In the story that is Nicole Kidman’s oeuvre, her wigs have become almost synonymous with her acting. She is the embodiment of an actress who can channel almost any character with the simple addition of a change of hair.
Today, the trailer for Amazon Prime’s Being The Ricardos has officially been released, the story follows the life of American entertainment icons Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz (played by Javier Bardem) as they traverse their roles in I Love Lucy. The film encapsulates Ball and Arnaz’s personal, romantic and professional life throughout the story of their career, and Kidman quite literally transforms into Lucille Ball right before our eyes.
In order to fully contextualize this role, we need to take a look at some other moments where Nicole Kidman, and her wigs, stole the show. Because at this point, they’re just as iconic.
Celeste in Big Little Lies, 2017-2019
We all know this mom, whether or not it’s actually from Big Little Lies or from your actual personal life, this hairstyle is the go-to for a lot of women of a certain age, who embody a certain archetype. With a gentle sweep of a mom bang and some light texture, Kidman’s portrayal of Celeste is one of the key moments of the HBO series that dominated our TV screens.
Virginia Woolf in The Hours, 2002
Now, if you’re a Virginia Woolf fanatic like myself, this movie, and this role, has a special place in your heart. Earning her the Oscar for Best Actress in 2003, Kidman embodied the English author as she traversed through time and space, all the while her hair was tucked back in a loose bun at the back of her head.
Masha in Nine Perfect Strangers, 2021
Russian wellness guru, or corporate-badass, whatever you want to call her, Kidman’s performance as Masha gave her long, blonde locks which in part, defined the series. Giving her a Mother of Dragons meets Lord of the Rings at Whole Foods aesthetic, this role was polarizing to viewers of the show. Either way, we felt it should be included in this roundup.
Nancy Eamons in Boy Erased, 2018
Kidman embodied the small-town southern baptist matriarch in this role, in all of its glory and pain. The story follows the life of a young gay man is outed by his parents and is forced to attend conversion therapy due to the religious nature of their life. As the wig represents, the higher the hair, the closer to god.
Grace Fraser in The Undoing, 2020
Everything that’s been said about this role is true: legendary, iconic and show-stopping. And we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the glorious jackets and tight, ginger curls.
Gretchen Carlson in Bombshell, 2019
I’m sure the scent of hairspray followed Kidman wherever she went with this wig. Depicting Fox News’ Gretchen Carlson, Kidman was the epitome of a conservative, WASP-y news anchor that paired beautifully with Charlize Theron’s depiction of co-anchor Megyn Kelly. This is one that, while iconic, continues to haunt us in our dreams.
Anna in Birth, 2004
Somewhere at the intersection of Natalie Portman in Les Misérables and Rihanna’s pixie cut, this hair-do was tightly fitted, excellently characterized and transformed Kidman into the caught-in-the-in-between Anna.
