Nicole Kidman Was Told She Wouldn't Have A Career In Hollywood For A Ridiculous Reason
While showbiz has its fair share of male actors who are over 6 feet tall — Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Jason Momoa, Idris Elba, and Ben Affleck, to name a few — Nicole Kidman's height was apparently once seen as a big stumbling block for the actor, at least by industry standards.
Kidman revealed on the Radio Times Podcast (via Business Insider) that since she is nearly 6 feet tall, naysayers once said that her hope to break through in Tinseltown was a non-starter. "I was told, 'You won't have a career. You're too tall,'" said Kidman.
The Oscar-winning performer also revealed that her height made her a target for ridicule growing up. "I say I'm 5-foot-10-1/2 inches, but I'm really 5-foot-11 inches. I was teased. I was called Storky."
Unfortunately, when it comes to working in the entertainment industry, being tall can create obstacles that are hard for women to avoid, the star told the podcast. Before trying out for the stage version of "Annie," Kidman recalled being measured because of the height difference between her and the other actresses who were auditioning. She told the podcast that she was mortified by the process and had to talk her way into being allowed to audition.
Kidman shares the insights of being tall with her daughters
Having established a prolific acting career in Hollywood, the idea of Nicole Kidman's height being an issue when casting her goes over producers' heads these days. In addition to her roles in such notable films as "Moulin Rouge!" "Bombshell," "Aquaman" and its sequel, and "Being the Ricardos," she has starred in several hit TV series, including "Big Little Lies," "The Undoing," "Nine Perfect Strangers," and "Special Ops: Lioness."
And yet, Kidman told the Radio Times Podcast, she still finds her height limiting at times. "It will bother me when I'm acting and I want to be small,'" she said. "But then there are times when I appreciate it when it's related to what I'm doing and I go, 'OK, I can use this now.'"
Despite the early career setbacks she suffered, Kidman said she is ultimately grateful for having a healthy life, apart from some knee issues that partially stem from being tall. On top of that, Kidman noted that issues that people have had with her height have provided her with some unique insights that she has passed along to her children.
"What I tell my daughters is that none of it matters," Kidman said. "What matters is how you allow other people to either say 'yes' or 'no' to you, and whether you accept that. Inner resilience as a human being, that's the superpower, really."