Nicole Kidman
Birthday:
20 June 1967, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Birth Name:
Nicole Mary Kidman
Height:
180 cm
Elegant blonde Nicole Kidman, known as one of Hollywood's top Australian imports, was actually born in Honolulu, Hawaii, while her Australian parents were there on educational visas.Kidman is the daughter of Janelle Ann (Glenny), a nursing instructor, and Antony David Kidman, a biochemist and clinical psychologist. She is of English, Irish, an...
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Elegant blonde Nicole Kidman, known as one of Hollywood's top Australian imports, was actually born in Honolulu, Hawaii, while her Australian parents were there on educational visas.Kidman is the daughter of Janelle Ann (Glenny), a nursing instructor, and Antony David Kidman, a biochemist and clinical psychologist. She is of English, Irish, and Scottish descent. Shortly after her birth, the family moved to Washington, D.C., where Nicole's father pursued his research on breast cancer, and then, three years later, made the pilgrimage back to her parents' native Sydney in Australia, where Nicole was raised. Young Nicole's first love was ballet, but she eventually took up mime and drama as well (her first stage role was a bleating sheep in an elementary school Christmas pageant). In her adolescent years, acting edged out the other arts and became a kind of refuge -- as her classmates sought out fun in the sun, the fair-skinned Kidman retreated to dark rehearsal halls to practice her craft. She worked regularly 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). Kidman eventually dropped out of high school to pursue acting full-time. She broke into movies at age 16, landing a role in the Australian holiday favorite Bush Christmas (1983). That appearance touched off a flurry of film and television offers, including a lead in BMX Bandits (1983) and a turn as a schoolgirl-turned-protester in the miniseries Vietnam (1987) (for which she won her first Australian Film Institute Award). With the help of an American agent, she eventually made her US debut opposite Sam Neill in the at-sea thriller Dead Calm (1989).Kidman's next casting coup scored her more than exposure. While starring as Tom Cruise's doctor/love interest in the racetrack romance Days of Thunder (1990), she won over the Hollywood hunk hook, line and sinker. After a whirlwind courtship (and decent box office returns), the couple wed on December 24, 1990. Determined not to let her new marital status overshadow her fledgling career, the actress pressed on. She appeared as a catty high school senior in the Australian film Flirting (1991), then as Dustin Hoffman's moll in the gangster flick Billy Bathgate (1991). She reunited with Cruise for Far and Away (1992), the story of young Irish lovers who flee to America in the late 1800s, and starred opposite Michael Keaton in the tear-tugger My Life (1993). Despite her steady employment, critics and moviegoers still had not quite warmed to Kidman as a leading lady. She tried to spice up her image by seducing Val Kilmer in Batman Forever (1995), but achieved her real breakthrough with Gus Van Sant's To Die For (1995). As a fame-crazed housewife determined to eliminate any obstacle in her path, Kidman proved that she had an impressive range and deadly comic timing. She took home a Golden Globe and several critics' awards for the performance. In 1996, Kidman stepped into a corset to work with her countrywoman and onetime admirer, Jane Campion, on the adaptation of Henry James's The Portrait of a Lady (1996). A few months later, she tore across the screen as a nuclear weapons expert in The Peacemaker (1997), adding "action star" to her professional repertoire.She and Cruise then disappeared into a notoriously long, secretive shoot for Stanley Kubrick's sexual thriller Eyes Wide Shut (1999). The couple's on-screen shenanigans prompted an increase in public speculation about their sex life (rumors had long been circulating that their marriage was a cover-up for Cruise's homosexuality); tired of denying tabloid attacks, they successfully sued The Star for a story alleging that they needed a sex therapist to coach them through love scenes. Family life has always been a priority for Kidman. Born to social activists (mother was a feminist; father, a labor advocate), Nicole and her little sister, Antonia Kidman, discussed current events around the dinner table and participated in their parents' campaigns by passing out pamphlets on street corners. When her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, 17-year-old Nicole stopped working and took a massage course so that she could provide physical therapy (her mother eventually beat the cancer). She and Cruise adopted two children: Isabella Jane (born 1993) and Connor Antony (born 1995). Despite their rock-solid image, the couple announced in early 2001 that they were separating due to career conflicts. Her marriage to Cruise ended mid-summer of 2001. Show less «
[August 2000, on her marriage to Tom Cruise] Every day there is a compromise. Living with somebody requires a lot of understanding. But I lo...Show more »
[August 2000, on her marriage to Tom Cruise] Every day there is a compromise. Living with somebody requires a lot of understanding. But I love being married. I really love it. Sometimes I try to downplay it a bit because people are like, "God you guys!" I just feel so fortunate that I have found someone who will put up with me and stay with me. Show less «
[on husband Tom Cruise] I wouldn't want to be married to me, but luckily he does.
