Nicole Kidman

A comprehensive study of Nicole Kidman’s work through the lens of ten of her most iconic roles

Nicole Kidman (b.1967), internationally renowned and one of the most celebrated actors of her generation, has starred in a host of award- winning movies. She came to worldwide recognition for her roles in Days of Thunder (1990), Far and Away (1992), and Eyes Wide Shut (1995), and has since been the recipient of numerous Golden Globe awards. Her performance as Virginia Woolf in The Hours (2002) received an Oscar for Best Actress.

The Anatomy of an Actor series takes ten roles by a single actor, each studied in a dedicated chapter, and identifies the key elements that made the performances exceptional – carefully examining the actor’s craft for both a professional audience and movie fans alike. Arguably the biggest star of his generation, Leonardo DiCaprio (b. 1974) is also one of its finest actors. Since first gaining attention in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape at only 19 years old, he has consistently been in the public eye: notably in record-breaking Titanic in 1997, and most recently as the lead in Wolf of Wall Street, nominated for five Oscars.

Hollywood superstar Nicole Kidman, a breathtaking beauty and versatile performer, is ranked by most movie insiders as one of the top actresses of her generation. But, for years, her professional success was offset by her mother's battle with breast cancer and a shattering divorce from Tom Cruise, with whom she had adopted two children.

The divorce turned her world upside down. She eventually landed on her feet, but the years in between were chaotic and marked by poor relationship and career choices.

Born in Hawaii and raised in Australia, Nicole was an awkward child who did not blossom until her teen years. Supported by activist parents (her father is a well-known psychologist in Australia) she quickly became an award-winning ingénue in Australia. Her role in the acclaimed thriller Dead Calm grabbed the attention of moviegoers as well as that of Tom Cruise, who asked her to audition for his upcoming film, Days of Thunder.

By the 1990s, Tom and Nicole had married and Nicole was appearing in one movie after another. Her breakthrough role came in 1995 with To Die For, in which she played the role of a television weathergirl who kills her husband. Several releases later she co-starred with Tom in the sexual psychodrama, Eyes Wide Shut, directed by the legendary film director Stanley Kubrick. The film generated a firestorm of publicity, primarily because of its graphic sexual content. With shocking insight, this book takes you behind the scenes while the movie was being made.

For two of her recent films, Paperboy and Fur, Nicole returned to two of her favorite themes--infidelity and sexual exhibitionism. Both films brought comparisons to two cutting-edge relationship stories, To Die For and Eyes Wide Shut.

After a string of disastrous relationships, including romances with rapper Q-Tip and musician Lenny Kravitz-she fell in love with country star Keith Urban and they married in 2006 after a courtship of about a year. She had a child with Keith and then had a second daughter with the help of a surrogate mother. Today they live in Nashville, Tennessee, far away from the glitter of Hollywood.

GOURMAND WORLD COOKBOOK AWARD WINNER - Best Charity Cookbook in the Unites States!; We all have a favorite childhood food that immediately conjures up carefree afternoons, endless days, and feelings of melt-in-your-mouth pleasure and comfort. Is yours buttered cinnamon toast? Your mama s potato salad? After-school English muffin pizzas? Now, Nick Katsoris, author of the acclaimed and award-winning children's book series featuring Loukoumi the fluffy lamb, has gathered the favorite childhood recipes of more than 50 celebrities in his delightfully illustrated new cookbook for children and their families, Loukoumi s Celebrity Cookbook. A minimum of $2 from the sale of each book will be donated to Chefs for Humanity and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. In Loukoumi's Celebrity Cookbook, Loukoumi and her friends Dean the dog, Marika the monkey and Fistiki the cat are playing happily when they become hungry. At Loukoumi's home they discover Fistiki's Aunt Cat Cora, a character based on celebrity chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author Cat Cora, the first and only female Iron Chef, and President and Founder of Chefs for Humanity, which works to reduce hunger around the world. Aunt Cat offers to help them make her childhood favorite dish Grandma s Special Cream Cheese Cake. The story continues as Aunt Cat guides the friends in gathering and measuring ingredients and preparing them for the oven, all the while sharing child-friendly safety tips. Beginning with Cat Cora's recipe for Alma's Italian Cream Cake, Loukoumi's Celebrity Cookbook is divided into Weekend Breakfasts, Lunchtime Favorites, After-School Snacks, Family Meals, and Delicious Desserts. With tasty treats for the whole family, the book includes Rachael Ray's French Toast Cups with Fresh Fruit, Oprah Winfrey's Corn Fritters, Ellen DeGeneres' Vegan Sliders, Beyonce's Easy Guacamole with Corn Chip Scoops, Betty White s Chicken Wings, Miranda Cosgrove's Spaghetti Tacos, Matt Lauer's Beanie Weenie Stew, Mario Lopez's Chicken Enchiladas, Marlo Thomas' Corn Pudding, and Eli Manning's Lace Cookies plus recipes from Ernie Anastos, Jennifer Aniston, John Aniston, Alexis Christoforous, Katie Couric, Marcia Cross, Paula Deen, Frank Dicopoulos, Celine Dion, Olympia Dukakis, Mike Emanuel, Gloria Gaynor, Neil Patrick Harris, Florence Henderson, David Henrie, Faith Hill, Carrie Ann Inaba, Melina Kanakaredes, Nicole Kidman, Miranda Lambert, Christian Jules Le Blanc, Jay Leno, Susan Lucci, Evan Lysacek, Bailee Madison, Gilles Marini, Constantine Maroulis, Bridgit Mendler, Nancy O'Dell, Amy Poehler, Al Roker, Hillary Scott, The Scotto Family, Doc Shaw, Sherri Shepherd, Brenda Song, Dylan & Cole Sprouse, George Stephanopoulos, Taylor Swift, Tiffany Thornton, Justin Timberlake, Mark Wahlberg, Reese Witherspoon and many others. Loukoumi s Celebrity Cookbook also invites children ages 4 to 12 to submit their favorite childhood recipe to Loukoumi s Secret Ingredient Recipe Contest through March 1, 2012, to win a chance to cook that recipe with celebrity chef Cat Cora. The children will be asked to complete the statement: (Recipe Name) is my favorite childhood recipe because... (in 10 words or less). For details, please visit Loukoumi.com, where entry forms will be available this fall. Perfect for holiday cooking fun, Loukoumi s Celebrity Cookbook will bring you and yours together over many fun-to-prepare meals.