Nicole Kidman has become the first Australian actor to be honoured with an American Film Institute (AFI) Life Achievement Award.
At a ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles over the weekend, the Oscar-winning actor was presented with the organisation’s highest honour by former honouree Meryl Streep.
“It is a privilege to make films,” Kidman said, accepting her award. “And glorious to have made films and television with these storytellers who allowed me to run wild and be free and play all of these unconventional women.”
“Thank you for making me better at my craft and giving me a place, however temporary, in this world.”
The 56-year old used her speech to thank the directors whom she’s worked with throughout her decades-long career, including Sofia Coppola, Nora Ephron, Jane Campion, Lulu Wang and Stanley Kubrick.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter on the red carpet, Kidman said she had no interest in becoming a director.
“I feel like I would be a terrible director because I always have so many ideas,” she said. “A director has to make choices, and that’s not my strong suit.”
“I’m very good at being passionate and supporting the voices and reading a script and going ‘I love this script,’ or seeing somebody and going, ‘I love this actor, I love this director, how do I support them?’ And they maybe have done nothing [before], but I want to get behind them. That’s what I love doing; it excites me, and it really makes me happy. I love shining the light on other people or helping to do that.”
“There’s so many more exciting young directors and voices that are completely original and need to be heard, and they have a lot to say. We need to give them a chance to say it and to hear them, and I am here, I am ready to roll up my sleeves. I am here always to support those voices.”
Speaking to another reporter, Kidman said “Australian or not, I’m just so honoured to be on this list with the greats and to be able to represent my country.”
“I’ve worked all over the world, but I’m an Aussie girl. And I’m standing here, and Hollywood going, oh my god, it actually happened. I’ve made so many risky films.”
“I mean, to the point where people go, ‘You’re actually gonna do that movie?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, I am.’ I think it’s the the kid in me, but it’s also just the kid that went to drama school and we did everything — we weren’t confined to a particular…’Oh my gosh, you’re the wrong age for that’ Or ‘oh my gosh, that’s a really weird play’. You just you did every role and it’s such good way to approach a career.”
A star-studded guest list attended the celebrations on Saturday night, including her husband, singer Keith Urban, Big Little Lies co-star Reese Witherspoon, Naomi Watts and Zac Efron.
Fellow Australian actors Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman and Cate Blanchett appeared in video tributes to congratulate Kidman, who is among one of the youngest recipients of the award.
Previous winners of the award, which the AFI calls the “highest honour in American cinema”, include Elizabeth Taylor, Jack Nicholson, Barbara Streisand, Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, Warren Beatty, Robert De Niro, Shirley MacLaine, Jane Fonda and Denzel Washington.
Kidman was nominated for an Oscar for Moulin Rouge, Rabbit Hole and Being the Ricardos and best supporting actress in Lion. She won Best Actress for The Hours in 2003.