The Australian actress, who currently stars in the Disney+ docuseries In Vogue: The 90s, opens up about how she struggled with her appearance growing up and tried to fit in.

Raised on Sydney’s North Shore with her younger sister Antonia, Nicole attended North Sydney Girls’ High School and showed a talent for theatre from a young age.

Before breaking through in Hollywood, Nicole starred in several local films including Bush Christmas, Chase Through the Night and BMX Bandits, set on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

Talking about her childhood experiences in Sydney in the 1980s in the new series, the mother of four confessed how difficult it was for her to find her place and how she often faced teasing because of her appearance.

“I was a redhead, light-skinned girl who was almost six feet tall when I was 14,” Kidman said.

“I was teased and it wasn’t nice.”

Reflecting on her awkward teenage years and rise to fame, Kidman, now 57, said: “You feel like a little girl who was given a chance to enter this fantasy world.”

In 1997, after starring in Million Dollar Baby and The Portrait of a Lady, Kidman made a splash in the fashion world when she wore a lime green “Absinthe” dress by emerging Dior designer John Galliano to the 69th Academy Awards.

At the time, wearing haute couture on the red carpet was unconventional, but Kidman persevered despite opposition from her team.

“I just remember Madonna and Courtney Love saying, ‘Best dress,’” Nicole recalled with a laugh.

The documentary reveals that Nicole’s moment at the Oscars introduced 54.5 million women to the Dior brand.

Fellow actress Gwyneth Paltrow also commented on the iconic moment, saying, “After Nicole wore that dress and there were so many articles in the press about it, I think that’s when designers started competing to see who would dress you in it.”

When asked about the positive reaction, Nicole smiled and shrugged.

“Can you believe it? My whole life I wanted to be 5’2″ and curvy, and suddenly I’m 5’11” and completely thin and flat-chested, and they said, ‘Great, we can dress you.'”

Nicole Kidman is undoubtedly one of Australia’s most prized actress exports, with an impressive 105 acting credits and 20 producing credits to her name.