Top 10 Moments That Made Us Love Nicole Kidman

Back in May 2017, Nicole Kidman appeared on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and somehow got roped into a cooking segment with celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis. But the food wasn’t the only thing that got roasted. The segment began on a tense note, after De Laurentiis made a snide comment about Kidman’s cooking skills, to which she responded with an eyeroll. The chef then took it a step further, blatantly joking that the actress couldn’t cook. Kidman seemed to take this all in stride, until she got her chance to return the favor. After tasting De Laurentiis’ focaccia, she casually admitted it was a little hard to keep down. What’s it they say about she who laughs last?

Nicole Kidman really solidified her status as a versatile actress with her dazzling performance as Satine, the cabaret star of “Moulin Rouge!” Perhaps her most memorable moment in the film is her show-stopping take on “Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend,” the jazz classic immortalized on screen by Marilyn Monroe. Kidman makes the musical number entirely her own; twirling, soaring through the air and tossing flirtatious kisses to the crowd. Her dedication to the role was so intense that she reportedly fell while filming the number and tore her knee cartilage in the process. Yet, watching the scene, you’d never guess it. Onscreen, Kidman remains flawless and graceful, casually holding the audience in the palm of her hand.

Three years after the success of “Moulin Rouge!,” Nicole Kidman reunited with director Baz Luhrmann for an ultra-glamorous Chanel No. 5 ad. The three-minute spectacle became one of the most expensive commercials ever made, with a $33 million budget, three million of which went to Kidman alone. Titled “No. 5 the Film,” the ad follows Kidman as a world-famous star who flees from paparazzi and ends up in a cab with a man who seemingly doesn’t recognize her. It’s as close to a fairytale as a commercial can get, setting the gold standard for the wave of opulent fashion ads that followed. Despite the extravagant budget, what truly makes this film shine is Kidman’s effortless charm.

The 2017 Oscars gave us one of the most unforgettable blunders in award show history. But before Ryan Gosling was caught chuckling awkwardly in a corner, Nicole Kidman had already gifted the internet another meme-worthy moment. Nominated for Best Supporting Actress that night, Kidman rose to applaud when Meryl Streep was introduced. But her unusual clapping style, which can only be described as a seal struggling to smack its flippers together, left many weirded out. The moment spawned thousands of memes, but as it turns out, she was only trying to protect the insanely expensive rings she was wearing. Although Kidman was initially roasted for it, the moment has since been embraced for showcasing one of her many quirks.

In the late ‘90s, few Hollywood stars were bigger than Tom Cruise. However, when he hit the Oscars red carpet in 1997, he was completely upstaged by his then-wife Nicole Kidman. Still a rising star at the time, Kidman stole the spotlight in a chartreuse Christian Dior dress. The gown was understated, simple and chic, precisely why it made such a statement. It has since been hailed as one of the most influential Oscar gowns ever, and “the first true couture dress on the red carpet.” Kidman won over just about everyone… except Joan Rivers, who famously called the color ugly. Regardless, she has remained true to her refined style, turning heads again in a nude sequined gown at the 2006 Rome Film Festival.

Nicole Kidman made a triumphant return to television in 2017 with HBO’s “Big Little Lies,” earning an Emmy Award for her performance. The second season upped the ante with a tense showdown between Kidman’s Celeste and her mother in-law, Mary Louise, played by none other than Meryl Streep. Their simmering conflict boils over in an explosive courtroom scene, where Celeste grills Mary Louise on the stand in their custody battle. The scene was a masterclass in acting, with two of Hollywood’s finest in a high-stakes duel. Facing off against a legend like Streep is no easy feat, but Kidman commands the scene, conveying volumes with just a single glance. In the end, as Celeste won the custody battle, Kidman won all of our hearts.

For her role as Celeste Wright, a successful attorney trapped in a violent marriage, Nicole Kidman won her first-ever Emmy, for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie. When she took the stage to accept the trophy, she used the moment to advocate for a great cause. In her speech, Kidman talked about the significance of her character’s story and drew attention to the widespread issue of domestic violence. While fighting back tears, she also thanked her husband and her daughters for the sacrifices they make to support her career. Her speech was lauded as a powerful statement, proving once again that Kidman knows how to use her influence to shed light on a very important issue.

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are one of Hollywood’s most iconic power couples, but their story could have turned out very differently. In a 2015 appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” Kidman recounted an awkward encounter with the host that could’ve changed everything. As she told it, she had a crush on Fallon years earlier and went to his New York City apartment for what she believed was a date. However, Fallon was unaware of her intentions and assumed she was there for a chemistry read for her movie “Bewitched.” The misunderstanding resulted in a painfully awkward date that ended in Kidman leaving disappointed. This revelation left Fallon utterly embarrassed, but made for a highly entertaining segment.

These days, we go to the movies for one reason and one reason only: to bask in the glory of Nicole Kidman’s AMC Theatres commercial. Back in 2021, when theater attendance was still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, AMC recruited Kidman to remind us all of the magic of cinema. Little did they know that they were creating a cultural phenomenon. With its melodramatic narration, sweeping score and cinematic direction, the ad resonated with audiences and quickly became a viral sensation. Moviegoers cheered when it played, and its quotes became so iconic that people recited them aloud in theaters. The feeling we get whenever we watch this commercial is, frankly, indescribable.

In 2017, Nicole Kidman made a pledge that some might have found bold, perhaps even radical. Hoping to uplift female filmmakers and combat Hollywood’s gender disparity, Kidman vowed to work with at least one female director every 18 months. So did she follow through? Oh, absolutely! As of February 2025, the actress has since teamed up with 19 women directors across film and television, far surpassing her initial target. This commitment has given us gems like the second season of “Big Little Lies,” the Netflix miniseries “The Perfect Couple” and 2024’s “Babygirl,” which earned her a Golden Globe nomination. They say be the change you wish to see, and Kidman definitely took that advice to heart. For that, we simply couldn’t love her more.


What’s your favorite Nicole Kidman moment? Let us know in the comments below.