Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

There is no one like Nicole Kidman. This Hollywood Icon & Oscar winner started off small before bursting into the legend we know her as today.

Nicole Kidman has come a long way since her early days growing up in Sydney. The Australian actress began her career in the early 1980s and has since become one of the most enduring and versatile stars in Hollywood. But as with all icons, greatness doesn’t happen overnight—and yes, in Nicole’s case, it started with big crimped hair and classic ’80s style.

From her breakout roles in Australian films to starring alongside then-husband Tom Cruise, and later winning an Oscar for her unforgettable portrayal of Virginia Woolf in The Hours (2002), Nicole has proven time and again that she can do it all. She brings drama and spectacle in films like Moulin Rouge! and Australia, takes dark and daring turns in The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Dogville, and Big Little Lies, and even adds a touch of heart in family favorites like Paddington.

Her personal life has also evolved alongside her career. Nicole adopted two children, Connor and Isabella, during her marriage to Cruise, and later welcomed two daughters, Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret, with country star Keith Urban. Once known as one of Hollywood’s most steadfast couples, Nicole and Keith’s nearly two-decade marriage came to an unexpected end in 2025 when she filed for divorce.

Through every chapter. Nicole has remained a symbol of transformation, resilience and timeless elegance. Scroll through to see more photos of Nicole Kidman through the decades.

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Nicole Kidman In 1990’s ‘Days Of Thunder’

Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

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Nicole Kidman’s first films were 1983’s ‘Bush Christmas’ and ‘BMX Bandits,’ filmed in her native Australia. She continued to work Down Under, and her work in ‘Dead Calm’ brought her international acclaim. This led to her Hollywood breakthrough, starring opposite her then-boyfriend/future-husband Tom Cruise in ‘Days Of Thunder.’ Seen here, Nicole plays Dr. Claire Lewicki, who falls in love with Tom’s character, Cole Trickle.

April 29, 2021, 2:12PM 2 of 30

63rd Annual Academy Awards

Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

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Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise in 1991.

October 2, 2025, 3:37PM 3 of 30

Nicole Kidman & Tom Cruise In 1992

Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

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Tom and Nicole met in 1989 on the set of Days Of Thunder, and fell in love. They married on Christmas Eve, 1990, in Colorado. Two years later, the couple adopted their daughter, Isabella (and adopted their son, Connor, in 1995.) However, the relationship failed to go the distance. In February 2001, they separated and by August, their marriage was over.

April 29, 2021, 2:12PM 4 of 30

Nicole Kidman In 1998

Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

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Nicole Kidman attends The John Huston Awards in 1998. Nicole had some high-profile roles in the 1990s. She played Dr. Chase Meridian in 1995’s Batman Forever (opposite Val Kilmer’s turn as the Caped Crusader.) She also appeared in The Portrait of a Lady, Practical Magic, and most famously, 1999’s Eyes Wide Shut. The last movie directed by Stanley Kubrick, the film starred Nicole and her then-husband, Tom Cruise, in a sexually charged adventure.

April 29, 2021, 2:27PM 5 of 30

Nicole Kidman At Cannes in 2001

Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

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Nicole Kidman attends the 54th International Cannes Film Festival in May 2001. The early 2000s saw Nicole take her acting skills to another level. She starred in Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge in 2001, and she followed that up with The Others, her Academy Award-winning role in The Hours, and Dogville.

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Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise in 1999

Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

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Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise posed together at the Ritz Hotel in Paris in 1999 while promoting their final collaboration, Eyes Wide Shut. The couple attended a photocall in the hotel’s gardens ahead of the film’s July release.

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Nicole Kidman at the 2003 Oscars

Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

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Nicole Kidman at the 2003 Oscars. Nicole Kidman’s part in The Hours – the cinematic adaptation of Michael Cunningham’s 1998 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name – would cement her reputation as an actor. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2003 (and the film would score a Best Picture nomination.)

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Nicole Kidman Returns to Cannes in 2003

Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

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Nicole Kidman at the Dogville premiere in Cannes in 2003. Lars Von Trier’s Dogville arrived to mixed reviews (which, if you know anything about Lars Von Trier, that should be no surprise) However, in the years since its release, it has gained a following, especially for Nicole’s role in the film.

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Nicole Kidman At The 2004 Oscars

Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

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Nicole Kidman attends the 2004 Academy Awards. As of 2021, Nicole Kidman has been nominated for four Academy Awards – Moulin Rouge!, ‘The Hours’, and 2011’s Rabbit Hole all gaining her a Best Actress nod. 2017’s Lion scored her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

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Nicole Kidman At The 2006 Academy Awards

Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

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Nicole Kidman attends he 78th Academy Awards in 2006. The mid-2000s saw Nicole expand her film repertoire. She starred in Cold Mountain, an adaptation of The Stepford Wives, a big-screen adaptation of Bewitched, and Noah Baumbach’s Margot At The Wedding, just to name a few.

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Nicole Kidman in 2007

Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

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Nicole Kidman in red at the 79th Annual Academy Awards in 2007. 2008 saw Nicole reunite with Baz Luhrmann for Australia, a movie that featured her fellow Australian, Hugh Jackman. While it wasn’t as successful as Moulin Rouge!, its camp and heart have earned the film a following.

