THE PRIDE OF AUSTRALIA

In Australia, which celebrates achievement even as it suspects ambition, it's called tall poppy syndrome-stand out too much and you'll get chopped down to size. early this year Nicole Kidman found out what it means to be laid low by ambition, literally: she spent a month in bed, recuperating from a knee injury suffered midway through filming baz luhrmann's 19th century burlesque musical, moulin rouge.
"I was an idiot" she says now, "I ripped all the cartilage behind my knee by dancing on it for two weeks after an injury because we had to finish the film - I'm catholic but i have this protestant work ethic where I cannot say no. I hate to chuch a sickie."
For more than a decade australia has had no taller poppy than the lissome, accomplished, and unmistakably ambitious Nicole Kidman. If her longtime friend Russell Crowe perfectly embodies the earthbound, beer and a cig aussie male, the 33 year old Kidman is her country's soaring, striving siren-cinematic superstar, cynosure, spouse. She is fiercely proud of her native land, especially as the 2000 summer olympics come to Sydney, yet she realizes how much of her current identity cuts against the country's grain, from her fair, freckled skin to her occasional ostentatious toys, such as the plane she and husband tom cruise own. "I am so embarrassed" she says "It is not cool. It is cooler to be in a flat with no money and struggling. That is part of being australian: it's like 'no no no-deny deny"
But self sufficiency, not self denial, has been Kidman's way; if that makes her a standout so be it. born in hawaii she passed through washington d.c.("I remember eating snow and my parents throwing snowbals at each other-very important!") before landing in Australia. Her mother was a nurse who worked mighty hours to feed the family while Nicole's father, a budding biochemist, finished grad school adn tried to look after the kids in classic absentminded professor style. "my dad in the morning would make our sandwiches-disaster!" she says with a laugh. "all the other kids had their mums, who would make these beautiful little sandwiches and cut them. my daddy just put a slab of butter on top of bread and then, 'whaddaya want? peanut butter?' wouldn't cut it and wouldn't wrap it properly so by the time you opened it at school it was all stale and all the kids would tease us."
By 11 Kidman was a self described latchkey kid looking after herself and her younger sister adn she had already begun to attend drama school. She'd actually begun her acting career in the school nativity play first as the innkeepers wife "I was one of those terrible kids who said everyone's lines" then in a subsequent production as a sheep. "When mary was rocking the baby jesus, I went 'baaaaa, baaaaa, baaaaa' adn of course everyone was in hysterics! This stupid kid trying to upstage jesus as a sheep! but i got a laugh and the was it. i thought wow this is fun."
As a teenager she bagan getting cast in small movies with titles like bush christmas and bmx bandits. Then kidman with stood a six and a half hour improvisational audition to win her first big break: a role in the kennedy miller production vietnam, which bacame a hugely popular australian miniseries. it's director john duigan ultimately counseld Kidman against following in the footsteps of Mel Gibson and judy davis, who attended Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art, the country's foremost acting school. "He said 'don't you dare go-they will destroy you'" she recalls "so I never went. I always think I would have loved to have gone because I love being around actors. I love talking about acting and i wanted to go to colleg but he said don't go so i chose the other route, which was to work work work" kidmans international breakthrough came with Phillip Noyce's dead calm, in a role written expressly for her. That led to her highly incongruous hollywood debut as brain surgeon claire lewicki in days of thunder opposite the man who would become her husband.
Ten years as a hollywood leading lady have allowed kidman ample opportunity to showcase her remarkable technical skills, as well as her sloe-eyed sensuality. Ten years as the wife of Tom Cruise have brought her connubial bliss, two adopted children and a level of media scrutiny that can still take her aback. Blessed with the exquisite body and temperment of an olympic athlete she seems up for anthing no matter how daring, whether it's skydiving with her husband or baring all-and wishing she had done even more nudity-in billy bathgate.
