Nicole Kidman reveals the last four words her late mother said to her: 'Lucky'

Nicole Kidman is one of the busiest actors in Hollywood. The Aussie star has had a massive year with the release of projects such as The Perfect Couple, A Family Affair and Babygirl, scoring yet another Golden Globe nomination for the latter.

Despite her massive success, the Oscar winner has revealed that she was ready to walk away from her career and the glitz and glamour of Hollywood in 2008 and that it was her beloved late mum, Janelle, who encouraged her to keep going. Speaking to CBS's Sunday Morning, Nicole explained that after giving birth to her daughter Sunday Rose, she was ready to be done with acting.

Why Nicole Kidman nearly gave up acting

“When I gave birth to [Sunday], I was like, ‘Well, I think I’m pretty much done now,'” Kidman said. “We were living on a farm, and that’s when my mother said, ‘I wouldn’t give up completely. Keep a finger sort of in it.’ And I’m like, ‘No, no. I’m done now. I’m done.’

"She’s going, ‘Just listen to me. Keep moving forward. Not saying that you have to do it to the level you’ve been doing it, but I wouldn’t give it up completely.'”

RELATED:

• Nicole Kidman's surprising admission about new movie Babygirl: 'Emotionally disturbing'

• Golden Globes 2025: Nicole Kidman leads the charge as five Aussies up for awards

• Nicole Kidman's youngest daughter Faith Margaret makes rare appearance at star-studded event

She continued, "That came from a woman who was from a generation that didn’t have the opportunities that I had, that she had helped create for her daughters. So that’s probably something that she wished she’d had when she was little.”

After taking her mum's sage advice, Nicole went on to receive a third Oscar nomination (for Rabbit Hole). She has now been nominated for the prestigious award five times, winning Best Actress in 2003 for her starring role in The Hours.

Nicole says there is 'no time limit' on grief

Nicole's mum passed away in September at the age of 84, with the actress telling CBS' Sunday Morning that she is still grieving the loss.

"Three months on, and people say to me 'Yeah, she was 84, a good life...'" she said. "But that was my mum. It doesn't matter what age someone is. There is no limit on grief, you don't have to have a time limit on it, you don't have to be all better by this time.

"You're allowed to pass through in waves and people go 'Oh well, whatever', but it's my mama, my life, and I'm allowed to process and grieve in the way I want to."

Nicole Kidman's mum's final words to her

Nicole, who is mum to daughters Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret with her husband Keith Urban and Isabella and Connor with ex-husband Tom Cruise, also shared the last words her mum said to her, and how they have impacted her life and made her more aware of her decisions.

"The final words my mama said to me, I was gonna get on a plane, and she said 'Maybe wait a minute, because you just need to take care of yourself, Nicky,'" Nicole explained.

"I'm doing that more, and I say that to other people in the world. Particularly, women, I think we tend not to care of ourselves. We take care of everybody else but the last person is here. My grandmother left me with 'Be happy' and my mother said 'Take care of yourself."

SHOP:

• Simple way to avoid common school shoe mistake: 'Save money, last longer'

• $500 off summer essential that saves you more than 100 hours a year

• Aussie brand loved by celebs launches new sleep range from $50: 'So chic'

She continued, "I'm an older mother so I wanna be around a long time for my girls, they're amazing girls and I'm lucky to have them so I'm taking care of myself so that I can take care of them.

"I would like to be around for a long time. Who knows? I don't get to choose that."

Want the latest lifestyle and entertainment news? Make sure you are following us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok and don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter.