The undoing of a viral meme.
Nicole Kidman broke her silence on the iconic 2001 photo of her long thought to have been taken right after she finalized her divorce from Tom Cruise. And she is sharing the truth about its origins.
The photo—in which the Big Little Lies actress appears relieved as she stretched out her arms and looks towards the sun with her eyes closed—is often shared on social media after someone makes it through a tough situation. In fact, Jenna Dewan recently posted the image after finalizing her own divorce from Channing Tatum after six years of negotiations.
When asked if the picture was actually snapped right after signing her divorce papers, though, Nicole laughed and said, "that's not true."
"That was not me; that was from a film," the 57-year-old told British GQ in an interview published Nov. 18 without naming the movie it's from, "that wasn’t real life. I know that image!"
Of course, Nicole is no stranger to getting the meme treatment. So, she further provided context for a different meme: her awkward clapping from the 2017 Oscars.
"I’ve also seen the one where I’m clapping like that," the Oscar winner said, mimicking herself clapping without her fingers touching. "'Cause I had a massive heavy borrowed ring on and it was really painful, and I was scared of wrecking the jewelry. Ha!"
She added, "There’s always something behind the actual images that go out there, right?"
But up there at the pantheon of Nicole’s memes is her fan-favorite AMC ad. And the Babygirl star has insisted that she's cool with them becoming memes because she believed in ads' mission of getting people back to movie theaters after the pandemic.
"‘Heartbreak feels good in a place like this,'" she quoted herself. "But I’ll do anything for cinema, so you can meme me as much as you want."
It's a sentiment that she's previously expressed following the viral clip's success.
"I’m so glad that they do [love them],” she told E! News in April, "because it means that they go to the theater."
In fact, Nicole believes in the ads so much that she agreed to film a follow-up.
"Maybe, yes," she divulged E! News last month when asked if the rumors of a sequel ad were true. "Yes, you need to talk to Adam [Aron, CEO of AMC Theaters]. We're in the making. I'm using a Practical Magic term: There's things brewing."
Keep reading for more of Nicole's best roles from over the years.
Dead Calm
Nicole Kidman made her onscreen debut in 1983, but it was her breakout role alongside Sam Neill and Billy Zane in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm that really put her on the map.
Days of Thunder
In 1990, Kidman starred as Tom Cruise's love interest in this high-octane drama, and the pair married later that year.
Far and Away
The power couple teamed up again for director Ron Howard's epic romance, playing Irish immigrants hoping to claim land in 1890s America.
To Die For
The Aussie actress earned her first Golden Globe for this critically-acclaimed satirical comedy about an ambitious TV reporter.
Batman Forever
In 1995, she starred in her first superhero movie, playing Dr. Chase Meridian opposite Val Kilmer's Batman.
Practical Magic
In this beloved 1998 comedy, Kidman joined forces with Sandra Bullock to play witchy sisters Sally and Gilly Owens.
Eyes Wide Shut
Before their divorce in 2001, Kidman and Cruise appeared onscreen together one last time in Stanley Kubrick's erotic drama.
Moulin Rouge!
In 2001, she picked up her first Oscar nomination for her role as Satine in the dazzling hit musical.
The Others
Switching gears once again, Kidman delivered a spooky turn and a twist ending in this supernatural horror.
The Hours
Kidman scored her first Oscar win in 2002, playing the writer Virginia Woolf.
Bewitched
While Bewitched didn't cast a spell at the 2005 box office, Kidman was widely praised for her comedic turn a opposite Will Ferrell.
The Golden Compass
In 2007, she stole the show as the wicked Mrs. Coulter in this fantasy adventure film based on the books by Philip Pullman.
Rabbit Hole
The actress earned her third Oscar nomination for this 2010 drama, starring alongside Aaron Eckhart as a couple dealing with the aftermath of their child’s death.
Paddington
It was back to villain mode in 2014, playing an evil taxidermist who was trying to stuff poor Paddington and display him in the Natural History Museum.
Lion
Kidman starred as adoptive mother Sue Brierley in this heartwarming true story that earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer
In 2017, she joined Colin Farrell and Barry Keoghan in this critically-acclaimed and very creepy psychological thriller by director Yorgos Lanthimos.
Aquaman
She dove back into the superhero realm in 2018 by playing Atlanna, the mother to Jason Momoa's Aquaman.
Big Little Lies
Kidman joined the all-star cast of Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, Zoë Kravitz, and Laura Dern in HBO's hugely popular limited series, earning herself an Emmy and a Golden Globe along the way.
Bombshell
She portrayed Gretchen Carlson in this 2019 drama about the downfall of Fox News CEO Roger Ailes.
The Undoing
She teamed up with Hugh Grant to star in this psychological drama, which ended up being HBO's most-watched show of 2020.
AMC Theatres ad
She created one of the pop culture moments of 2021 by declaring, "heartbreak feels good in a place likе this" for AMC.
Nine Perfect Strangers
Kidman's hotstreak on TV continued into 2021 with her role as the mysterious host of a wellness resort in this Hulu drama series.
Being the Ricardos
In 2022, the actress racked up her fifth Oscar nomination playing Lucille Ball opposite Javier Bardem's Desi Arnaz.
Expats
And in 2024, she joined the ensemble cast of Amazon Prime's new series, about the lives of expatriates living in Hong Kong.