Nicole Kidman sure has been in many movies and tv shows.
It’s not surprising though; she’s a phenomenal actress.
Among Nicole’s many accolades are an Oscar for Best Actress, a BAFTA for Best Actress, an Emmy for Lead Actress, five acting Golden Globes, and in April 2024, she became the first-ever Australian to receive the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award.
Nicole began acting as a teen, making her film debut in Bush Christmas when she was just 16-years-old.
Then, in 1989, when she was 21-years-old, Nicole starred in Dead Calm with Sam Neill and Billy Zane. Ultimately, this ended up being her breakthrough role.
Flash forward to 2024, and Nicole is one of the biggest names in Hollywood with an impressive filmography under her belt…
Read on to see the best Nicole Kidman movies and tv shows as well as where to watch them in Australia.
Expats
Based on Janice Y.K. Lee’s book The Expatriates, Expats follows three expatriates living in Hong Kong – Margaret, Mercy and Hilary – who are all affected by Margaret’s youngest son suddenly disappearing without a trace.
Nicole Kidman stars in the miniseries as Magaret and gives a truly powerful performance.
Stream Expats on Prime Video from $9.99/mth, with a 30-day free trial.
Being the Ricardos
In Being the Ricardos, Nicole plays Lucille Ball, and the biographical drama film explores the relationship Lucille had with her I Love Lucy co-star Desi Arnaz, played by Javier Bardem.
Ultimately, Being the Ricardos is a serious must-watch; simply because all of the performances are superb. Both Nicole and Javier were even nominated for their efforts at the 2022 Oscars.
Stream Being the Ricardos on Prime Video from $9.99/mth, with a 30-day free trial.
Nine Perfect Strangers
Based on the Liane Moriarty book of the same name, Nine Perfect Strangers follows nine individuals who enrol for a 10-day retreat at the health and wellness resort Tranquillum House.
Nicole stars in the series as Masha Dmitrichenko, the Russian founder of the resort – which isn’t at all what it initially seemed… In honour of her American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award, in April 2024, Nicole spoke about several projects she’s starred in with Stellar. She had nothing but glowing things to say about Nine Perfect Strangers.
“I am incredibly proud of this show and what we achieved together. Now, we are filming a second season with a lot of the same people.”
Stream Nine Perfect Strangers on Prime Video from $9.99/mth, with a 30-day free trial.
Big Little Lies
Big Little Lies is also based on a Liane Moriarty book; this adaptation stars Nicole as well as Hollywood heavyweights Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, Zoë Kravitz and Laura Dern – and ended up winning 8 Emmy Awards.
If you’re looking for a compelling ‘mystery’ series to indulge in, or just want to see Nicole at her absolute peak acting-wise, seriously look no further.
Stream Big Little Lies on BINGE from $10/mth, with a 7-day free trial.
Paddington
This film is like a warm hug. There’s really no other way to describe it; it’s such a delightful film based on the Paddington Bear books.
Plus, it’s fun to see Nicole play the villain. And if you’re still not convinced, the late Queen Elizabeth II loved Paddington…
Stream Paddington on Prime Video from $9.99/mth, with a 30-day free trial.
Bewitched
Bewitched isn’t really a remake of the iconic series that starred Elizabeth Montgomery; it’s more of an homage. Written and directed by Nora Ephron – the mastermind who was behind When Harry Met Sally, You’ve Got Mail and Sleep in Seattle – Bewitched is a fun film, perfect for the whole family.
Plus, Nicole leads an all-star cast: Will Ferrell, Michael Caine, Shirley MacLaine and Kristin Chenoweth.
Stream Bewitched on Foxtel Now from $35/mth, with a 10-day free trial.
Cold Mountain
Nicole sure does love starring in projects that were based on books. Cold Mountain – based on the 1997 Charles Frazier novel of the same name – is set during the Civil War and follows a wounded soldier who endeavours to get back to the woman he loves.
A gripping tale and an incredible cast that includes Nicole, Jude Law, Renée Zellweger, Eileen Atkins, Kathy Baker, Brendan Gleeson, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Ray Winstone and Natalie Portman; what more could you ask for?
Stream Cold Mountain on BINGE from $10/mth, with a 7-day free trial.
The Hours
The Hours – the film that Nicole won her Best Actress Oscar for. Nicole plays Virginia Woolf, just as she’s begun writing the book Mrs Dalloway.
Ultimately, The Hours is a poignant film that manages to cleverly intertwine the lives of three very different women; there’s Virginia in 1923, Laura Brown (played by Julianne Moore) in 1951 and Clarissa Vaughan (played by Meryl Streep) in 2001… As aforementioned, Nicole reflected on several projects she’s starred in to Stellar; she said the following about this film:
“The Hours came from brilliant writing and directing and a very particular moment in life for me. I think I kind of channelled Virginia in a way that was very aligned with my universe at the time. Stephen [Daldry, the director] knew just what to do with me, but the experience of playing this role and the attention that followed is a bit of a blur – it just all seemed to have happened.”
Stream The Hours on Paramount Plus from $9.99/mth, with a 7-day free trial.
Moulin Rouge!
Come what may, you’ve got to see Moulin Rouge! at least once in your life. The jukebox musical, directed by Baz Luhrmann and set in 1890s Paris, stars Ewan McGregor as a poor Bohemian poet who falls for a beautiful courtesan, played by Nicole.
Moulin Rouge! could only be described as a camp fever dream – which should be taken as a compliment. When speaking to Stellar in April 2024, Nicole said of this film, “Passion, vision and belief. Moulin Rouge! captured it all. The greatest filmmaking with such vision behind it. We bonded forever, and I count Baz and CM [Catherine Martin, the costume and production designer] among my closest friends. You’re sensing a theme here. No-one had done anything like it before. Truly visionary.”
Stream Moulin Rouge! on Disney Plus from $13.99/mth. Subscribe now.
Practical Magic
Practical Magic may have bombed at the box office back in 1998, but it’s now considered a cult classic – and rightfully so. The film follows two sisters, played by Nicole and Sandra Bullock, who are descended from a long line of witches.
Fun, spooky and filled with dark comedy, Practical Magic is a great film and we’ll never understand why it was under-appreciated when it was first released.
Stream Practical Magic on Stan.
Days of Thunder
Days of Thunder is the film that introduced Nicole and Tom Cruise. Of course, Nicole is now happily married to Keith Urban but it is nicely nostalgic to see a young Nicole and a young Tom together.
The film follows a NASCAR racer and while it has a very similar plot to Top Gun (but instead of pilots, it’s drivers), it’s still worth a watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Stream Days of Thunder on Paramount Plus from $9.99/mth, with a 7-day free trial.