[on husband Tom Cruise] I wouldn't want to be married to me, but luckily he does.
[8/01, commenting on her break-up with Tom Cruise] Now I can wear heels.
[8/01, commenting on her break-up with Tom Cruise] Now I can wear heels.
It's so bizarre, I'm not scared of snakes or spiders. But I'm scared of butterflies. There is something eerie about them. Something weird!
It's so bizarre, I'm not scared of snakes or spiders. But I'm scared of butterflies. There is something eerie about them. Something weird!
[on winning the Academy Award for The Hours (2002)] And I am standing in front of my mother, and my whole life I have wanted to make my moth...Show more »
[on winning the Academy Award for The Hours (2002)] And I am standing in front of my mother, and my whole life I have wanted to make my mother proud. And now I'm going to make my daughter proud. Show less «
When I heard about the Suzanne role in To Die For (1995), I thought, "I'll never get it - it'll be offered to someone else." So I called Gus...Show more »
When I heard about the Suzanne role in To Die For (1995), I thought, "I'll never get it - it'll be offered to someone else." So I called Gus [Gus Van Sant] at home, and he took my call, thank God. I told him I'd seen Drugstore Cowboy (1989), and I really wanted to work with him. I said I was destined to work with him. Show less «
I think it's important that we don't all have to hold our heads high all the time saying everything's fine.
I think it's important that we don't all have to hold our heads high all the time saying everything's fine.
These different people that I play become the loves of my life.
These different people that I play become the loves of my life.
The split [from Tom Cruise] left me very fragile but I'd love to marry again.
The split [from Tom Cruise] left me very fragile but I'd love to marry again.
I would love to have boobs and a butt like Jennifer Lopez but I'm not having surgery so there it is.
I would love to have boobs and a butt like Jennifer Lopez but I'm not having surgery so there it is.
[on receiving her star on the Walk of Fame] I've never been so excited to have people walk all over me for the rest of my life.
[on receiving her star on the Walk of Fame] I've never been so excited to have people walk all over me for the rest of my life.
You want to take some responsibility in your choices so that it sets the groundwork for that next generation of actresses - so for me workin...Show more »
You want to take some responsibility in your choices so that it sets the groundwork for that next generation of actresses - so for me working with Lars von Trier, I would hope that says to another generation: "go and seek out those directors, it's ok" Show less «
[on Dogville (2003)] One day it would be a fairy tale, the next it was a nightmare. Lars [Lars von Trier] was gentle with me - he was gentle...Show more »
[on Dogville (2003)] One day it would be a fairy tale, the next it was a nightmare. Lars [Lars von Trier] was gentle with me - he was gentle and soft, then he would beat me up emotionally when he felt he needed that. I did not always register what was happening until afterwards but you shouldn't have too much awareness as an actor, I don't think. Show less «
I have a boy's body. I would prefer to have more curves because I think that's more beautiful. I would much rather have J. Lo's [Jennifer Lo...Show more »
I have a boy's body. I would prefer to have more curves because I think that's more beautiful. I would much rather have J. Lo's [Jennifer Lopez] body than mine. Show less «
[on filming The Interpreter (2005) at UN headquarters in New York] As a backdrop for a thriller, it's fantastic, but also since I'm Australi...Show more »
[on filming The Interpreter (2005) at UN headquarters in New York] As a backdrop for a thriller, it's fantastic, but also since I'm Australian and I've always worked internationally and this is an international place in New York, I really like the kind of communication it represents. I know I sound very much like my character now, but I do believe in this place. Show less «
[on Cold Mountain (2003), The Human Stain (2003) and Dogville (2003) being released within months of each other] It's weird because they're ...Show more »
[on Cold Mountain (2003), The Human Stain (2003) and Dogville (2003) being released within months of each other] It's weird because they're all coming out at once. But I made them over 2-1/2 years. Show less «
You look at somebody's work as an actor and you can see their emotional life being fed into it and you can kind of feel them through it. Tha...Show more »
You look at somebody's work as an actor and you can see their emotional life being fed into it and you can kind of feel them through it. That's far more interesting than anything I could say about where I'm at or who I'm with. It's good to have a little distance. If you discuss your love too much, it just damages it. Show less «
[on the troubled The Stepford Wives (2004)] It's a comedy. We hope.
