Nicole Kidman name "Hōkūlani". The inspiration for the name came from a baby elephant born around the same time at the Honolulu Zoo, but the name is also a commonly used Hawaiian name for girls, Hokulani meaning "Heavenly Star". At the time of Kidman's birth, her father was a graduate student at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. He became a visiting fellow at the National Institute of Mental Health of the United States. Opposed to the war in Vietnam, Kidman's parents participated in anti-war protests while living in Washington, D.C. The family returned to Australia when Kidman was four and her
Nicole Kidman in the World conference, she stated that her attention turned to her career after her divorce from Cruise: "Out of my divorce came work that was applauded so that was an interesting thing for me", leading to her Academy Award in 2003. Kidman is Catholic. She attended Mary Mackillop Chapel in North Sydney. Following criticism of "The Golden Compass" by Catholic leaders as anti-Catholic, Kidman told "Entertainment Weekly" that the Catholic Church is part of her "essence", and that her religious beliefs would prevent her from taking a role in a film she perceived as anti-Catholic. During her divorce from