Nicole Kidman's epic rise to Hollywood stardom

Aussie actresss Nicole Kidman has been wowing the world on screen for decades – and doing Australia proud in the process.

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There’s no doubt she’s one of the most respected stars in Tinseltown. But how did the self-proclaimed shy girl who grew up on Sydney’s North Shore become Hollywood royalty?

Nicole Kidman grew up on Sydney’s North Shore but is now one of Hollywood’s finest. (FilmMagic)

As a youngster, she loved mime and street theatre and, believe it or not, it was American actress Margaret Hamilton’s performance in the classic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz – she played the Wicked Witch of the West – that inspired Kidman to become an actress.

Nicole Kidman in her 1983 breakoit role BMX Bandits. (Netflix)In the ’80s, Kidman became a local teen star, winning roles in the holiday movie Bush

Christmas before her popularity soared thanks to the cult hit, BMX Bandits.

In 1989, she made the move to the Big Apple, and just months later her life and career changed forever and she was cast in movies such as Days of Thunder, Moulin Rouge and The Hours, which won her the Best Actress Oscar in 2002.