Even Hollywood stars have difficulty taking the first step in a new romance. Musician Keith Urban recalls how he was “too nervous” to call Nicole Kidman after they met. “I was trying to stay calm, but inside I felt like I had walked into a royal ball, simply because Nicole had a truly supernatural aura,” he said at the American Film Institute (AFI) gala. who awarded the career award to the Australian actress this weekend.
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban met in 2005 at an event in Los Angeles. “I felt like I was meeting a princess. Still, I managed to get her phone number and wrote it on a small piece of paper”, he recalled in his speech paying tribute to his wife. For a week, she carried the paper in her pocket and didn’t have the courage to contact her. “I was afraid. But, as you may have already noticed, I finally found the courage to call him.”
After all, the actress was no “mystical creature”, but “just a wide-eyed girl from the suburbs of Sydney”. Keith Urban was full of praise for his wife, “truly one of the greats”, and recalled an episode from the beginning of their marriage that he says is symbolic of Nicole Kidman’s personality. “We got married in June 2006 and, just four months into our marriage, my addictions destroyed our marriage”, he details.
Keith Urban was then admitted to rehab for drug addiction for three months. “I had no idea what was going to happen to us,” he testified before an emotional audience, including a tearful Nicole Kidman. “Nic has overcome all my negative inner voices, I’m sure even some of her own voices. And she chose love. And here we are tonight, 18 years later”, he concluded.
REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
In the audience were also the couple’s daughters, Sunday Rose, aged 15, and Faith Margaret, aged 13. The night of tribute also marked the debut of the two teenagers on the red carpet, in addition to Nicole Kidman’s family, who traveled from Australia on purpose to be present. “It’s beautiful to have a family that was able to come and that wants to share this with me, because it’s not always possible to do so”, celebrated the 56-year-old actress, while thanking the award, presented by Meryl Streep.
In addition to the family, several celebrities were also present, to honor Nicole Kidman’s legacy, distinguished by AFI. Annually, the institute awards “individuals whose film careers have contributed greatly to the enrichment of American culture.”
Morgan Freeman, Michelle Pfeiffer, Reese Witherspoon and Naomi Watts walked the red carpet at the ceremony at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. Nicole Kidman shone (literally) in a Balenciaga dress in gold sequins with a generous train.
REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
