15 Iconic Photos of Young Nicole Kidman
The critically acclaimed actress and philanthropist is set to release her new Netflix miniseries, "The Perfect Couple." Revisit some of her best moments with these old photos.
Few actors have made their mark on Hollywood like Nicole Kidman. Throughout her countless indomitable performances, the beloved star has deeply connected with her characters, making them fully dimensional, nuanced human beings with whom the audience can relate. Aside from her piercing on-screen presence, she has committed herself to philanthropy work and has been a staunch advocate for female directors and creatives, becoming an inspiring force among her peers.
Kidman first dipped her toes into acting when she was a teenager with the 1983 Australian films Bush Christmas and BMX Bandits. In her starring role in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm, she gave viewers a taste of her unrivaled rawness as an actress, sending her into the limelight.
Kidman achieved cultural domination in the 1990s, landing multiple lead roles in blockbuster flicks such as Days of Thunder and critically acclaimed films like To Die For. By 2002, she snagged an Academy Award for her part as Virginia Woolf in The Hours, and in 2004, she received a spot on the Time 100 list. Settled into fame and master in her craft, Kidman was unstoppable, quickly garnering widespread recognition from the industry and public.
She began her foray into production work in 2010 with the launch of her company, Blossom Films, which developed female-centered films like Monte Carlo and popular television series like Big Little Lies and The Undoing.
Despite her overwhelming celebrity and critical success, Kidman continues to push herself as an actress and breathe fresh life into cinema and television. “I’m fortunate that I’ve got a job where I get to explore emotional landscapes that are heavy, strange, extraordinary, bizarre, beautiful, deep,” Kidman told ELLE. “I don’t shy away from them, partly because I’m committed to examining life, what it means to be alive and feel.”
When she's not lighting up the screen, Kidman allocates much of her time and resources to noble causes and crucial research. She serves as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Fund for Women, has raised money for breast cancer prevention, and helped fund charities devoted to child welfare.
Kidman has created a powerful legacy for herself. She has made her characters multifaceted people, injecting them with mischievous insouciance, unvarnished candor, and hushed brilliance. In doing so, she implores the audience to reciprocate her compassion for the women whose stories she tells.
With Kidman’s upcoming mini-series, The Perfect Couple, coming out in September, L’OFFICIEL has rounded up young photos of the actress to celebrate how far she has come.