Nicole Kidman Almost Quit Hollywood: The Untold Story

This is what she confessed to 'CBS News.' After moving to Nashville and giving birth to her first daughter with country superstar Keith Urban, the Academy Award winner thought she was “pretty much done” with acting and wanted to turn her full attention to her new family. That is until her mother stepped in and urged her to keep going.

“When I get birth to [Sunday Kidman-Urban], I was like, ‘Well, I think I’m pretty much done now,'” Kidman told 'CBS News'. “We were living on a farm, and that’s when my mother said, ‘I wouldn’t give up completely. Keep a finger sort of in it.’ And I’m like, ‘No, no. I’m done now. I’m done.’ She’s going, ‘Just listen to me. Keep moving forward. Not saying that you have to do it to the level you’ve been doing it, but I wouldn’t give it up completely.'”

Kidman's mother played a crucial role in her decision to stay in the acting industry. Her mother's wisdom proved invaluable as Kidman decided to keep her career alive. Kidman took the advice to heart, and three years later, she scored her third Oscar nomination for her leading performance in 'Rabbit Hole.' In the years to come, Kidman would star in 'Just Go With It,' 'Hemmingway & Gellhorn,' 'Stoker' and 'The Railway Man.'

Kidman's upcoming role in A24's erotic thriller 'Babygirl' further demonstrates her enduring presence in the industry. Scheduled for release on Christmas day, the film features Kidman as "Romy", a high-powered CEO whose life takes a tumultuous turn when she becomes involved with a younger intern, played by Harris Dickinson. This latest project highlights Kidman's ability to captivate audiences with diverse and challenging roles.

She looks back now on her mom's words: “That came from a woman who was from a generation that didn’t have the opportunities that I had, that she had helped create for her daughters,” Kidman added. “So that’s probably something that she wished she’d had when she was little.”

Now, Nicole Kidman is one of the most accomplished and versatile actresses of her generation, with a career spanning several decades and a wide range of critically acclaimed performances. Kidman first garnered attention with her role in the Australian film 'Dead Calm' (1989), where she portrayed the wife of a man stranded at sea with a psychotic stranger. This performance set the stage for her future success in Hollywood.

Her major breakthrough came with the blockbuster 'Days of Thunder' (1990), where she starred opposite Tom Cruise. The film not only launched her career in Hollywood but also marked the beginning of her high-profile relationship with Cruise. Throughout the 1990s, Kidman took on a variety of roles that showcased her versatility. She starred as the rebellious "Satine" in the musical 'Moulin Rouge!' (2001), which earned her a Golden Globe Award. This role demonstrated her ability to tackle both dramatic and musical roles with equal skill.

In recent years, Kidman has expanded her career into television with 'Big Little Lies' (2017), a critically acclaimed HBO series in which she played "Celeste Wright," a lawyer struggling with domestic abuse. Her performance earned her an Emmy Award and further demonstrated her ability to captivate audiences on the small screen.

Kidman continued to choose diverse roles in films like 'Lion' (2016), where she played "Sue Brierley," the adoptive mother of a young Indian boy searching for his biological family. The film was nominated for several awards, and Kidman’s performance was widely praised for its emotional depth.

In addition to her acting career, Kidman has produced a number of films through her production company, Blossom Films, including 'Rabbit Hole' (2010), in which she portrayed "Becca Corbett," a mother grieving the death of her son. Her producing credits further showcase her commitment to bringing complex, human stories to the screen.