Unlike her husband-at least before Magnolia-Kidman made her reputation as an actess in edgy nonblockbusters: flirting, dead calm, to die for. But also-and by her own admission-she did egregious hollywood crap, playing Val Kilmers dopey babe in batman forever adn the mega intense wife in Malice for which she actually uttered the line "take me upstairs and f*** me" (perhaps it was those performances or just tall poppy syndrome in action that led new zealander Jane Campion to withdraw her promise of the lead in the portrait of a lady and force Kidman to re audition. even luhrmann would compel Kidman to go against the likes of courtney love to win her Moulin Rouge role)
And unlike her husband kidman admits to being wrapped a little tight. "I am pretty emotional" she says "highly strung but incredibly loyal. I like to have fun: I love to dance, like to drink, i like to party." Fortunately as she lounged on my sofa in an edwardian jacket and trousers she liked to talk as well-about family, about her work, and even about her husband. "I wouldn't want to be married to me" she says "but luckily he does"

TALK: What is this about you holding the olympic torch?
NK: A complete rumor! I never agreed to do it. In fact they never even asked me. And because I didn't take the time to say no, I wasn't going to do it, suddenly there were people on tv saying "oh Nicole shouldn't be doing that! athletes should!" and I was thinking "hold on!" but it shows you that you have to get out there and sort of handle things immediately. Otherwise everyone just assumes because you haven't denied it, it's true.
TALK: How have you learned to navigate the press here,especially where your kids-who are only 7 and 5-are concerned?
NK: After princess Diana died I came out to Australia and was just hounded by paparazzi. So I actually went on a radio program and just said "listen please leave my kids alone so that htey can go to school here, so that they can have a normal life." And they did. They've left the kids alone. at this point I would have to say that Australia is the easiest country for us to be in.
TALK: Is this temporary for moulin rouge or do you plan to stay?
NK: We've been here on and off for two years. Eventually I would really like to settle here... but it can be hard having a marriage with two people from different countries because so much of who you are I think is where you came from and where you grew up and you want that to still be a part of your life. So the question is where do you live?
TALK: Does tom go through sports withdrawl?
NK: When he's here he gets all those tapes sent out-the basketball adn the ice hockey and the this and the that. when we're in new york he'll go down and pick up an ice hockey game. That's who he is. Here he'll go and see and aussie (football)-he follows the swans-and he goes to games with Russell Crowe.
TALK: Russells a bit of a rager isn't he?
NK: He has a very very deep soul, i must say, and he is truly one of my dearest friends. He is loyal beyond belief and we've spent almost every new years eve together for the last few years- Tom and russell and I.
TALK: Do you see other australian actors while you're here?
NK: Lots. Everybody knows everybody. I've know John Polson who was in m:i-2 since I was 15. We've all worked together been to parties for ages. And there's a great pride when other australians do really well. People I meet in the street say "isn't it great for Russell" you know and Toni Collette. We've all become quite patriotic about it.
TALK: Are you equally patriotic about you olympians?
NK: I love athletes! i get starstruck around them-the swimmer Ian Thorpe at the moment. He's going to win all the golds and I proudly go around telling people "oh yes yes I've met Ian Thorpe!"
TALK: So you've practically finished Moulin Rouge and next you do in the cut your second go round with Jane Campian. Are you staying put for that?
NK: We're going to do that in new york actually. But we'll be in madrid next. I'm going to do this really kind of funky film with this spanish director named Alejandro Amenabar who is 28 years old and is really good. This will be his first english speaking movie.
TALK: What do you do with your kids when you're away on set? Do you bring them?
NK: Oh yes. We always put them in the local schools. When we were in new york they were in school there. And they'll go to a local school in Madrid.
TAlK: You're kidding.
NK: They know that their home is whereever they are and we set up wherever we go. Neither of them is really shy, which is lucky, since I get antsy if I am in one place for too long.
TALK: You roamed around a bit, I gather, when you were young.
NK: I travelled all around europe when I was 16. I think being an actor you have this voracious appetite for life, where you just say "ok give it to me-I want to experience it. I want to feel it I want to understand it." And it's dangerous at times, because you can be in situations where you just go "F*** it, I've got to do this" and it is exciting and it leads you down very very interesting paths, but I must say that as a mother looking at the possibilities of what my son and daughter might do i think, no no no no! Because I know how sticky some of the situations were adn how it was just by chance that I got out of them.
