Janelle Ann Kidman, Nicole Kidman's mother, has passed away at the age of 81. The actress was all set to attend the Venice Film Festival but had to leave early due to her sudden demise just after she landed in Italy. Nicole announced the news in a statement, which Babygirl director Halina Rejin delivered on her behalf. Rejin also accepted the award for best actress for the same movie on Kidman's behalf.
Rejin took to the stage to deliver the acceptance speech, and Nicole admitted she was in "shock." However, she dedicated the award to her and said she was grateful to be able to "say her name to all of you."
Janelle Ann Kidman did not get the career she wanted; Nicole revealed
Nicole further penned about her mother's guiding hand, with Halina saying,
"She shaped me, she guided me and she made me. I am beyond grateful that I get to say her name to all of you through Halina. The collision of life and art is heartbreaking, and my heart is broken.”
Rejin concluded the speech with a simple, "We love you all, Nicole." Soon after, as Brady Corbet accepted the Silver Lion for Best Director award, he sympathized with Kidman.
Kidman had revealed, in January 2022, that her mother was in poor shape at the time, without giving away too many details. During a podcast, NPR's Fresh Air, she said,
“We’re down here [in Australia] primarily to take care of my mother and to have her surrounded by her grandchildren. So luckily, last — yesterday, even though [COVID-19 strain] Omicron is raging through this country, we were able to take her into the gallery after hours and show her the Matisse exhibit, which, coming from a mother who’s raised me in the arts was very, very – it was a soothing balm.”
Nicole has repeatedly reiterated Janelle Ann Kidman's influence on her career trajectory. In 2020, she told The Sydney Morning Herald that her mother gave her "the fire to pursue the career" she had because she always wanted to win her approval.
“But she also carved her own path and wanted her daughters to have the same opportunity to carve their own paths."
She also added that her mother might not have gotten the career she wanted for herself, but she was "determined that her daughters would have opportunities that were equal." Nicole further expressed her gratitude for that, as it gave her the life she had.
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Janelle Ann Kidman, born on March 15, 1995, started with local theatre productions. One thing led to another; soon enough, she was carving out her path as an actress. Kidman first landed a role at 15 in a short film. She eventually boasted accolades like the Best Newcomer at the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards.
Apart from acting, Janelle Ann Kidman was also a nursing instructor, a member of the Women's Electoral Lobby, and the editor of her husband, Antony Kidman's books.
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