[on the troubled The Stepford Wives (2004)] It's a comedy. We hope.
Even from a very early age I knew I didn't want to miss out on anything life had to offer just because it might be considered dangerous.
Even from a very early age I knew I didn't want to miss out on anything life had to offer just because it might be considered dangerous.
Cinema is a director's medium, so you're saying, "What do you want?" Being an actor is about adapting - physically and emotionally. If that ...Show more »
Cinema is a director's medium, so you're saying, "What do you want?" Being an actor is about adapting - physically and emotionally. If that means you have to look great for it and they can make you look great, then thank you. And if you have to have everything washed away, then I'm willing to do that too. Show less «
[on Birth (2004)] This is a film about love. What is a great love? Is there a love of our life? Do you ever recover from the loss of somebod...Show more »
[on Birth (2004)] This is a film about love. What is a great love? Is there a love of our life? Do you ever recover from the loss of somebody that was so important to you? Show less «
Stanley Kubrick taught me to believe in myself artistically. I spent my 20s raising my children, and wanting to, and being married. That was...Show more »
Stanley Kubrick taught me to believe in myself artistically. I spent my 20s raising my children, and wanting to, and being married. That was my driving force. And then he said to me, "No, you have to respect your talent, and give it some space, and give it some time. Which was a lovely thing to be given. And my children were a little older then. Show less «
It was by chance that The Hours (2002) came along. Was I in a place where I could say, "I'm going to go to England and make this?" Yes. Coul...Show more »
It was by chance that The Hours (2002) came along. Was I in a place where I could say, "I'm going to go to England and make this?" Yes. Could I do that earlier, when I was married? No, I couldn't travel like that. We had a thing where we couldn't be separated for more than two weeks. So that made a lot of work just not possible. Which was fine by me. Show less «
I have moments where I've said, "Don't tread on that crack in the pavement, don't have a black cat walk in front of you." Deep down am I sup...Show more »
I have moments where I've said, "Don't tread on that crack in the pavement, don't have a black cat walk in front of you." Deep down am I superstitious? No. Do I believe in trying to be as kind as possible and as compassionate as possible because ultimately you're alone with yourself and your own conscience, and you want that to be as clear as possible? That's not superstition. You have to just try and stay pure and know what you value. Show less «
Usually, a young actress can't deliver because she doesn't have the emotional baggage, really, to play those things. That's something that's...Show more »
Usually, a young actress can't deliver because she doesn't have the emotional baggage, really, to play those things. That's something that's very beautiful about becoming a woman, and becoming a woman in your 30s. If you've lived your life, and lived it where you've said, "I want to be a participator and not a voyeur", then you have an enormous amount to pull on. Show less «
I'm still just finding my way through. I don't actually see a path in front of me. I can see not ever doing it again, and I can also see oth...Show more »
I'm still just finding my way through. I don't actually see a path in front of me. I can see not ever doing it again, and I can also see other things pulling me away from this. It's strange, because I know it's in my blood in terms of having to somehow act or express myself creatively, but I'm willing to do it different ways if need be. And I think that's partly because when I went through my divorce I dealt with the idea of never ever working again, and never being here and never able to be an actress, and went through an enormous amount of soul searching, and at that time, I was very ready to give it all up, and dealt with that emotionally. I was going, "Well, I'll never be able to do this again." And that was OK. And, strangely, as life is so strange, that was when everything exploded. Show less «
I never feel like I'm in control. There's a certain type of actor that relinquishes control when they act, and then there's another type who...Show more »
