American Film Institue to honour Nicole Kidman with Life Achievement Award

Nicole Kidman is about to receive the ultimate honour of a Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute. Here are 10 reasons why.

Nicole Kidman is to receive a Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute. Picture: Angela Weiss/AFP

She may only be 55, but Nicole Kidman is about to receive the ultimate honour of a Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute.

Nicole joins previous recipients Elizabeth Taylor, Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks in the accolade, for her work over the past four decades. The gala in LA, which was postponed because of the writers’ strike, is being rescheduled soon.

While we always knew she was an Aussie legend from the minute she appeared as Judy in BMX Bandits in 1983, we take a look why she’s a winner with our top 10 favourite moments on-screen.

Eyes Wide Shut, 1999

Eyes Wide Shut.

Nicole cracked Hollywood when she appeared in Days of Thunder with Tom Cruise in 1990 and Batman Forever in 1995. But it was 1999’s Eyes Wide Shut with her then-husband, Tom, which hit the headlines. Director Stanley Kubrick’s last movie followed the fractured marriage of a couple who embark on a sexual odyssey. Nicole gave a powerful performance in the movie. She split from Cruise two years later.

Moulin Rouge!, 2001

Moulin Rouge.

We loved Baz Luhrmann’s musical Moulin Rouge! and so did Nicole – saying it was one of her favourite films to work on. The image of her as Satine, on a trapeze, swinging above the crowd like a goddess, is one of the defining moments of her career. The movie won two Oscars, with Nicole nominated for Best Actress.

The Hours, 2002

The Hours.

The noughties were all about Nicole showing her serious acting chops. And she did that in the critically-acclaimed movie The Hours, directed by Stephen Daldry. She won a Best Actress Oscar and Bafta for her portrayal of author Virginia Woolf, complete with prosthetic nose.

Cold Mountain, 2003

With Jude Law in Cold Mountain.

Nicole was on a roll following her Oscar win with another critics’ favourite, Cold Mountain, by director Anthony Minghella. She starred in the historical drama as Ada Monroe, who struggles to survive as her Confederate soldier lover, played by Jude Law, deserts the army and travels back to be with her.

Australia, 2008

With Hugh Jackman in Australia. Picture: Supplied

The hits kept coming through the decade, with crowd-pleasers like The Stepford Wives, Bewitched and The Golden Compass, plus indie movie Margot at the Wedding, but we couldn’t leave out Baz Luhrmann’s epic Australia, co-starring Hugh Jackman. Playing British aristocrat Lady Sarah Ashley, who inherits an Aussie cattle station in World War II, the film had mixed reviews but was a box-office success.

Rabbit Hole, 2010

Rabbit Hole.

Two years later, Nicole gave another award-winning performance in the heart-wrenching movie Rabbit Hole, earning her an Oscar nomination. The first movie from her production company Blossom Films saw her play grieving mother Becca, alongside screen-husband Aaron Eckhart.

Paddington, 2014

Paddington.

From the sublime to the ridiculous – how could we leave out Nicole’s supervillain turn against our favourite bear from Peru? In Paddington, Nicole played Millicent, the murderous museum taxidermist, to perfection.

Lion, 2016

Lion.

Two years later, Nicole was back on the Oscar shortlist when she earned a nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Lion. The movie followed the true story of Saroo Brierley (Dev Patel), an Indian “lost child”, who, after being adopted by an Australian couple – Sue (Nicole Kidman) and John (David Wenham) – travels back to India to find his family.

Big Little Lies, 2017

Big Little Lies. Picture: HBO

If you are going to make the switch to TV, then you want to do it your way. Teaming up with Reese Witherspoon, Nicole co-produced and starred in this hit series adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s novel and won an Emmy for her turn as Celeste Wright. She went on to make

Moriarty’s Nine Perfect Strangers also a success.

Being the Ricardos, 2021

Being The Ricardos. Picture: Supplied

It seems there’s nothing Nicole can’t do: the last movie on our list saw Nicole morph into screen-legend Lucille Ball on the cusp of hitting the big-time, alongside her husband Desi (Javier Bardem). Nicole received rave reviews for her performance, and another Oscar nomination.