Ranking Nicole Kidman's most memorable performances

To the casual, middle-aged movie fan, this might be their first true introduction to Kidman's work. In her first of three movies co-starring Tom Cruise, whom she met on this film and eventually married on Christmas Eve 1990, the picture is hokey and predictable. 

The driving scenes were pretty tight, and Kidman drew praise as the neurosurgeon who fell for Cruise's Cole Trickle. Claire was more than a love interest, but someone who commanded respect because she was probably more developed and likable than the leading man's character.

As the story goes, Kidman had long been the preference of Philip Pullman, author of the novel and book series the movie was adapted from, to play the role of Mrs. Coulter before a film was officially in the works. For a long time, Kidman passed but eventually signed on despite thinking fans would chide her for playing such a deceitful, power-hungry, and villainous character. Though the movie was lauded for its overall visual component (winning a Best Visual Effects Oscar), it's received lukewarm reception over the years. Still, Kidman's turn as a rather evil figure might be tough to watch for her core fans, but there is certainly worth praise for the effort.

Part of a star-studded cast that included Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jack Black, and John Turturro, Kidman is a writer who is quite conceited but highly dysfunctional as a human when it comes to heart and mind. This is one of Kidman's most stripped-down roles, and though she's rather unlikable (as are several characters in this comedy-drama), it's another example of her brilliant range. The movie received somewhat mixed reviews and is perhaps one of Kidman's more forgettable projects, but her performance is certainly above average. 

One of Kidman's earliest roles, which essentially put her on the map as a budding star in leading roles. Based on a 1960s novel, this psychological thriller sees Kidman as a grieving mother vacationing on her yacht with her husband (Sam Neill) following the death of their son. They eventually come across a drifting boat with a stranger (Bill Zane), who needs help but seems to be untruthful about his reasons for being there. Zane and the open-water photography steal the show, but Kidman, in an emotional yet focused and determined state, showed just how talented she could be in guiding the plot.

Sure, Barbara Hershey overshadowed leading lady Kidman by earning a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nomination. But Kidman is still solid in this Jane Campion-directed, British-American movie as a young woman who comes into means but is manipulated by friends (Hershey and John Malkovich) before realizing the confident person she can be to live a fulfilling life. Kidman, who did receive a Best Actress award nomination for the role from the New York Film Critics Circle, more than holds her own opposite those two Hollywood heavyweights and, in time, would be a consistent commercial box-office draw of her own. 

Kidman earned her first Golden Globe nomination (Best Supporting Actress, Motion Picture) with Billy Bathgate. There's been a longtime consensus that Kidman's performance in this semi-biographical gangster film, which cost nearly $50 million to make but bombed at the box office ($15.5 million gross) and with critics, is the best thing about the experience. Kidman's flirtatious Drew, who happens to be Billy's cunning mistress, is the one character amid all the mediocrity of the movie that should have left audiences wanting more.  

According to Kidman lore, she approached Birth director Jonathan Glazer about taking on the lead role of Anna, a woman who believes her late husband has been reincarnated in the body of her school-age son. Though Glazer thought she had too much star quality for the character, he was eventually convinced and rewrote parts of the script with Kidman in mind. The movie received mixed reviews, and the storyline had an element of controversy with Kidman's character sharing a bath on screen with her 10-year-old son (Cameron Bright). However, the determination and almost existential vibe of Anna led to Kidman's fourth Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama.

Another thriller for Kidman to take on, and she did it quite well. Even ones set in the Civil War era. Directed by Sophia Coppola, there is a certain psychological element to The Beguiled. In charge of a nearly abandoned Virginia school during the mid-1860s, Miss Farnsworth is comfortable in her surroundings. That's until a wounded Union soldier (Colin Farrell) happens upon the area and is fancied by the staff and remaining students. Miss Farnsworth is the voice of reason, but she also has a dark side, which is quite entertaining when it comes out.

