I first saw Nicole Kidman in the film Dead Calm that starred Sam Neill and Billy Zane, it's a good movie and I still watch it whenever it's on television. The fair skinned, red haired woman, full name Nicole Mary Kidman was born on June 20, 1967 in Honolulu, Hawaii to Anthony, a biochemist and clinical psychologist, and Janelle, a nursing instructor. She has a little sister named Antonia, at the age of 17 her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Both sisters actively took up campaigns to spread the awareness of breast cancer and handed out pamphlets on the streets. Right after she was born the family moved to Washington, D.C. where her father pursued research on breast cancer. Three years later, the family moved back to the parent's native home in Sydney, Australia. At a young age Nicole loved ballet, but she also took up mime and drama as well. In her teenage years she began to do more acting, and she soon retreated into the dark rehearsal halls to practice her art, instead of being out in the sun like other kids. Nicole Kidman worked 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. She eventually dropped out of highschool to pursue acting full-time.
At the age of 16, she landed a role in the Australian favorite Bush Christmas, in 1983. This was her break that got her film and television offers, including a lead in BMX Bandits in the same year and a turn as a schoolgirl-turned-protester in the miniseries "Vietnam" in 1986. She won her first Australian Film Institute Award for her role in Vietnam. With the help of an American agent, she eventually made her US debut in Dead Calm opposite Sam Neill in 1989. The movie that actually got her noticed was Days of Thunder in 1990 in which she played a doctor that was Tom Cruise's love interest. Soon after Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman were married on December 24, 1990.
The couple adopted two children, a daughter, Isabella Jane born in 1993, and a son Connor Antony born in 1995. Despite the fact that everyone thought that this was the marriage that would last in modern Hollywood times, the couple announced that they were separating. The couple separated on February 5, 2001. It was reported that Nicole Kidman was pregnant but had a miscarriage.
Other films that Kidman has worked with Cruise in are Far and Away in 1992, and Eyes Wide Shut in 1999 that took 2 years to film with the famous director Stanley Kubrick. The project was kept in top secret during the whole of filming. At one time the press had gotten the name of the film which was Eyes Wide Open so the director changed it to Eyes Wide Shut.
The actress can now be seen starring opposite Ewan McGregor in Moulin Rouge, a modern day musical directed by Baz Luhrman.