As a devoted admirer of Nicole Kidman’s exceptional acting skills and captivating performances, I find myself thoroughly immersed in her TV roles that showcase her remarkable versatility. Among her impressive television repertoire, “The Undoing” stands out as the pinnacle of the Nicole Kidman TV Experience for me.
Nicole Kidman is undeniably one of the most remarkable film actors we’ve known. She possesses a unique blend of ethereal beauty, regality, and a touch of eccentricity that makes her truly captivating. Since the 1990s, she has graced over 80 films, maintaining her presence in our collective consciousness for just as long. Her early career was often highlighted by the gossip columns; her high-profile partnership with Tom Cruise during their stardom peak being one of those highlights. Since then, she has undergone several on-screen transformations. It’s no surprise that she gained meme status for an AMC Theaters commercial praising cinema, as her love for the silver screen has always shone brightly; Nicole Kidman’s fame has been a radiant summer in Hollywood for decades.
As a movie enthusiast, I’ve been captivated by Nicole Kidman’s remarkable transformation into a television powerhouse over the past few years. Since her mesmerizing performance in David E. Kelley’s “Big Little Lies” back in 2017, she has undeniably become one of the most prominent A-listers on the small screen. It seems like there’s a new show featuring Kidman nearly every year, gracing our screens on the majority of major streaming platforms. I couldn’t be happier about this turn of events: When an actress of Kidman’s talent pours herself so wholeheartedly into bringing her iconic aura to life for television, something magical happens.
We’ll be rating the contemporary television roles of this actor according to a special definition of modern, considering that Nicole Kidman first appeared on Australian television in the ’80s and gained fame as a movie star with “Days of Thunder” in 1990. We exclude her cameos in “Sesame Street,” “Hello Ladies: The Movie,” and the TV film “Hemingway & Gellhorn.” Her return to television was not substantial until 2017’s “Big Little Lies,” which signified the start of the authentic Nicole Kidman TV Experience that we admire today.
8.
Roar: “The Woman Who Ate Photographs”
2022, Apple TV+
In this episode from Apple TV+’s collection of feminist tales told as parables, Kidman plays a character named Robin who embarks on an all-night road trip with her mother, portrayed by Judy Davis. Robin’s life is currently challenging, and her mother, already hard to deal with, is battling dementia, prompting the journey intended to help settle her into Robin’s home permanently. Robin must confront the heartache of losing her mother over time while also grappling with her older son preparing to leave for college, adding to her sense of drift. To cope, she finds herself consuming photographs, an unusual method that allows her a brief moment to re-live the scenes captured within.
Absolutely, “The Woman Who Ate Photographs” is an intriguing tale that doesn’t necessarily require extensive explanation. In this story, Nicole Kidman’s character, Robin, deviates significantly from the affluent characters she often portrays in television. Living in a suburban home with her husband Simon Baker, Robin offers a refreshing departure from the typical roles Kidman takes on. Despite her unconventional appearance, with a striking ’80s-inspired wig, she is less central to the plot compared to other Kidman characters. However, this short story leaves an enduring impression as it frequently depicts Kidman consuming old Polaroids in a manner reminiscent of snacking on Cheetos.
7.
Top of the Lake: China Girl (Sundance TV, 2013)
2013, Sundance TV
The sequel series by Jane Campion following “Top of the Lake” is often critically evaluated as less compelling than its original version, mainly due to its explicit treatment of themes that were subtly implied in the first season and for failing to acknowledge its own peculiarity, contrivances, and confusion. For instance, the character of Julia Edwards, played by Nicole Kidman, finds herself divorcing her husband Pyke, who shares a daughter, Mary, with her. Mary was given up for adoption 17 years prior by Robin Griffin, the lead detective in Sydney portrayed by Elisabeth Moss. Interestingly, Mary is romantically involved with Puss, a shady German character whose brothel becomes central to the crime that Robin ultimately investigates. The connections between these characters and events can be quite intricate!
In the series “China Girl,” Kidman’s role is mainly supportive to the main action. However, staying true to her style, she challenges the makeup team to their maximum potential. As Julia, Kidman sports a wig with gray curly hair that could fit well in “Hocus Pocus,” and it highlights a face adorned with freckles, a nose enhanced by a prosthetic bump, and fake teeth set in a conspicuous gap. It’s quite an impressive transformation, and one of the few standout aspects in this otherwise unmemorable season of TV.
6.
