Nicole Kidman: The Biography [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Lucy Ellis (Author), Bryony Sutherland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2002

Nicole Kidman is undoubtedly the hottest female star around; her every move makes front-page headlines all over the world. A number of biographies of her former husband, Tom Cruise, have been published, but until now not one on Kidman herself. This biography will trace Nicole Kidman's steady rise from prolific child star through B-list mediocrity to her current status as a critically acclaimed and hugely popular actress. Kidman toiled for years in the Hollywood wilderness, failing auditions for Ghost, Thelma & Louise, Sleepless in Seattle and The Silence of the Lambs; she only landed her breakthrough role in To Die For after Meg Ryan turned it down. Since then, she has worked closely with some of the leading directors and actors of our time, starring with John Malkovich in Jane Campion's Portrait Of A Lady and Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut; she's also made successful forays into action movies (The Peacemaker, alongside George Clooney) and horror (the recent hit film The Others). Having firmly established herself as a successful film actress, Kidman has recently branched out into other areas, demonstrating her great versatility as a performer. Her West End and Broadway stage debut in The Blue Room was memorably dubbed 'pure theatrical Viagra' by one mesmerised theatre critic. She plans a return to the stage in 2002 in Ibsen's The Lady From The Sea. Most recently, she has duetted with Robbie Williams on a cover version of Frank Sinatra's 'Somethin' Stupid'; the single became the UK's Christmas No. 1. Her marriage to Tom Cruise has been the subject of much speculation, and the authors will certainly investigate the numerous rumours concerning the couple. But since her divorce last year, Kidman has begun to emerge as a fascinating personality in her own right. Her seductive performance as the courtesan Satine in Baz Luhrmann's extraordinary Moulin Rouge has made her a household name at last. The role earned her a Golden Globe for Best Actress and she looks set to be Oscar nominated later this year.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Nicole Kidman is one of the hottest stars in Hollywood, her every move causing a stir in the media. Now, in this first–ever biography, we follow her steady rise from child star, through B–list films, to her prominence as an actress both hugely popular and critically acclaimed. After toiling for years in the Hollywood wilderness—failing auditions for “Ghost,” “Thelma and Louise,” “Sleepless in Seattle,” and “The Silence of the Lambs”—Kidman landed her breakthrough role in “To Die For.” Since then, she’s worked with some of the leading directors and actors of our time, including John Malkovich and Jane Campion in “Portrait of a Lady” and Tom Cruise and Stanley Kubrick in “Eyes Wide Shut.” Her stage debut in “The Blue Room” was dubbed “pure theatrical Viagra” by one mesmerized critic, and Kidman plans to return this year in Ibsen’s “The Lady from the Sea.” Her marriage to Tom Cruise has been the subject of much speculation, and the authors investigate the many rumors surrounding the couple. But since her divorce, Kidman has at last emerged as a fascinating personality in her own right—and her seductive performance as the courtesan in Baz Luhrmann’s extraordinary film “Moulin Rouge,” as well as her recent performance in “The Others,” have made her a contender for the major film awards as well as a top box–office draw.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Aurum Pr Ltd; illustrated edition edition (October 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 185410859X
• ISBN-13: 978-1854108593
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,334,928 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Patchwork of existing articles, April 5, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Nicole Kidman: The Biography (Hardcover)

I agree with inpip below, that this is an extremely dissatisfying and, in places, a factually inaccurate book. Nicole Kidman was never consulted by the biographers and all that she says or does in the book has been gleaned from articles in Vogue, Variety, etc. Being an admirer of Nicole's unsettling and haunting work in Eyes Wide Shut, The Others, The Hours, To Die For and The Portrait .., I was extremely disappointed to find that very little is said about the fact that she is, at the core, a thinking character actress and not really a garden-variety Hollywood star. This is what makes her art unusual and separates her from, say, Julia Roberts or Meg Ryan.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As close as we can get, December 30, 2003

By 

Danny Bryer (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nicole Kidman: The Biography (Paperback)

I have been following Nicole's career for a while and have always been fascinated by the fact that she breaks all the rules and goes for quirky arty films rather than surefire box office hits. Unlike other reviewers here, I think this biography put those desires into context with her struggle as being labelled Mrs Tom Cruise and the break up of her marriage.
I found it a really interesting read with some different takes on the usual stories. There were also some great tales from her early days back in Australia which I have never heard before. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to know a bit more about this wonderful actress and mother.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT READ!, February 22, 2004

By 

Corinne Cline (New Hampshire, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nicole Kidman: The Biography (Hardcover)

I really loved this book. I just finished reading it and was disappointed it ended so soon. I didn't know much about Nicole Kidman until I read the biography. As I read it, I felt as though I was living her life; feeling her pain and joy. Whoever reads this book will love it! It truly is a great read!