I never feel like I'm in control. There's a certain type of actor that relinquishes control when they act, and then there's another type who ends up being a producer and director and they're more someone that likes to take control. I fall in the first category, where I like to relinquish control, and fit into somebody else's world. And that's just lately, but you never feel like you are making choices. You feel like they're finding you in a strange way. That's why when people say, "What role do you want to play next?", I say, "I don't know". I never know. It's about responding to things rather than planning. Show less «
I think someone said my career defies all logic [laughs]. Because I choose the sort of strange little films, and somehow they're the things ...Show more »
I think someone said my career defies all logic [laughs]. Because I choose the sort of strange little films, and somehow they're the things that make my career. Show less «
So if you talk about a box-office career, then I'm a disaster. But somehow, you know, I still manage to find my way to work.
So if you talk about a box-office career, then I'm a disaster. But somehow, you know, I still manage to find my way to work.
I think actors are getting so much more power these days, but I'm not. I stay very much away from the decisions, the way in which things are...Show more »
I think actors are getting so much more power these days, but I'm not. I stay very much away from the decisions, the way in which things are orchestrated, what's been changed. I just try to stay completely in the role as the actor and as the character. Show less «
I'm at a time of my life now where, for me to want to go back and work, it'd have to be something that I really feel passionately about.
I'm at a time of my life now where, for me to want to go back and work, it'd have to be something that I really feel passionately about.
Regrets are ridiculous, so I don't regret, no.
Regrets are ridiculous, so I don't regret, no.
[talking about her character from Batman Forever (1995)] Chase is attracted to the darker side of life. Batman is very appealing to her.
[talking about her character from Batman Forever (1995)] Chase is attracted to the darker side of life. Batman is very appealing to her.
To be an actor you have to have a certain amount of madness in you. That's why, when people meet you and you seem very together, they are qu...Show more »
To be an actor you have to have a certain amount of madness in you. That's why, when people meet you and you seem very together, they are quite surprised--they don't see you behind closed doors. Show less «
[speaking of her father Antony Kidman] He's a great father, I can call him at three in the morning and he's there for me.
[speaking of her father Antony Kidman] He's a great father, I can call him at three in the morning and he's there for me.
By the time I was a teenager, I had developed skills as a writer, and my father encouraged me to think about a career in journalism. I began...Show more »
By the time I was a teenager, I had developed skills as a writer, and my father encouraged me to think about a career in journalism. I began keeping a diary, which I maintain to this day. I used to fill whole notebooks with my writings. Show less «
My parents thought it was nice to develop my imagination, but they never seriously thought that anything would ever come of it. They said th...Show more »
My parents thought it was nice to develop my imagination, but they never seriously thought that anything would ever come of it. They said that I couldn't be an actress because I would be taller than all my leading men, so I thought I would be a writer instead. Show less «
It was very natural for me to want to disappear into dark theater, I am really very shy. That is something that people never seem to fully g...Show more »
It was very natural for me to want to disappear into dark theater, I am really very shy. That is something that people never seem to fully grasp because, when you are an actor, you are meant to be an exhibitionist. Show less «
Do you know I'm always scared that one day I'll look back and say "God they were the best years of my life and now what?" There are moments ...Show more »
Do you know I'm always scared that one day I'll look back and say "God they were the best years of my life and now what?" There are moments when you feel as if you have been blessed for a while, moments when you think this is perfect, moments when you start to believe that even for an hour, even for a year, it might all happen. So I'm determined to keep making it get better and better. Show less «
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, rea...Show more »
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. Show less «
[about her first role at the age of five] I was one of those terrible kids who said everyone's lines.
