From her humble beginnings in Sydney studying theatre and starring in a handful of local television shows, Hawaiian-born Nicole Kidman finally got her big break in 1989 when she landed a role in Dead Calm.
Once the striking red head got her foot in the door, she’s never been short of roles. The mother-of-four even scored an Oscar for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in The Hours in 2003.
These days, you’ll find the talented star kicking back with her family, daughters Faith Margaret, Sunday Rose and hubby Keith Urban in Nashville – and it’s pretty clear that Nic couldn’t be happier!
“A lot of people say there are similarities [between Nashville and Australia] and I can see that – smaller town, slower pace, which I prefer, and you’re actually living a life, rather than just analysing it and talking about living it. My daughters have southern accents. It’s where my husband’s career is and I love it,” she told The UK’s Telegraph.
And lately, the world can’t get enough of Nicole thanks to her incredible role in Lion, which earned her an Oscar nomination, and her stirring portrayal of Celeste in Big Little Lies.
As for how she feels about entering the next decade of her life, Nic says she’s “absolutely embracing it.”
“I try to embrace all parts of my life now because I think you just go, ‘Wow. [I’m] so lucky, so blessed.’ [I’m] making an effort to go back and see my mum in Australia and spend time [with her]. I’ve got the whole summer off, so I’m just kind of relaxing,” she told Entertainment Tonight recently.
Nicole’s inspiring life truly proves that 50 is just the beginning!
In celebration of her milestone birthday, we’ve rounded up her best moments!
Serving up some serious sass back in 1983 as she promoted BMX Bandits.
Those curls! We have some serious hair envy right now.
“It’s a very brave thing to fall in love. You have to be willing to trust somebody else with your whole being, and that’s very difficult, really difficult and very brave,” she has mused.
Fast forward and the star is happily married to country crooner Keith Urban. “Keith always says, ‘We’re lucky we met late in life.’ The sadness of that is that we can’t have six kids together, but the greatness of that is we’ve gone A-Z with all that other stuff, so now we’re totally present for this.”
Who could forget this adorable moment when Nic and Keith donned matching yellow jerseys for the Nashville Predators game this year, which had been customised with their names on the back, of course…
nicole_kidman_and_keith_urban_celebrate_predators_goal
But it all could have panned out so differently! She once confessed to Jimmy Fallon that her friend tried to set her up with him when she was younger.
“I’m absolutely embracing it. I try to embrace all parts of my life now because I think you just go, ‘Wow. [I’m] so lucky, so blessed,'” the mother-of-four explains of turning 50.
Nic is also a doting mum to two adopted children with Tom Cruise, son Connor and daughter Isabella.
In 2003, she won the Best Actress for The Hours. Looking back on the huge moment, she’s since confessed: “Winning the Oscar was one of the loneliest nights of my life as I didn’t have anyone special to share it with at that stage in my life.”
At this year’s event, the starlet stunned in an Armani Prive gown.
The Aussie lovebirds put on an amorous display at the 2015 Grammy Awards.
The actress cuddles up with her Lion co-stars, Sunny Pawar and Dev Patel.
“There’s only a certain amount you can do once you have a children and a family. They say your art gets affected when you have a family, but I would much rather have a family,” she says of her priorities.
Over the years, the statuesque stunner has always stayed close to long-time pal Naomi Watts.
Nicole oozes elegance in a show-stopping gold gown for the 2015 Oscars.
This year, we fell in love with Nic all over again thanks to her incredible work on Big Little Lies.
The show was such a success, that fans are begging for a second season. “If the storyline could be powerful and compelling. If there is a way to form these women’s lives further, that’s really interesting. It would be so lovely if we could do it,” Nicole says.
But the star says her most important role is being a mum.
Happy 50th!