One can say that Kidman has a thing for starring in psychological thrillers. Whether in a leading or supporting role, she tends to knock it out of the park in this specific genre. With Stoker, Kidman is billed as the latter through a character that is quite disturbing. An unhinged widow who falls in love with her brother-in-law (Matthew Goode) and seems disinterested in providing unconditional love to her jaded daughter (Mia Wasikowska). We noted how leery Kidman was to play an antagonist in The Golden Compass, but less than a decade later, she seemed more than comfortable shining in this type of role. 

After a successful 2002, Kidman starred in five movies released in 2003. Cold Mountain  should be considered the best of that bunch, earning six Academy Award nominations, including Renée Zellweger's win for Best Supporting Actress. Jude Law drew a Best Actor nomination, but Kidman was not honored for her leading lady performance. Still, Kidman's Ada commands the screen more often than not. She is an honest character but struggles with her emotions for that one true love interrupted by the Civil War and living in the moment. 

The chemistry between Kidman and co-star Ben Chaplin is really what drives this perhaps forgotten erotic comedy thriller from 2001. Kidman is deliciously bold, witty, and completely intoxicating as a Russian male-order bride. She's the complete opposite of Chaplin's John, a lonely fellow looking for a satisfying life. Kidman's effortless performance is a reason to watch this movie, especially for those fans who might have missed its release in the early 2000s.

Golden Globe (Best Supporting Actress — Motion Picture) and Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations were lobbed Kidman's way for this underappreciated crime drama. Yes, singer Macy Gray was solid in another acting role. Still, Kidman was at the point in her career where just about any role (especially non-blockbuster) of hers would be critically celebrated. Even if the film was questionable. Awards aside, the sexy, spirited, and refreshingly vulnerable Charlotte might not get enough high-level praise compared to other, more dramatic roles. Kidman can pretty much do it all on screen, and this is a perfect example.

Nicole Kidman's brilliance as an actress is not limited to the big screen. She's also undertaken several successful television roles during her stellar entertainment career. In one of her most recent television roles on his highly praised miniseries that was HBO's most-watched program in 2020 , Kidman is Grace Fraser, a prominent New York City psychologist caught up in a murder case of the women her husband (Hugh Grant) has been having an affair with. There are some predictable twists and turns, and Kidman's performance is straight to the point but impactful amid her character's circumstances. Kidman, Grant, and Donald Sutherland, who brilliantly played Grace's father, each received Golden Globe Award nominations. 

As noted, Kidman's foray into television was seamless and on par with her film work. One of those memorable TV roles was that of Martha Gellhorn, the journalist wife of Ernest Hemingway, in this HBO hit. Arguably, Gellhorn was the most powerful and confident of Hemingway's four wives. Kidman had no trouble bringing all that to the surface in one of the most distinguished television films of the century. To no real surprise, Kidman earned a Primetime Emmy, Screen Actors Guild, and Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Actress.

The Golden Globe nominations kept coming for Kidman with The Others, the supernatural, psychological thriller set in post-World War II Europe and known for its surprising plot twist. Kidman's Grace is a protective mother of two children dealing with health issues and apparent ghosts in her house. Kidman was lauded for her performance, and rightfully so, but the movie is somewhat overrated as those paying attention could possibly see the surprise-turn ending. All said and done, though, just another strong Kidman effort.

Perhaps what makes Kidman a special actress is her versatility. As we've seen on this list and will continue to see, there does not seem to be a role she can't pull off. And she's willing to employ herself on films a bit outside the box. In this avant-garde film from the early 2000s, Kidman escapes from the mob and finds herself in a small Colorado town, trying to find some normalcy. With an almost stage-like feel, Dogville is one of Kidman's most innovative movies and has grown into somewhat of a cult classic as the years went on after it opened to mixed reviews. 

With her beloved Australia as a co-star, Kidman earned her fourth Oscar nomination at the time. This is a loving, motherly role for Kidman and very easy to watch and appreciate — even in a supporting performance. Based on a true story, Sue Brierley is mother to adopted son Saroo (Dev Patel), who, at five years old in the mid-1980s, is separated from his family in India. He's eventually adopted and lives in Australia some 20 years later when Sue encourages him to find his birth family back in India. 