[about her first role at the age of five] I was one of those terrible kids who said everyone's lines.
Since I have fair skin, I have to stay out of the sun. I can't stand the sun. I dyed my hair red for a while during the 1990s but I'm actual...Show more »
Since I have fair skin, I have to stay out of the sun. I can't stand the sun. I dyed my hair red for a while during the 1990s but I'm actually a natural blonde. Show less «
I'm very close to my sister, Antonia [Antonia Kidman]. Every day we swim together. I love my sister.
I'm very close to my sister, Antonia [Antonia Kidman]. Every day we swim together. I love my sister.
When I was a child, I was a natural towhead. Now my hair is naturally a darker shade of blonde.
When I was a child, I was a natural towhead. Now my hair is naturally a darker shade of blonde.
I'd like to be wise. You have to go through a lot to get there, but I'm willing to go through a lot.
I'd like to be wise. You have to go through a lot to get there, but I'm willing to go through a lot.
What's the point of doing something good if nobody's watching?
What's the point of doing something good if nobody's watching?
Even from a very early age, I knew I didn't want to miss out on anything life had to offer just because it might be considered dangerous.
Even from a very early age, I knew I didn't want to miss out on anything life had to offer just because it might be considered dangerous.
I believe that as much as you take, you have to give back. It's important not to focus on yourself too much.
I believe that as much as you take, you have to give back. It's important not to focus on yourself too much.
I love acting but I don't like all of the other stuff associated with it. The interest in celebrities, the press, the Internet, when your id...Show more »
I love acting but I don't like all of the other stuff associated with it. The interest in celebrities, the press, the Internet, when your identity becomes mixed up in the way people are perceiving you. Show less «
I have a little bit of a belly, a tiny bit of pooch. It's the one thing I don't want to lose. I just like having some softness. If I lose th...Show more »
I have a little bit of a belly, a tiny bit of pooch. It's the one thing I don't want to lose. I just like having some softness. If I lose that, then Tom [husband Tom Cruise] might leave me. Show less «
I never knew I'd be in a musical, let alone win an award for one.
I never knew I'd be in a musical, let alone win an award for one.
There's no drugs, no Tom [Tom Cruise] in a dress, no psychiatrists.
There's no drugs, no Tom [Tom Cruise] in a dress, no psychiatrists.
Having gone through all of this, I feel in some ways calmer now. It's strange, but sad. I think I'll always be sad.
Having gone through all of this, I feel in some ways calmer now. It's strange, but sad. I think I'll always be sad.
I love acting, but it's much more fun taking the kids to the zoo.
I love acting, but it's much more fun taking the kids to the zoo.
[on her split with Tom Cruise] My life collapsed. People ran from me because suddenly it was, "Oh my God! It's over for her now!"
[on her split with Tom Cruise] My life collapsed. People ran from me because suddenly it was, "Oh my God! It's over for her now!"
I love working with people who are inspired and obsessive.
I love working with people who are inspired and obsessive.
As a child my hair was naturally red, but since I was 13 my hair turned light blonde naturally. It's really strange but it happened. Ever si...Show more »
As a child my hair was naturally red, but since I was 13 my hair turned light blonde naturally. It's really strange but it happened. Ever since Chase through the night, the directors made me dye my hair red, as they all thought it suited me at the time. Even for Dead Calm (1989), Phillip Noyce made me dye my hair red. Now the directors and studios just let me keep my natural blonde hair. Show less «
For an actor, facial expressions and emotions are really important. That's why I'll never have Botox. I've always been against that and seei...Show more »
For an actor, facial expressions and emotions are really important. That's why I'll never have Botox. I've always been against that and seeing Botox on TV with all the swelling and pain put me off it anyway. The directors always allow actors with Botox but I just say. "No way, not for me". Drinking lots of water, eating fruit and doing yoga is what keeps me looking young naturally. I swear by it. I also use creams with natural ingredients to make wrinkles less visible. Everybody should try these things rather than going the plastic route, which I just hate. Show less «
You don't have to be naked to be sexy.