Expats
2024, Amazon Prime Video
Lulu Wang, the director of “The Farewell,” brings us “Expats,” a somber drama revolving around two main characters: Nicole Kidman’s finance wife, Margaret, and Ji-young Yoo’s younger Korean American character, Mercy. A series of unfortunate events connect them as Mercy’s recklessness leads to the disappearance of Margaret’s child. Additionally, there’s Hilary (Sarayu Blue), an estranged friend of Margaret’s, who experiences existential struggles and seems peripheral to the central sorrow.
5.
Nine Perfect Strangers
2021, Hulu
In this adaptation, we find Nicole Kidman delving into Method acting for her role in “Nine Perfect Strangers.” Filmed amid the pandemic, it’s understandable that one might want to assume a completely different persona for an extended period. In this Hulu series, Kidman adopts a near-incomprehensible Eastern European accent to portray Masha, the enigmatic leader of Tranquillum House, a secluded wellness retreat offering unorthodox healing methods that blur the lines between conventional and questionable practices, such as drugs and psychological manipulation. Unfortunately, “Nine Perfect Strangers” is less captivating compared to its contemporary, “The White Lotus,” and its narrative tends to wander without a clear resolution. However, Kidman’s performance as Masha showcases her ability to harness her innate otherworldly energy and channel it into a character that straddles the line between comforting, mysterious, and unsettling.
4.
Special Ops: Lioness
2023-current, Paramount+
Discussing Kaitlyn Meade, a character who could trample on your neck: Here’s Nicole Kidman. Typically, Kidman’s TV roles revolve around the affluent upper class, but with Meade she gets to wield a distinct type of influence: that of the American security apparatus. In the realm of Special Ops: Lioness, Meade is an integral part of the American system: a high-ranking CIA official who’s married to a billionaire (rest assured, she remains wealthy), skillfully manipulating senators – while managing Joe, a relentless operative portrayed by Zoe Saldaña. While Kidman might not appear as a natural fit for Taylor Sheridan’s expanding universe at first glance, there is indeed a link between the symbols of the American elite she usually embodies and her role in Lioness, and it’s simply entertaining to see Kidman as a covert CIA handler, exuding power suits and witty remarks.
3.
The Perfect Couple
2024, Netflix
The title “The Perfect Couple” might be misleading as it’s far from perfect. It seems like the storyline has been overly simplified by Netflix, similar to how a gourmet cheeseburger loses its complexity in mass production. Nonetheless, it’s still enjoyable.
2.
Big Little Lies
2017-2019, HBO
The first of Kidman’s collaborations with Kelley took Liane Moriarty’s beach-read banger, slapped on HBO’s prestige imprimatur, and generated an undeniable sensation by thoroughly mixing the highbrow with the lowbrow. More important, as Kidman’s first return to television after achieving movie stardom in 1990, Big Little Lies set the template for the Nicole Kidman TV Experience. Kidman’s Celeste Wright — a former lawyer now living under the stifling thumb of her abusive husband, Perry, played by a dependably terrifying Alexander Skarsgård — establishes many of the core tropes that would come to define how we tend to think of Kidman’s TV roles: a woman trapped in a prison of sterling wealth. Based on this contribution alone, one can reasonably make the argument that this show should sit at the very top of this list. Counterpoint, though: Big Little Lies is far too much of an ensemble piece — Kidman shares the tableau with Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, and (to some extent) Laura Dern and Zoë Kravitz, who all have their separate problems — to warrant top billing. Also, the second season wasn’t very good. Which leads us to …
1.
The Undoing
2020, HBO
The epitome of the Nicole Kidman TV Drama: “The Undoing” pairs Kidman with her “Paddington” co-star Hugh Grant as they delve into the captivating narrative of Grace Fraser, a chic psychologist and wife to Grant’s acclaimed oncologist who spirals out of control when he is implicated in a shocking murder. This series encapsulates everything you crave from Kidman on TV: She portrays an affluent socialite, owns a lavish beach house, and dons a collection of stunningly extravagant coats as her world crumbles around her. “The Undoing” is also a fusion of elements tailored to Kidman’s current preferences: It is a collaboration between David Kelley and Susanne Bier, and is based on Jean Hanff Korelitz’s novel “You Should Have Known“. Grant, making his debut in American television, excels as both a charming rogue and an untrustworthy husband to the elegant Kidman; together, they embody the perfect Upper East Side couple that you can’t help but love to despise. “The Undoing” garnered significant acclaim on HBO, partly because of its timely release, providing premium escape during the harsh winter of the pandemic. However, its success is likely due more to offering pure, unadulterated Kidman in her element.
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2024-10-26 21:54