Nicole Kidman is undoubtedly one of the most talented actresses of her generation—and also one of the busiest. Since making her film debut in 1983 with *Bush Christmas* and appearing in her first TV role soon after, Kidman has become an Oscar and Emmy-winning performer. Her versatility is matched only by her sheer nerve; every time the Australian-born actress takes on a new role, we get to watch her transform once again. Plus, Kidman’s commitment to incredible—and sometimes ridiculous—wigs is unmatched, making every new role a visual delight.
Earlier in her career, Kidman primarily focused on film, appearing in a wide variety of projects. From Stanley Kubrick’s final film *Eyes Wide Shut* (alongside her then-husband Tom Cruise), to *The Hours*—for which she won an Academy Award for portraying the real-life writer Virginia Woolf with a smashing wig and fake nose—and Baz Luhrmann’s musical jukebox fever dream *Moulin Rouge!* (alongside Ewan McGregor), she proved her incredible range.
However, in recent years, Kidman’s TV roles have grown steadily in number and prominence. From the role that earned her an Emmy to a campy literary adaptation and a hit thriller from Taylor Sheridan, here are Nicole Kidman’s five best television shows, ranked from “pretty great” to “utterly amazing.”
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### 5. *Lioness* (Paramount+)
Showrunner and creator Taylor Sheridan is well-known for massively popular shows on Paramount, most notably *Yellowstone* and its spin-offs *1883* and *1923*. In 2023, Kidman joined his thriller series *Lioness*. The show focuses on a specialized CIA department referred to as “Lionesses,” operatives who infiltrate and attempt to dismantle terrorist cells.
The series opens with protagonist Joe McNamara (Oscar-winning Zoe Saldaña) carrying out a secret mission in Syria that goes horribly wrong. Years later, Joe takes former Marine Cruz Manuelos (Laysla De Oliveira) under her wing, all under the watchful eye of Joe’s boss, Kaitlyn Meade, played by Nicole Kidman.
While *Lioness* is a fairly conventional spy thriller, Saldaña and Kidman elevate the material alongside TV veteran Michael Kelly (as Kaitlyn’s superior and CIA Deputy Director Byron Westfield) and Morgan Freeman, who portrays U.S. Secretary of State Edwin Mullins. Whether you’re already a fan of Sheridan’s work or not, *Lioness* is worth checking out on Paramount+ for Kidman’s performance alone.
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### 4. *Nine Perfect Strangers* (Hulu)
Based on the novel by Liane Moriarty, Hulu’s *Nine Perfect Strangers* has aired two seasons, both starring Nicole Kidman as the dubious “wellness influencer” Masha Dmitrichenko. The first season mostly sticks to the book’s plot and is set at Masha’s Tranquillum House in California, where guests seek a refreshing, revealing experience to unplug and reset.
However, we soon discover that Masha and her loyal assistant Yao (Manny Jacinto from *The Good Place*) are secretly drugging the guests with psychoactive substances to force revelations. When guests find out, chaos ensues.
Both seasons boast A-list casts. Season 1 features Melissa McCarthy, Michael Shannon, Regina Hall, and Bobby Cannavale, while Season 2 adds Christine Baranski, Murray Bartlett, Annie Murphy, Lena Olin, Dolly de Leon, and Henry Golding as the setting shifts to a remote ski chalet.
While *Nine Perfect Strangers* is often ridiculous and campy, it’s a lot of fun—and it’s clear Kidman is having a total blast as Masha.
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### 3. *The Perfect Couple* (Peacock)
Another literary adaptation, this time from bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand, *The Perfect Couple* boasts a seriously stacked cast including Dakota Fanning, Meghann Fahy, Eve Hewson, Liev Schreiber, Sam Nivola, and, of course, Nicole Kidman.
In the series, Kidman plays novelist Greer Garrison Winbury, who owns a luxurious beachfront house in Nantucket with her husband, Tag (Schreiber). They host a crowd for their son Benji’s wedding, but tragedy strikes when Merritt Monaco (Fahy), Amelia Sacks’ (the bride’s) maid of honor, is found dead the night before the ceremony.
As the mystery unfolds, we learn Merritt was having an affair with a member of the Winbury family. Kidman is reliably great as Greer—a prickly, difficult, and image-obsessed woman juggling concerns about her children’s futures while growing suspicious of her own husband’s indiscretions amidst a murder investigation.
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### 2. *The Undoing* (HBO)
If you can overlook Kidman’s obviously fake red wig in *The Undoing*—based on Jean Hanff Korelitz’s 2014 novel *You Should Have Known*—you’ll discover one of her best performances. This acclaimed HBO miniseries stars Kidman as Grace Fraser, a wealthy Manhattan psychologist stunned when a young woman named Elena Alves (Matilda De Angelis) is found murdered.
As strange interactions between Grace and Elena surface, Grace realizes her husband Jonathan (Hugh Grant) may be involved after lying about his whereabouts during the murder. Supported by a strong cast including Noah Jupe, Lily Rabe, Édgar Ramírez, Noma Dumezweni, and Donald Sutherland, Kidman makes Grace feel real and deeply lived-in.
Though “thriller shows” about unreliable husbands and scorned wives are common, *The Undoing* stands out largely because of Kidman’s incredible lead performance.
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### 1. *Big Little Lies* (HBO)
Without question, *Big Little Lies* offers the best small-screen performance of Nicole Kidman’s career. This two-season HBO series, loosely based on Liane Moriarty’s novel of the same name, follows a group of wealthy mothers in Monterey, California, whose seemingly perfect lives hide dark secrets.
Kidman stars as Celeste Wright, a mother of twin boys trapped in an abusive marriage with her husband Perry (Alexander Skarsgård). To her friends—Madeline Mackenzie (Reese Witherspoon), Renata Klein (Laura Dern), and Jane Chapman (Shailene Woodley)—Celeste’s life looks ideal, but behind closed doors, she suffers physical violence.
When Perry dies mysteriously, Celeste and her friends become suspects. The mothers band together, protecting each other in the face of public scandal and personal trauma.
Though the second season diverges from the book and includes a custody battle with Perry’s mother (played by Meryl Streep), Kidman’s performance remains raw, heartbreaking, and triumphant. This role not only earned her widespread acclaim but also added an Emmy to her impressive collection.
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Nicole Kidman continues to captivate audiences with her fearless transformations and powerful performances, especially on television where she has found some of her richest and most complex roles. Whether tackling psychological thrillers, literary adaptations, or gripping dramas, Kidman remains a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood’s evolving landscape.
https://www.tvline.com/2019952/nicole-kidman-best-tv-shows-ranked/