You don't have to be naked to be sexy.
I'm a person that carries everything that happened to me in my past, with me into the future. I refuse to let it make me bitter. I still com...Show more »
I'm a person that carries everything that happened to me in my past, with me into the future. I refuse to let it make me bitter. I still completely believe in love and I remain open to anything that will happen to me. Show less «
If I packaged toothpaste and told you you were gonna get half the toothpaste in the tube, you probably wouldn't buy it.
If I packaged toothpaste and told you you were gonna get half the toothpaste in the tube, you probably wouldn't buy it.
It would be far easier to go, "Oh, I wish I loved women," but I don't. I love the way a man thinks. I love the way a man smells. I love the ...Show more »
It would be far easier to go, "Oh, I wish I loved women," but I don't. I love the way a man thinks. I love the way a man smells. I love the way men look. And I'm hooked on the male physique - hooked on it. Show less «
You're either going to walk through life and experience it fully or you're going to be a voyeur. And I'm not a voyeur.
You're either going to walk through life and experience it fully or you're going to be a voyeur. And I'm not a voyeur.
On living in Nashville: It's the warmest, loveliest community I've ever set foot in. For me, it's the perfect place to live. To me, it's the...Show more »
On living in Nashville: It's the warmest, loveliest community I've ever set foot in. For me, it's the perfect place to live. To me, it's the best part of America...It's the easiest place to live. Keith's lived there for 20 years. The country music community is very tight. I like the polite nature of it. No traffic. I'm a big Southern girl now. It's just suits me. Show less «
[on Hemingway & Gellhorn (2012)] I knew nothing about Martha, but I've always been drawn to unique women who are willing to take on the ...Show more »
[on Hemingway & Gellhorn (2012)] I knew nothing about Martha, but I've always been drawn to unique women who are willing to take on the world. The exciting thing about this film is that you see her discovering her nature. At the beginning, she's a lot of talk. She knows that she's either got to get her hands dirty and become what she pretends to be or she's a fraud. In the end, Gellhorn out-Hemingways Hemingway. Show less «
[on music] I'm so eclectic and I use it in my work all the time. What I used a lot with Lee on The Paperboy (2012) was Al Green. Lee has nev...Show more »
[on music] I'm so eclectic and I use it in my work all the time. What I used a lot with Lee on The Paperboy (2012) was Al Green. Lee has never listened to anything past 1970! Show less «
[on The Golden Compass (2007)] I'm not a huge fan of fantasy. I've always been drawn to more - in terms of filmmaking - I've been drawn to m...Show more »
[on The Golden Compass (2007)] I'm not a huge fan of fantasy. I've always been drawn to more - in terms of filmmaking - I've been drawn to more psychological dramas but I think what drew me to this was it had the intricacies of the characters allow strong performances and that's what I found compelling about it. Show less «
I know the feeling of polarizing films, that make people angry and uncomfortable and I'm very comfortable with that.
I know the feeling of polarizing films, that make people angry and uncomfortable and I'm very comfortable with that.
