Kidman, Nicole Mary (1967- )

Hawaiian-born Australian actor. She found an international audience with the thriller Dead Calm (1989), and her US movie debut followed with Days of Thunder (1990). Known for her versatile talent, statuesque beauty, and prolific acting career, she won a Golden Globe Award for her performance in To Die For (1995), and an Academy Award for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in The Hours (2002). Other notable films include Dogville (2003), Cold Mountain (2003), The Human Stain (2004), and The Stepford Wives (2004).

She won acclaim for her leading role in The Portrait of a Lady (1996), and collaborated with director Stanley Kubrick on Eyes Wide Shut, released in 1999. She received a Special Award (for significant contribution to London theatre) in the 1998 Evening Standard Drama Awards for her stage role in David Hare's The Blue Room. She was acclaimed for her performances in the films Moulin Rouge and The Others (both 2001).

Kidman began her career as a child actor, and as a teenager she appeared in such Australian films as Bush Christmas and BMX Bandits (both 1983). She later appeared in John Duigan's Flirting (1990), going on to feature in Hollywood productions such as Billy Bathgate (1991) and Batman Forever (1995). Other films include Far and Away (1992), My Life (1993), The Peacemaker (1997), Practical Magic (1998), and Birth (2004). She was married to US film actor Tom Cruise 1990-2001.