Nicole Kidman has consistently chosen to defy convention, both in her acting career and personal life, a fact highlighted by her recent announcement of divorcing her husband of nearly two decades, Keith Urban.
Known for her daring roles in films like Eyes Wide Shut and To Die For, and more recently as a lead in the erotic thriller Babygirl, the Oscar-winning actress has made a name for herself by exploring complex characters and pushing the envelope.
In a fresh interview with Vogue, Kidman, now 58, offers one of her most honest reflections yet, shortly after her split from Urban was disclosed.
Kidman delved into her extensive career, sharing how she consistently opts for roles that test and even surprise her.
“Taking a risk is what I’ve always done. You get back up and you try again and you learn… I still go back to shoestring indie filmmaking because it was where I was born,” Kidman explained.
This mindset has not only defined her work for years but appears to extend to her personal life as well.
Despite the primary focus of the interview being her acting trajectory, the timing of the conversation was notable.
Kidman initiated divorce proceedings from Urban in September 2025, concluding their 19-year union.
The couple, who first crossed paths in 2005 and wed a year later in Sydney, are parents to two daughters, Sunday and Faith. Legal documents obtained by the Daily Mail indicate that Kidman has sought to be the primary residential parent, proposing to care for their daughters for 306 days each year, compared to Urban’s 59.
She touched on her personal challenges, pondering: “How many times do you have to be taught that you think you know where your life is going and then it isn’t going in that direction?”
It’s a rare moment of openness from an actress who generally keeps her private matters out of the spotlight. Nonetheless, Kidman is focusing on the positive aspects, even if it means stepping away from the tumult of social media.
“Literally walk away from it. Because it will fell you. It will destroy you,” she cautioned.
Reflecting on the changing depiction of women in cinema and how the industry has evolved since her early career, Kidman observed that “It’s not the Madonna-whore anymore,” as women actors increasingly start production companies, resulting in more empowering roles.
Her latest film, Babygirl, features her as Romy, a high-powered CEO involved in a relationship with a younger employee, played by Harris Dickinson. Discussing the role, Kidman told The Hollywood Reporter that it was ‘really beautiful’ to portray a woman embracing her sensuality later in life, and noted that many women ‘are discarded at a certain period of their career’.
There seems to be no plan for slowing down soon.
In her interview with Vogue, she remarked that someone would have to ‘tie [her] down’ to get her to stop working.