[on Birth (2004)] It created a lot of controversy because of a bathtub scene [with me] and a 10-year-old boy. But I never saw the film that ...Show more »
[on Birth (2004)] It created a lot of controversy because of a bathtub scene [with me] and a 10-year-old boy. But I never saw the film that way. It's fascinating when choose roles how you perceive them and how they're perceived on the outside. Show less «
I'll never forget sort of "DJ-ing" after [the Cannes screening of] Moulin Rouge! (2001). I think there is a photo of me with headphones on, ...Show more »
I'll never forget sort of "DJ-ing" after [the Cannes screening of] Moulin Rouge! (2001). I think there is a photo of me with headphones on, it was with Fatboy Slim and the place was going crazy. I hold that dear to my heart. Show less «
I remember having really mixed reactions to different films I brought to [Cannes Film Festival]. One of them was the Von Trier film, one of ...Show more »
I remember having really mixed reactions to different films I brought to [Cannes Film Festival]. One of them was the Von Trier film, one of them was To Die For (1995). It was actually an extraordinary reaction for To Die For (1995). We were not in competition, and I remember being terribly scared that people were gonna hate it, but people loved it. That was very, very instrumentally beginning my career in terms of serious film-making. The critics got behind me on that film and that kind of took me from being Tom Cruise's wife into being something different, which artistically was such a joy for me. Show less «
My ability to escape myself probably comes from the riskier the role. It took me a while to learn that and to understand that. I've tried to...Show more »
My ability to escape myself probably comes from the riskier the role. It took me a while to learn that and to understand that. I've tried to comfort and play the girl-next-door and the less complicated supporting roles. And for whatever reason I can not latch on, I don't quite know how to do it. So the more complicated, the better for me. I don't know what that says about me. Show less «
[on not being Oscar-nominated for To Die For (1995)] I got a telegram from Sean Penn for that, and it said "You were robbed". That was all h...Show more »
[on not being Oscar-nominated for To Die For (1995)] I got a telegram from Sean Penn for that, and it said "You were robbed". That was all he sent me. And it was as good as an Academy Award nomination. Show less «
[on The Golden Compass (2007)]: I love that it's a little girl who's the protagonist, the hero of the piece, and also that it is about frien...Show more »
[on The Golden Compass (2007)]: I love that it's a little girl who's the protagonist, the hero of the piece, and also that it is about friendship, loyalty and honesty. Show less «
[on Australia (2008)]: It was the best experience I've ever had working on a film.
[on Australia (2008)]: It was the best experience I've ever had working on a film.
[on Charlize Theron] I love that we're both so tall.
[on Charlize Theron] I love that we're both so tall.
[on filming Nine (2009)] My favorite memories are Sophia Loren holding my four week-old baby, because that is something that goes down for m...Show more »
[on filming Nine (2009)] My favorite memories are Sophia Loren holding my four week-old baby, because that is something that goes down for me in the great memories, and also becomes part of Sunday Rose's infant picture book. I mean, you can't do better than that. Show less «
[on acting] It's the desire to study the human condition, the desire for collaboration, to learn and absorb, and to lead a well-examined lif...Show more »
[on acting] It's the desire to study the human condition, the desire for collaboration, to learn and absorb, and to lead a well-examined life. Show less «
I work well with people who are extreme.
I work well with people who are extreme.
[on Lars von Trier] He does things cinematically that nobody else does. And whether you love him or hate him, the filmmaking is incredibly s...Show more »
[on Lars von Trier] He does things cinematically that nobody else does. And whether you love him or hate him, the filmmaking is incredibly strong. Show less «
[on Stanley Kubrick and working with him on Eyes Wide Shut (1999)] Stanley wanted six months of rehearsal. He didn't want to start, and then...Show more »
[on Stanley Kubrick and working with him on Eyes Wide Shut (1999)] Stanley wanted six months of rehearsal. He didn't want to start, and then he didn't want to finish. Stanley taught Tom [Cruise] and I, 'Never say no.' When someone proposes an idea, you never shut it down. And that's a good lesson that goes far beyond work. That's a life lesson. Show less «
[on considering saying no to projects that take her away from her kids and husband for too long] I've worked hard to get to this place perso...Show more »
[on considering saying no to projects that take her away from her kids and husband for too long] I've worked hard to get to this place personally. I don't take any of it for granted. I cherish it. I'm more than willing to make those sacrifices because, when I'm 70 and 80, I want my family around me. I know other things can come into play about that, but it's certainly not going to be because I didn't show up. Show less «
I think love is the core emotion. Without that, and I've certainly existed without that, it's a very empty life. When I won the Oscar [for "...Show more »
