Nicole Kidman was smart to move to TV

Nicole Kidman has long been an icon of the silver screen, but in recent years the actor has gone on to dominate the TV landscape too.

The Australian actor has always been a captivating presence in the entertainment industry, drawing viewers to her with her performances early in her career from Batman Forever to Practical Magic, Eyes Wide Shut and Moulin Rouge!. Thanks to her incredible work in films like this, Kidman has long commanded public consciousness and in 2017 she shifted gears to turn her focus to TV.

In 2017 Kidman enjoyed a boost to her career with the release of Big Little Lies, HBO's expertly crafted drama about five women embroiled in a murder investigation. Alongside Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, Zoe Kravitz, and Meryl Streep the cast proved how thrilling a well-written thriller with an A-list cast could be as big a success as any of their movies.

The actor has continued to thrive in the TV space, and she will soon star in Netflix's new limited series The Perfect Couple. The show sees Kidman play the mother of the groom, whose beach wedding takes a dark turn when a body washes up and everyone becomes a suspect.

With murder, mystery and intrigue abound in the narrative, it feels like The Perfect Couple is a murder mystery that fits well with her work of late.

Kidman has done plenty of TV before her recent career renaissance but her increased appearances onscreen, and the calibre of the shows she has been a part of, all prove one thing: it was a smart move on the actor's part.

Big Little Lies gave Kidman the chance to pivot towards TV just as the new Golden Age was reaching its peak, more often people are choosing to tune in at home rather than make the pilgrimage to the cinema and so it was an example of great foresight on Kidman's part.

Kidman capitalised on its success by appearing in thrilling dramas like The Undoing opposite Hugh Grant, and Paramount+ drama Special Ops: Lioness with Zoe Saldaña. The actor also forged a fruitful relationship with Prime Video, starring in a number of the streamer's big hitters from star-studded series Nine Perfect Strangers to the haunting, and deeply underrated Expats.

She even turned to Apple TV+ —where big name stars often seem to turn to these days to experiment regardless of how many people actually watch— to star in an episode of the anthology series Roar.

As well as act, Kidman has worked behind the scenes as an executive producer. She clearly has a strong kinship with the stories she's been part of in recent years, and by being a producer she has been able to determine how they are shaped and presented to audiences.

Kidman has a knack of picking the kinds of projects that will get viewers talking, stories that will instantly become water cooler favourites and will grab hold of the public consciousness. The Undoing and Nine Perfect Strangers were two shows that were able to do this, and The Perfect Couple seems primed to repeat this success when it lands on Netflix.

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Of course, Kidman's movies have often done the same thing and there are very few duds in her back catalogue to speak of, with the exception of Aquaman perhaps. Very recently the actor has garnered critically-acclaim, and interest, thanks to her forthcoming erotic thriller Babygirl.

Hollywood has a long history of leaving female actors behind when they reach a certain age, but Kidman has defied that idea and torn it down. Perhaps that is why the actor has also begun producing shows, so that she can keep creating innovative and exciting projects that allow her to keep challenging herself.

There's something that has always been compelling about her to the public, in terms of both her personal life and work, but one thing that Kidman has done well is let the work speak for her.

The actor's talent has always been on display, and to get to enjoy it in a long-form medium feels like a privilege. We are all lucky to live in a time where we can enjoy it.

The Perfect Couple premieres on Netflix on Thursday, 5 September.

This article originally appeared on Yahoo TV UK at https://uk.news.yahoo.com/nicole-kidman-smart-move-tv-perfect-couple-153952674.html