Nicole Kidman - Tapa dura

Nicole Kidman is undoubtedly the hottest female star around; her every move makes front-page headlines all over the world. A number of biographies of her former husband, Tom Cruise, have been published, but until now not one on Kidman herself. This biography will trace Nicole Kidman's steady rise from prolific child star through B-list mediocrity to her current status as a critically acclaimed and hugely popular actress. Kidman toiled for years in the Hollywood wilderness, failing auditions for Ghost, Thelma & Louise, Sleepless in Seattle and The Silence of the Lambs; she only landed her breakthrough role in To Die For after Meg Ryan turned it down. Since then, she has worked closely with some of the leading directors and actors of our time, starring with John Malkovich in Jane Campion's Portrait Of A Lady and Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut; she's also made successful forays into action movies (The Peacemaker, alongside George Clooney) and horror (the recent hit film The Others). Having firmly established herself as a successful film actress, Kidman has recently branched out into other areas, demonstrating her great versatility as a performer. Her West End and Broadway stage debut in The Blue Room was memorably dubbed 'pure theatrical Viagra' by one mesmerised theatre critic. She plans a return to the stage in 2002 in Ibsen's The Lady From The Sea. Most recently, she has duetted with Robbie Williams on a cover version of Frank Sinatra's 'Somethin' Stupid'; the single became the UK's Christmas No. 1. Her marriage to Tom Cruise has been the subject of much speculation, and the authors will certainly investigate the numerous rumours concerning the couple. But since her divorce last year, Kidman has begun to emerge as a fascinating personality in her own right. Her seductive performance as the courtesan Satine in Baz Luhrmann's extraordinary Moulin Rouge has made her a household name at last. The role earned her a Golden Globe for Best Actress and she looks set to be Oscar nominated later this year.