I think love is the core emotion. Without that, and I've certainly existed without that, it's a very empty life. When I won the Oscar [for "The Hours"], I went home and I didn't have that in my life. That was the most intensely lonely moment in my life. [During] my professional highs, I've often had personal lows. It's always aggravated me that it's gone that way. Show less «
There was that whole time from when we took Moulin Rouge! (2001) to the Cannes Film Festival and then all the way through to winning the Osc...Show more »
There was that whole time from when we took Moulin Rouge! (2001) to the Cannes Film Festival and then all the way through to winning the Oscar for The Hours (2002), that was a very strange time in my life because it was the collision of professional success and personal failure and that's just a very strange thing. When I won the Oscar it was kind of a mix of popping open a bottle of champagne but at the same time feeling incredibly lonely. It's been professional highs and personal lows and they collide. I'm hoping one day that Âwon't happen. Now is a good time personally but it's not a professional high. The highs are pretty extreme and they don't happen that often, do they? I much prefer the personal high anyway. I'd never give that up. Show less «
I've turned things down, definitely. I was pregnant and I was going to do The Reader (2008) and I had to call and say, 'I've spent my whole ...Show more »
I've turned things down, definitely. I was pregnant and I was going to do The Reader (2008) and I had to call and say, 'I've spent my whole life wanting to be pregnant and I'm finally pregnant and I won't be able to do it.' And they were like, 'You could work pregnant.' No. That's not what I wanted to do. "I didn't want to be working while I was pregnant. Some women could, maybe if they'd already had a lot of children, but for me it was such a huge place to be and I wanted to carry my baby and keep her healthy and peaceful. I was like, 'I'm going to do everything I can to just bring this baby into the world. Show less «
[on the beginning of her career] I had huge expectations. You start out with big dreams and I mean, big dreams artistically. You want to wor...Show more »
[on the beginning of her career] I had huge expectations. You start out with big dreams and I mean, big dreams artistically. You want to work with the greatest living directors, make a great movie. I wanted to make a great love story, I wanted to make a great epic and then you realize that the truth of it is that it's so hard to make a great film. It's hard to get a great role. Those big expectations change to realism pretty quickly. But what's never changed is my desire to work with great directors and to find projects that push me out of my comfort zone and keep me alive. I still don't think I've done my best work Show less «
[on her preparation for Paddington (2014)] I'm about to go down to the museum and do a taxidermy class on Saturday night. And I love animals...Show more »
[on her preparation for Paddington (2014)] I'm about to go down to the museum and do a taxidermy class on Saturday night. And I love animals! I also have to throw knives, so I'll be doing that in the backyard. I've got a guy coming over to teach me how to throw a knife. I want to be able to just do it with a bit of a flourish. I believe this is my path, so I'll go down in fire if I have to. Show less «
I think when you go into the orbit of a director, they bring certain things out in you. The greatest thing you can offer is abandonment, in ...Show more »
I think when you go into the orbit of a director, they bring certain things out in you. The greatest thing you can offer is abandonment, in terms of a performance, and also deep loyalty. Because when there is enormous loyalty to them, then it's a very safe place. It's like, O.K., so she'll stand by me no matter what, no matter if the film even succeeds or fails. We're in it together, and this is ours, together, forever. Which is why I probably stay very, very close to a lot of the directors that I've worked with, whether the outcome is successful or not. Because I get deeply sort of connected and close to them. Jane, Alejandro, Stephen, Lars - all of them. That's important to me, and the longevity of it. Show less «
[on choosing Aaron Eckhart]: I've known Aaron for a long time and he has a side of him which is very raw and emotional, which he doesn't sho...Show more »
[on choosing Aaron Eckhart]: I've known Aaron for a long time and he has a side of him which is very raw and emotional, which he doesn't show on screen very often. Show less «
[on her villainous character in The Golden Compass (2007)]: The beauty of this story is that it's a trilogy and I think that if we get to ma...Show more »
[on her villainous character in The Golden Compass (2007)]: The beauty of this story is that it's a trilogy and I think that if we get to make the second and the third film - which I would love - you get to see all of the layers peel away from this woman. So that was what I was trying to do in this film, to give her the layers. There's a mystery there and you're not quite sure and you feel the texture of her. Show less «
Snuggling is the secret to happiness.
Snuggling is the secret to happiness.
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