When discussing Kidman's movies with ex-husband Tom Cruise, Days of Thunder was a Disney flick compared to the wild Eyes Wide Shut. While what turned out to be Stanley Kubrick's final film is considered one of his best from an overall cinematic standpoint, it's not for everyone. 

Plenty of Kidman fans don't like this role, which, at the time, was a break from her characters. But that was the point, especially when working with Kubrick. Alice is a proud, relatively confident woman who, just because she has a husband and child, is not without wants, needs, and inhibition. She's strong and poised. The movie revolves around Cruise, but Kidman lives up to the hype.

A rather underappreciated Kidman crime drama with some neo-noir flare. It's one of Kidman's darker roles, but it was rightfully up there with the best of her best. Kidman is sometimes unrecognizable as Erin Bell, a cop seeking revenge on gang members who shattered an old case and killed her partner/lover. Erin is jaded, emotionally bruised, and looking for purpose while trying to right a past that still haunts her. Kidman earned another Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress. Of all the characters on the list, this might be the one that stands out as Kidman's top performance regarding method acting.

One of Kidman's "deeper" characters, Becca is a mother grieving the death of her young son, who was hit by a car. While she tends to move on, her husband (Aaron Eckhart) is less inclined to do so, causing tension in their relationship. It's an emotional story but also one of self-discovery, which Becca eventually experiences strangely, with help from the teenage boys who killed her son. The movie was rightfully praised, and Kidman received her third Academy Awards nomination for Best Actress — and first nod of the kind in eight years. 

Kidman's first Academy Awards nomination came in the Best Actress category for Satine, the Parisian cabaret star who is the true focus of this musical that worked well on the big screen. This was another example of Kidman's range and ability to tackle a different project where her other talents for the arts are on display. Starring opposite Ewan McGregor, Moulin Rouge! was nominated for eight Oscars, and though Kidman did not win, this remains one of her most iconic roles. It opened the door for Kidman to enjoy marquee status among Hollywood's biggest stars.

By the mid-1990s, Kidman had already made a name for herself, but the black comedy To Die For truly put her on the Hollywood map as a bona fide leading lady. It was much better than her turn in the forgettable Batman Forever, also released in 1995. Kidman won her first Golden Globe Award as the ambitious Suzanne, who will do anything to become a popular television personality — in this case, a local evening weather forecaster. Even plot to have her unsupportive husband (Matt Dillon). It was Kidman in a different but fun light. Upstaging the direction of Gus Van Sant and Buck Henry's creative screenplay.

One year after receiving her first Oscar nomination (for the aforementioned Moulin Rouge!), Kidman won her only Academy Award (for Best Actress) to date via The Hours . The movie is not easy to watch. It's overly depressing but impactful and notable because of the brilliant performances from the likes of Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, and Ed Harris. 

It was Kidman, who looks somewhat unrecognizable as famed author Virginia Woolf, singled out for her brilliance in the project. The film partially chronicles Woolf dealing with mental illness while trying to write her 1925 novel Mrs Dalloway, which interconnects the other main characters in the movie.

We mentioned that Kidman can be as good on the small screen as she's been on the big one. All anybody needs to reinforce that fact is to watch Kidman in HBO's Big Little Lies. In another widely popular series from the premium cable giant, Kidman stars as Celeste Wright, perhaps the most honest character in the entire series. A loving mother, Celeste survived an abusive marriage and the subsequent death of her husband. Constantly faced with challenges, Celeste can be strong and vulnerable simultaneously, indecisive but forceful when needed. Kidman won a Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy, and Screen Actors Guild Award for her role.

Into her 50s, Kidman is still going strong as one of Hollywood's elite stars. In her most recently lauded performance, Kidman successfully took on the role of the captivating and empowered Lucille Ball. Kidman and the film received mounds of pre-release hype, and neither disappointed. It would seem impossible to do Ball justice on the big screen, but Kidman proves to be the perfect star to tackle such a prominent character — both on and off screen — and shine within the confines of Aaron Sorkin's universe. Kidman won a Golden Globe for the performance and received her fifth (and most recent) Oscar nomination for what could end up being the most memorable role of her stellar career.