There won’t be much argument about Nicole Kidman standing among the greatest actors of her generation. She has starred in more than her fair share of terrific movies. Personally, we’re still thinking about the genius of her completely unhinged turn in The Northman.
However, there have also been some Nicole Kidman near-misses over the years. Even the best actors have a list of regrets. But in Kidman’s case, she isn’t very regretful about one of the movies she rejected, even though it might have taken her to her second win at the Oscars.
Kidman was rewarded in 2003 for her performance as Virginia Woolf in The Hours and probably had no thoughts of Oscars when she said no to a movie called The Reader a few years later. Kate Winslet took the job and found herself on stage collecting the Oscar for Best Actress.
Kidman told The Telegraph she was poised to take on the lead role as a former concentration camp guard, but turned it down when she fell pregnant. The team behind the film offered her the chance to play the role anyway, but she stood firm.
“I didn’t want to be working while I was pregnant. Some women could, maybe if they’d already had a lot of children, but for me it was such a huge place to be and I wanted to carry my baby and keep her healthy and peaceful,” said Kidman. Years later, she has no regrets.
“It’s actually the opposite. It was the greatest choice I made. The child who came out, Sunday Rose, is just heaven. If I get worried about anything I just go back to that – the joy. And I’ve got two adult children. Ella lives in London and Connor is a DJ. They’re functioning in the world, happy. I’m so grateful to have four healthy, happy children. I touch wood.”
Kidman chose to prioritize her family at that time, and we can’t blame her for that at all. She might be kicking herself a little for missing out on the chance to win an award, but of course, there’s no guarantee that she could’ve matched Winslet’s acclaimed work. When you’ve made as many of the best movies ever as Kidman has, you can’t dwell too much on the ones that got away.
If you want more from one of our greatest actors, find out about how Nicole Kidman was part of the longest ever film shoot and learn why Nicole Kidman broke three ribs thanks to a brutal costume. You can also read our The Northman review.