Australian actress Nicole Kidman consistently defied expectations throughout her career. Initially cast as the next big thing, she later enjoyed the double-edged honor of being known as Mrs. Tom Cruise, only to eventually be recognized as one of cinema’s most powerful dramatic actresses. After garnering international acclaim for her role in the Australian thriller “Dead Calm” (1989), Kidman made her American debut in the Tom Cruise actioner “Days of Thunder” (1990). Although Kidman impressed with her performances in such films as “To Die For” (1995) and “The Portrait of a Lady” (1996), she could not quite escape the considerable shadow cast by her megastar husband. Kidman took a brief hiatus after her work in Stanley Kubrick’s final film “Eyes Wide Shut” (1999) and her much publicized divorce from Cruise, only to return triumphant in director Baz Luhrmann’s musical extravaganza “Moulin Rouge” (2001). From there it was on to a string of universally acclaimed performances in films that included “The Others” (2001), “The Hours” (2002) – for which she won a Best Actress Oscar – “Dogville” (2003), and “Cold Mountain” (2003). Following a period of inconsistent project choices, Kidman proved that she was still at the top of her game with her portrayal of a grieving mother in “Rabbit Hole” (2010). Ultimately, Kidman succeeded in reinventing herself like few actresses had, starting out as a fashionable wife to the world’s biggest movie star, only to wind up a respected actress in her own right, who continued to fascinate the public year after year.