Over the last four decades, Nicole Kidman has consistently proven herself to be one of Hollywood’s most sought-after and talented actresses. Known for her ability to seamlessly transition between genres, Kidman has built an impressive career across film and television. She has starred in critically acclaimed films, had award-winning performances, and worked with auteur filmmakers.
From her early breakout roles in the 1990s to her recent involvement in groundbreaking TV series, Kidman’s career trajectory continues to soar, with no signs of slowing down. As Hollywood continues to shift towards serialized storytelling on streaming platforms, Kidman has embraced television with open arms. Now in her fifties, Nicole Kidman is as busy as she was in her younger, early career.
Nicole Kidman Has Starred in At Least One Project Every Year in the Past Decade
Nicole Kidman began her career in Australian cinema in the early 1980s. However, her breakthrough role came in the late 1980s with the 1989 Australian film Dead Calm, where she co-starred alongside Billy Zane. Her transition into Hollywood was the needed launchpad for her career, as she immediately landed notable roles like Days of Thunder (1990). By the 2000s, Nicole Kidman was already a household name. Besides her growing resumé, Kidman was in a high-profile marriage with her Days of Thunder co-star Tom Cruise, from 1990 until their divorce in 2001.
Career-wise, Nicole Kidman stayed busy before and after her transition to Hollywood. A quick look at her filmography shows the actress starred in a movie or TV project, every year, from her debut year in 1983 to 2010, except in 1994 and 2000. In some of these years, she starred in multiple projects across film and television. Although unsurprising, especially for a young actress, these projects were critically recognized and earned her several accolades from major awards.
However, towards the mid to late 2010s, many actresses of her generation began to take on fewer projects, especially with the rise of younger talents. On the other hand, Nicole Kidman has stayed busy ever since. Since 2015, Kidman has starred in at least one film every year. Interestingly, it was in this past decade that Kidman began taking on major television projects. Kidman’s first major project in the past decade was the star-studded HBO black comedy-drama series Big Little Lies, co-starring alongside Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, Alexander Skarsgård, Adam Scott, Zoë Kravitz, Iain Armitage, and Meryl Streep.
Why the Actress Has Been in Many Projects Lately
Nicole Kidman is unarguably one of Hollywood’s bravest actors. She takes on roles many of her contemporaries wouldn’t take a look at or pick. Also, she’s known for working with female filmmakers as well as auteur and independent directors. Sometime in 2017, Kidman decided she would play her role in addressing the gender disparity in filmmaking. To this end, she decided she’d work with female directors as often as her schedule allows. That year she starred in Sofia Coppola’s Southern Gothic thriller The Beguiled (2017), then led the cast of Karyn Kusama’s neo-noir crime drama Destroyer (2018), the following year.
Since then, she has worked with Halina Reijn (Babygirl), Vicky Jenson (Spellbound). Lulu Wang (Expats miniseries), and Jenna Lamia (The Perfect Couple). Besides working with female filmmakers, Kidman believes she owes it to upcoming unknown filmmakers to use her stardom to help push their projects. She acknowledges how busy her schedule has been in the past decades, but believes it is the least she can do to “give back” to the industry that brought her this far. Despite her busy schedule, Kidman has a profound love for acting and remains the source of her commitment to numerous projects.
Nicole Kidman’s Upcoming Projects
Looking ahead, Nicole Kidman shows no signs of slowing down. Her upcoming slate of projects is as diverse as her previous work. Kidman collaborated with another female director, Mimi Cave, in the 2025 mystery thriller Holland. The film, which premieres on Amazon Prime Video on March 27, 2025, sees Kidman play Nancy Vandergroot, Matthew Macfadyen’s character’s on-screen wife. With Big Little Lies season 3 in production, Kidman will return as Celeste Wright in 2026.
Nicole Kidman will also lead the cast of Amazon Prime Video’s upcoming TV series Scarpetta (created by Liz Sarnoff) as its title character Dr. Kay Scarpetta. She’ll co-star with Elle Fanning in the upcoming Apple TV+ drama series Margo’s Got Money Troubles. One of Kidman’s most anticipated film projects is the reported sequel in development of the 1998 romantic fantasy film Practical Magic. The film cast Kidman and Sandra Bullock as sisters and descendants of a long line of witches.
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