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Nicole Kidman & Keith Urban

Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

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Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman attend the 2007 CMA Awards in Nashville. Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise split in 2001. In 2005, Nicole began dating Keith Urban. The couple soon found that they were meant to me, because they got married on June 26, 2006, in Sydney. Though they would later admit they rushed into marriage, as of 2021, the couple is still going strong.

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Nicole & Keith in 2008

Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

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Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban attended the 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in 2008. Nicole — seen here being very pregnant – gave birth to their first daughter, Sunday Rose, later this year. In 2010, they welcomed their second daughter, Faith, via surrogacy.

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Nicole Kidman in 2010

Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

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Nicole Kidman attended the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards in 2010. Nicole is considered a fashion icon, and her multiple appearances on the red carpet, like this, is reason why.

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Nicole Kidman in 2011

Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

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Nicole Kidman attended the 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards in 2011. The early 2010s was a prolific time for Nicole. 2011 alone saw her appear in two films – Trespass, Just Go With It – while she produced a third (Monte Carlo.) 2012 saw her in The Paperboy, and she would also appear in Stoker, The Railway Man, and Grace of Monaco.

April 29, 2021, 2:13PM 16 of 30

Nicole Kidman In Vienna In 2013

Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

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Nicole Kidman attends the Omega ‘La Nuit Enchantee’ Gala in Vienna, Austria, in 2013. She wore an Oscar De La Renta gown for the affair. The following year, she would portray Millicent Clyde in ‘Paddington,’ a film that would be a critical hit.

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Nicole Kidman At 2013 Cannes Film Festival

Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

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Nicole Kidman attends the ‘Zulu’ film premiere during the 66th Cannes Film Festival in 2013. Seen here, Nicole graced the red carpet in an Armani gown. The late 2010s saw Nicole experience an upturn in her career. Her roles in ‘Genius,’ ‘The Killing of a Sacred Deer,’ ‘The Beguiled,’ and ‘Destroyer’ earned her positive reviews. Her part in ‘Lion’ also earned her an Academy Award nomination.

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Nicole Kidman In 2014

Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

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Nicole Kidman attends the ‘Grace of Monaco’ film premiere at the 67th Cannes Film Festival in 2014. The film saw Nicole Kidman play Grace Kelly.

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Nicole Kidman In 2017

Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

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Nicole Kidman attends the ‘Killing of a Sacred Deer’ premiere in the UK. It was shown as part of the 61st BFI London Film Festival. The psychological horror earned generally positive reviews and helped further cement Nicole’s reputation for being a serious, powerful actor.

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Nicole Kidman At The Premiere Of ‘The Beguiled’

Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

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Nicole Kidman attends the 70th Annual Cannes Film Festival. Here, she walks the red carpet ahead of ‘The Beguiled’ premiere. The film, directed by Sofia Coppola, is based on Thomas P. Cullinan’s novel of the same name. It’s considered a remake of the 1971 film that starred Clint Eastwood.

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Nicole Kidman At The 2018 Golden Globes

Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

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In the late 2010s, Nicole found success on the small screen, playing Celeste Wright in ‘Big Little Lies.’ (She was also an executive producer on the hit show.) Her role won her the Best Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture award at the 2018 Golden Globes. The show also won Best Miniseries or Motion Picture – Television. This marked her fourth and fifth Golden Globes, as she had won for Best Actress in a Motion Pictures – Musical or Comedy for 1995’s ‘To Die For’ and 2001’s ‘Moulin Rogue,’ and Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for ‘The Hours.’

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Nicole Kidman At The 2018 SAG Awards

Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

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Nicole Kidman attends the 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards while wearing Armani. That year, she won Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television for ‘Big Little Lies.’

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Nicole Kidman At The 2018 Oscars

Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

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Nicole Kidman attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards in 2018. Even when she’s not nominated, Nicole makes a splash on the Oscars red carpet.

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Nicole Kidman At The 2019 Golden Globes

Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

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Nicole Kidman attends the 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards in 2019. As the 2010s came to a close, Nicole appeared in films like ‘Aquaman,’ ‘Boy Erased,’ and ‘Bombshell,’ a drama based upon the accounts of women sexually harassed by Fox News CEO Roger Ailes.

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Nicole Kidman At ‘Bombshell’s LA Premiere

Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

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Nicole Kidman attends the premiere of ‘Bombshell’ at Regency Village Theatre in LA. Nicole portrayed Gretchen Carlson in the film.

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Nicole Kidman At The 2020 Golden Globe Awards

Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

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Nicole Kidman arrives at the 77th annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, in Beverly Hills in 2020. Nicole appeared in ‘The Prom,’ the 2020 big-screen adaptation of the Broadway musical. That year, she also landed the role of Lucille Ball in Aaron Sorkin’s drama, ‘Being The Ricardos.’ It began filming in 2021, likely for a 2022 release.

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Nicole Kidman At The LA Premiere Of ‘Being the Ricardos’

Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

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Nicole Kidman is simply radiant in Armani Prive during the LA premiere of her film ‘Being the Ricardos’ on Dec. 6, 2021. She played Lucille Ball in the movie, opposite Javier Bardem as Desi Arnaz.

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Nicole Kidman At The Sydney Premiere Of ‘Being the Ricardos’

Nicole Kidman Young: See Photos of Her Through the Years

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Nicole Kidman wows in art deco-inspired green Etro at the Sydney, Australia premiere of ‘Being the Ricardos’. Her mom was there to support her at the event, which took place on Dec 15, 2021.

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