Nicole Kidman is one of the greatest Hollywood stars of all time. She’s regal, daring, a little eccentric—and tireless. With over 80 film and TV credits in the last forty years, she’s built a career that’s as bold as it is varied. Making a list of her best performances isn’t easy, especially considering she’s constantly working, with a new film or series nearly every year. Nicole has consistently chosen complex, emotionally rich roles, often pushing boundaries and reinventing herself in the process. Whether she’s playing a tormented mother, a seductive chanteuse, or a grieving widow, her performances are marked by fearless choices and an unwavering commitment to the craft.
From the big screen to prestige TV, here are Nicole Kidman’s 10 greatest roles—and where you can watch them right now.
Big Little Lies
After years of focusing on films, Nicole Kidman made her first major appearance in an American prestige television show through Big Little Lies. In the series, she played the role of Celeste Wright, a seemingly perfect wealthy housewife who’s dealing with domestic abuse and deep emotional trauma. Her portrayal of this layered and vulnerable-yet-resilient character won her an Emmy for her performance, and also marked the beginning of Nicole’s television streak where she consistently plays wealthy, enigmatic women. It’s a deliberate choice, but despite this recurring archetype, she manages to make each role feel entirely fresh and distinct.
Moulin Rouge!
Nicole Kidman’s most Bollywood performance to date, this spectacle of a film easily deserves the top spot in our guide. Grand visuals, unforgettable songs, elaborate sets, and a heightened sense of drama—Moulin Rouge! is the most Bollywood-coded Hollywood film you’ll come across. Nicole Kidman plays the role of Satine, a courtesan and star performer in this lavish and emotionally charged musical inspired by the popular Broadway show. She is mesmerizing, tragic, and as dazzling as Aishwarya Rai in Devdas or Deepika Padukone in any elaborate Sanjay Leela Bhansali epic.
Lion
While Lion didn’t make a major mainstream splash in India, the movie is a quiet gem. Nicole Kidman plays Sue Brierley, an adoptive mother who lovingly raises a lost child from India as her own. The tenderness, vulnerability, and emotional strength she brings to the role adds deep heart to the film. Lion is a sweet, eye-opening, and deeply moving story about an Indian boy navigating identity, memory, and belonging as he grows up in a foreign yet loving land.
The Hours
Nicole Kidman won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her nuanced performance in this career-defining film. Set across three timelines, The Hours explores the effects of depression, creativity, and identity through the lives of three interconnected women. Nicole plays the role of Virginia Woolf, and completely transformed herself for the part—even wearing a prosthetic nose and adopting a slouched, withdrawn appearance to embody the writer’s inner turmoil. Her portrayal is subtle, deeply emotional, and a true testament of her versatility as an actress.
Eyes Wide Shut
Stanley Kubrick’s wildly controversial but highly rewatchable erotic thriller stars Nicole Kidman opposite her now ex-husband Tom Cruise in a seductive and psychologically intense role. Nicole plays the role of Alice Harford, a wife who sends her husband into a spiral of jealousy and obsession with a simple confession about a past fantasy. While her screen time is limited compared to Cruise’s, her performance left a lasting impression—especially during the film’s emotionally charged bedroom scenes. Eyes Wide Shut is also notable because it came at the height of both their careers and was Kubrick’s final film before he tragically died of a heart attack.
Paddington
Nicole Kidman is a loving mother to four beautiful children, donates to numerous causes, and is a committed humanitarian. But you won’t remember any of that while watching Paddington, where she embraces her villainous era. Nicole plays Millicent Clyde, a glamorous yet unhinged taxidermist who’s dead set on capturing and stuffing Paddington for her museum collection. With her icy blonde bob, high heels, and obsession with rare creatures, Millicent feels like Cruella’s long-lost cousin—with a sharper scalpel.
Rabbit Hole
Very few movies manage to capture grief in a subtle and deeply human way. Rabbit Hole is one such quietly powerful drama that explores the non-linear nature of mourning intimately through two parents grieving the loss of their young son. Nicole Kidman delivers a raw and emotionally restrained-yet-devastating performance as Becca, a mother struggling to make sense of life after a tragic car accident took her child. Her nuanced portrayal and vulnerability earned her nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. The film also stars Aaron Eckhart, Dianne Wiest, and Miles Teller.
The Perfect Couple
A stellar ensemble featuring Nicole Kidman alongside Dakota Fanning, Liev Schreiber, and Bollywood's own Ishaan Khatter, a lavish wedding at an exotic coastal estate, and a mysterious murder to tie it all together. The Perfect Couple has all the elements you'd expect from an Indian wedding thriller. The series even features a very catchy dance sequence that adds some desi flair. Nicole leans into her new-signature niche of playing a wealthy, enigmatic woman with secrets to hide. The story follows Amelia, a down-to-earth girl marrying into an ultra-wealthy East Coast family, until the big day is interrupted by a murder that exposes long-buried family truths.
My Life
An underrated but emotionally gut-wrenching drama starring Nicole Kidman alongside the swoon-worthy young Michael Keaton. In My Life, Nicole plays Gail, a pregnant and devoted wife of a terminally ill man. Her conviction to deliver the performance of a woman torn between the joy of welcoming a new child and the pain of losing her husband is what truly cemented her mark in Hollywood as a sensitive and emotionally fearless actress.
Being The Ricardos
Step behind the scenes of one of television's most iconic shows, I Love Lucy, in Being the Ricardos. Nicole Kidman completely transforms herself to play the legendary Lucille Ball, capturing her wit, vulnerability, and commanding presence. The film documents Ball’s struggles and triumphs, from her early days in showbiz to the peak of her career, with all the tension, scandal, and pressure i0n between. Nicole’s layered performance earned her an Academy Award nomination, proving once again her ability to embody real-life icons with both heart and precision.
Where to Watch Nicole Kidman’s Top Movies and TV Shows Online in India
If you want to watch Nicole Kidman’s best performances in film and television, be sure to check out JustWatch’s guide below for all the latest streaming details. You can also explore our New Guide to stay updated on the latest movies and TV shows arriving on streaming platforms and in theatres across India. If any of the titles mentioned in this guide caught your attention, simply click on the title and hit the bookmark icon under the poster to add it to your watchlist.
