she also revealed in the interview what her favourite thing is about being an actor.
“When someone says, ‘It emotionally affected me’, I think that’s amazing,” Kidman says. “I’ve worked with a lot of directors that are mining areas that are disturbing or unusual. That’s exciting. Then, at the other end of the spectrum is something like The Perfect Couple—it’s just popcorn fun, and people are suddenly doing the dance on the beach. I would never have thought that was going to be such a massive hit. Then I’ll go for a walk. People are stopping me on the trail, going, ‘We love Perfect Couple!’.”
Indeed, people did love Netflix’s The Perfect Couple. The dramatic series had many of its viewers agreeing that it wasn’t going to win any awards anytime soon, but its soap opera feel had many treating it as 2024’s top guilty pleasure binge upon its release.
This should be a lesson in never forgetting the Babygirl star’s versatility. You can’t just lump Kidman into the crowd of great contemporary dramatic actors. She can go pick up some award season buzz and then make a small appearance in an Adam Sandler comedy like 2011’s Just Go With It, then dive back into something a little more serious like 2012’s The Paperboy.
Kidman is about the thrill of it all. She puts her craft above the paycheck, a rare thing to do in this economy, but when you’re the best of the best, you can afford it. Her second act over the last few decades isn’t really some big comeback. She has always been here, thriving on both big and small screens for many years. The Oscar winner is not going anywhere, and she’s going to continue to press forward, all because she loves what she does.
