Nicole Kidman

The left handed, blue eyed beauty, Nicole Kidman, was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on June 20, 1967. The Kidmans lived in the U.S. because Nicole's biochemist father was conducting research on breast cancer. Her father, Anthony Kidman, is author and assistant professor for psychology and biochemistry. Her mother, Janelle Kidman, is a nurse and a nursery-school teacher. Nicole is a member of one of Australia's famous families. Her grandfather, Sir Sydney Kidman, was a big landowner and one of the continent's biggest stockbreeder.

Once Nicole was 4 years old, her family moved to Australia, where Nicole and her younger sister were raised under strict rules. Anthony and Janelle Kidman were extremely politically active, and instilled certain values into their daughters.

Nicole felt extremely awkward and out of place while growing up. Although today her statuesque figure is part of her beauty, as a child her figure was not proportionate, and she stood at a lanky height compared to her classmates. Her pale complexion did not make matters any better for young Nicole. Nicole dropped out of high school when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in order to help her. At the same time, Kidman pursued her acting classes. Her mother finally recovered, but Nicole never returned to finish high school.

She participated regularly at the Philip Street Theater in Sydney, where future director Jane Campion, who was a film student at the time, was greatly impressed by Nicole's acting abilities. Her love for ballet and the performing arts, as well as Jane Campion's encouraging words, were enough for Nicole to know that acting was her calling.

She had her first professional role in Bush Christmas, a holiday movie released in 1983. The same year, she also had parts in the teenager movie BMX Bandits and in the ABC TV series Winners.

She worked five days a week for seven months for the Disney Channel mini-series Five Mile Creek. After a series of other jobs, her breakthrough came in 1986 with the lead role in the TV mini-series Vietnam. The character of Megan Goddard was the first serious part she was offered and it made her a star in Australia. She was awarded Australia's Best Actress.

She soon became recognized across the globe in the United States, when she appeared in the thriller, Dead Calm, 1988. As Rae Ingram, she starred as Sam Neill's wife in Philip Noyce's thriller. In the same year she successfully appeared on stage, e.g. in Steel Magnolias at the Sydney Seymour Center. She also appeared in the TV-series Bangkok Hilton.

Finally growing into her figure, Nicole next appeared in the film Days of Thunder, which would mold her life in more ways than one. In the racecar flick, she stole co-star Tom Cruise's heart both on and off screen. Tom, married to actress Mimi Rogers since 1987, divorced in April 1990. They moved in together after the film. On December 24, 1990, Nicole Kidman married Tom Cruise. They have an adopted daughter, Isabella Jane, born in 1992 and an adopted son, Connor Antony, born in 1995. Kidman and Cruise divorced in August 2001.

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