Nicole Kidman: The Biography [Paperback]

Lucy Ellis (Author), Bryony Sutherland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2003

From her first faltering steps as an eight-year-old on a Sydney stage to the acclaim that greeted her performance in The Hours, Nicole Kidman has excelled in every arena she has entered. But who is this flame-haired, sapphire-eyed beauty? Kidman’s rise through the ranks of Australian television and film eventually led to leading roles in Hollywood. While box office success initially stayed just out of range, her A-list status was assured when she and then-husband Tom Cruise were cast in Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut. Her seductive performance in Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge earned her a Golden Globe award as well as an Oscar nomination, and her Oscar-winning portrayal of Virginia Woolf in The Hours has now firmly established her as an actress of exceptional talent, range, and appeal.

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. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 290 pages
• Publisher: Aurum Press; Updated edition (August 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 185410926X
• ISBN-13: 978-1854109262
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,751,622 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!