TALK: But you still have a fair amount of wanderlust.
NK: I love Australia as a base-knowing my mum is just down the street my sister is just up the street- but then it's great to be able to go to new york.
TALK: Do the two of you go out a lot there?
NK: We were there recently and went out to see Eartha kitt at the carlyle. And she has still really got it when she puts it on. She was just like... she was just blatant beautifully blantant. She was going for these young guys and pulling then out of their chairs. Tom was like "she is sexy!" he was going mad.
TALK: Sex appeal is so much about confidence.
NK: That's what he said. Tom said "if you spent the night with her she'd give you a great time"
TALK: But the two of you arent' all ove the place at every party.
NK: Not at all. For a premiere and stuff, sure-we'll get dressed up and do all of that but ultimately it's just a question of do you wnat to be the center of attention? I am very shy - really shy - I even had a bit of a stutter as a kid, which I slowly got over but I still regress into that shyness. So I don't likewalking into a crowded restaurant by myself, I dont' like going to a party by myself. and Tom is someone who would much prefer not to be noticed when he's out in public. He is not really a show pony, as my mum says.
TALK: What about your kids? are your lives exciting for them?
NK: Tom and I are fierce in protecting them and it is something that is really hard at times. Hillary Clinton said something about raising chelses-and I thought it was really such a great thing for a mother to do-which was that she wanted to let Chelsea define herself before she was defined by other people. So we want Bella and Connor both to have the chance to define themselves before we have defined them in the press or through anybody. They will probably battle us-we dont' take them to premieres, we don't take them to anything-but they still have a very full fun life. They just don't have a public life.
TALK: So you stay at home. Do you cook?
NK: Yes a bit. I'm a pretty good cook, but i go through stages. I actually had a french chef come in and teach some friends of mine and me how to do croissants the other day. We did profiteroles as well.
TALK: Now Nicole you can go out and buy croissants.
NK: I know but it's kind of nice to be able to pull something out of teh oven and say wouldn't you like a fresh croissant?
TALK: And tom? How does he do in the kitchen?
NK: He's really good at pasta. He's sort of italian-that's his thing. And there's nothing like sunday night dinner and a glass of wine. That's nice. and a bit of barbecue.
TALK: But the woman usually ends up doing a lot more at home.
NK: Definitely. you're just organizing all of their lives. I was cleaning out bella's closet today. Would Tom be cleaning out her closet? Would he know what's in her closet? Probably not.
TALK: How was he during the diaper stage?
NK: He was hands on in that. he would be the one to make sure I had the nappies when I was taking the kids out and the bottles. I'm a little more vague with that stuff. I'm like " we'll just buy a nappy out if we don't have one." I walk around a little blurry-I should be wearing glasses and I don't... so that is a very telling thing about me.
TALK: You could have laser surgery.
NK: I may. i put it off because it's surgery. So I just walk around basically in a bit of a haze. Where as Tom is far more organized. I am more about "we've go to get so and so over and let's throw a dinner party" that kind of thing. I love to organize a party. But the day to day stuff is not my forte.
TALK: Is it true that the two of you have a rule that you can only be separated for two weeks?
NK: Well we can be separated for three weeks-we are allowed to be - but I think 13 days is the longest we have ever done.
TALK: Right up there with Paul and Linda
NK: They only did one night.
TALK: It must be so hard to have the kids, Toms career, your career. How the h*** do you do it?
NK: It's hard. there is no secret. It's tough being a woman and having kids adn working. I see people who say "oh yeah I'm doing it all" forget it. Something is going to give- usually when you are just really really tired. I only work now if i really feel it's worth it. And I have to say no to things I really love because it's just not the right time. Sure you could try to do it all and try to take all the roles you wnat but you wouldn't know your kids and you wouldn't have your marriage. I think that's the big thing. distance destroys relationships. It just does.
TALK: It always erodes them however slowly.
NK: Even if you have a really strong love it can ve destroyed over time. You start looking in different directions-you just do you cant help it.
TALK: So were you dating anyone when you met Tom?
NK: I would hope so! i was a heathy 22 year old girl. But yes i was. Of course.
