Nicole Kidman Became an American Citizen at Birth in a Sneaky Way
Nicole Kidman is known for two things: her longstanding acting career and being Australian. But while the actor is proud of her heritage, married an Australian (Keith Urban), and starred in a movie called Australia (although she’d prefer if you didn’t remember that film), Kidman was actually born an American citizen.
Her parents lived interesting lifestyles in their own right that led them to the island state of Hawaii at the time of Kidman’s birth.
Why was Nicole Kidman born in Hawaii?
Despite her Aussie heritage, Kidman was born on American soil. She entered the world in 1967 while her parents were there on educational visas in Honolulu, Hawaii. This meant that Kidman can claim citizenship in both Australia and the United States.
Coming into the world as a Hawaiian also gave Kidman another moniker. During an appearance on The Graham Norton Show, she revealed that she was also given the Hawaiian name Hokulani, which translates to “heavenly star.” The name has less than glamorous origins of the Honolulu Zoo. “There was a baby elephant that was born at the same time as me. [The elephant] was called Hokulani,” Kidman explained.
Unfortunately, the baby elephant did not share the same bright future as Kidman. Norton’s production team emailed the zoo about the elephant Hokulani, hoping to hear some lighthearted story about her daily antics. It turns out that Hokulani was found dead in the moat of her exhibit in 1970.
What did her parents do?
Kidman’s father, Antony, was a biochemist, clinical psychologist, and author. Her mother, Janelle Ann, was a nursing instructor who helped to edit Antony’s books. The Kidmans didn’t stay in Hawaii for long, but they did remain in the United States for a few more years. They moved to Washington D.C., where her father worked at the National Institute of Mental Health at St. Elizabeth Psychiatric Hospital. The family returned to Australia after Kidman turned four.
The future actor showed a talent for performing at an early age and eventually dropped out of high school to pursue her dream on a full-time basis. As a 16-year-old, she starred in an Australian holiday movie Bush Christmas and the comedic action film BMX Bandits.
Eventually, her passion brought her back to her second home. She returned to the states in 1990 for her first American production, Days of Thunder, which also starred her future husband, Tom Cruise. Since then, Kidman has mainly worked in the US, earning plenty of acclaim and awards in the process.
What other celebrities were born outside of their parents’ home countries?
Thanks to the 14th Amendment, all babies like Kidman who are born in the United States or in a US territory are American citizens, regardless of where their parents are from. Depending on the political climate and laws at the time, dual citizens can vote in both countries, but the US requires the use of an American passport when leaving or entering the country.
Of course, Kidman is far from the only actor who is a US citizen with foreign history. According to The Hollywood Reporter there are several more other notables who now are dual citizens:
- Arnold Schwarzenegger: Probably the most obvious person on the list, Schwarzenegger moved to the US in 1968 as an Austrian bodybuilder and became an iconic action star and eventual governor of California.
- Natalie Portman: Born Natalie Herschlag, the actor was born in Jerusalem to Jewish parents. Her family moved to America when Portman was three so that her father could continue his medical training.
- Charlize Theron: Theron is from Benoni, South Africa, and arrived in the US at the age of 19 after her mother bought her a one-way ticket so she could pursue her dreams. She became an American citizen in 2007.
- Keith Urban: Yep, Kidman’s husband is also a dual citizen. He was born in Whangerei, New Zealand to Australian parents. After releasing his first album, he moved to Nashville in 1992 to advance his career. Safe to say that worked out for him.