TALK: Did you just fall for tom hook line and sinker right away?
NK: Yes. he took my breath away. But I get embarrassed talking about this stuff.
TALK: So it was a bit of a shock to the system being a nice Sydney girl siddenly dating a megastar?
NK: Overwhelming. completely overwhelming. I was 22 and I was thrown into a stiuation that was far bigger than I could ever have imagined but I still had this strange innocence about it in a weird way. Like I would always insist on paying for dinner and buying my own movie tickets-"my shout" I'd say.
TALK: Did you think about children right away?
NK: Pretty much from the first moment we saw each other I think.
TALK: What are the biggest compromises you've made for the marriage?
NK: Every day there is a sompromise. Living with somebody requires a lot of understanding. But i love being married. I really love it. Sometimes I try to downplay it a bit because people are like "god you guys"- it sounds so corny. But I really enjoy it. Tom can make me angrier than anybody else ever, but i just love being around him. I just feel so fortunate that I have found somebody who can put up with me.
TALK: How are you hard to put up with?
NK: I'm pretty emotional-highly strung...if somethink upsets me then it really upsets me if it makes me angry then I really get angry. But it is all very up front. I can't hide it. And it's worse when i've got PMS... but I'm also incredibly loyal and I hope I'm fun.
TALK: Do you and Tom make decisions about your work - choosing scripts - together?
NK: No and we are both quite adamant about that. We have different tastes and even if you're close to somebody you still have to be really careful about that. Because I could read soemthing and love it- and this has happened -and he won't like it and I'll get defensive.
TALK: Do you read your reviews?
NK: Only sometimes. It's dangerous-even good reviews. You see actors who read reviews that rave about some thing they're good at and then they cultivate that thing and it loses its naturalness and its charm.
TALK: Do you think that eyes wide shut was misunderstood?
NK: I think it was judged on its hype and on its lead up rather than on the film itself. I also think that big action films are often judged less harshly than something more artistic and I find that slightly baffling. But it reflects the way the industry is heading now which is very much about box office and money and how much a film is making. So a film that makes 150$ million is a success and if it doesn't it isnt. We have to move beyond that and give a little slack to people attempting to do something out of the ordinary. Oherwise we're going to deny ourselves the next generation of kubricks and kieslowskis because they are just judged too harshly.
TALK: Do you ever feel that your career has to take a back seat to Tom's?
NK: Sometimes yes. Definitely. But I do it willingly. That's my choice.
TALK: Would that be like M:I-2 which took ages while you looked after the children.
NK: Yes but that's part of my life-my children are part of my life. So can I go and do that film in India? No I can't but I hope that when I'm 80 years old I'm sitting back and saying I have two great kids and I am still married to the man that I fell inlove with when I was 22.
TALK: It's so romantic. How do you and Tom make time for each other? Do you plan things so that you have at least one night a week together just the two of you?
NK: No it's never that organized. It's more spontaneous but we kind of just... we are just drawn to each other in some weird way. I feel that no matter where he is in the world there is a very very strong conection to where he is and who he is.
TALK: Do you worry about him? Doesn't the fact that he flies his own plane and is such a daredevil torture you?
NK: I worry about him all the time. My life is worrying about him. I know that when connor grows up I am going to be worrying about him too but I am a worrier. I mean worrying in terms of fast cars and motorbikes, airplanes.
TALK: Well that's quite simple, motorbikes are forbidden.
NK: I bought tom a motorbike.
TALK: Are you out of your mind?
NK: I put a big red bow on it and gave it to him. It did feel strange doing it but I thought oh well he loves it. He really loves riding.
TALK: What's the thing that makes you most nervous? Flying is what I would not be able to cope with. Does tom actually fly back and forth to America?
NK: Yes but we have a pilot as well. There is a string of rules as a pilot and he abides by them. He is not carefree, happy go lucky about it.
TALK: How do you think you and tom have kept everything together for 10 years?
NK: If I had the answere i would bottle it and sell it. I would write it down in a book. All I can say is that I hope we are together when we are 80. I can't say we will be but I will be so devastated if we are not.