close co-stars, including and , paid her emotional tribute, as expected, when she in April.
But when a taped telecast of the event airs on TNT on Monday night, viewers may be surprised to see younger actors thanking the Aussie Oscar winner for the boost she gave their fledgling careers.
who recently starred in with Kidman含羞草研究社檚 ex-husband, , told the audience at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood that he got his first film role, along with encouragement and strategic cold shoulders, from Kidman in 2010含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社淩abbit Hole.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淚 later found out that the reason she said I was right for the part was because I was able to blush on camera,含羞草研究社� Teller, now 37, said. 含羞草研究社淏ut that was not acting, Nicole. That was hives.含羞草研究社�
She would also get the third of her five nominations for the role in director John Cameron Mitchell含羞草研究社檚 film about grief and loss. Teller was just a 23-year-old senior at New York University.
含羞草研究社淪he was this, like, mystic creature. And I was just so taken by her grace and her beauty and her talent,含羞草研究社� Teller said. 含羞草研究社淎fter the first day of filming, Nicole comes up to me and she gives me a hug, and she says, 含羞草研究社極h, Miles, that was such a great first day.含羞草研究社� I can still remember that moment. I was on top of the world.含羞草研究社�
It wouldn含羞草研究社檛 last.
含羞草研究社淭he next time I show up on set, I see Nicole and she含羞草研究社檚 kind of across the room, and I wave to her and I say, 含羞草研究社楬i, Nicole.含羞草研究社� And she just stares at me, says nothing, and walks away,含羞草研究社� Teller said. 含羞草研究社淎nd I was like, oh my God, I just messed up. This is not how you do it in the big leagues, kid.含羞草研究社�
Later at the wrap party, she apologized for the emotional gaming, saying she wanted to keep the young actor off balance.
含羞草研究社淪he knew that that would help me and would help the performance. And it did,含羞草研究社� Teller said. 含羞草研究社淣icole, I am so proud to have 含羞草研究社楻abbit Hole含羞草研究社� as my first film, and to say that I was cast by you personally. I truly can say that I wouldn含羞草研究社檛 be here without you.含羞草研究社�
Two years later, Teller auditioned to appear with Kidman again, in 含羞草研究社淭he Paperboy.含羞草研究社� But he didn含羞草研究社檛 get it.
含羞草研究社淚 guess I didn含羞草研究社檛 blush enough,含羞草研究社� he said.
That role went instead to . He含羞草研究社檚 about the same age as Teller, but already had dozens of credits. The role opposite Kidman would push him past the pigeonholing from appearing in three 含羞草研究社淗igh School Musical含羞草研究社� films and 含羞草研究社淗airspray.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淲hat most people don含羞草研究社檛 know is that when I was making those films, I watched 含羞草研究社楳oulin Rouge含羞草研究社� religiously,含羞草研究社� said Efron, sporting a major mustache that would have fit perfectly in that film, which got Kidman her first Oscar nomination. 含羞草研究社淚 must have seen the film over a hundred times, because it含羞草研究社檚 there that I found inspiration, and it was there that I found Nicole Kidman.含羞草研究社�
In the crime drama 含羞草研究社淭he Paperboy,含羞草研究社� he plays a character who obsessively pursues the older Kidman. The two share a sex scene, and other scenes that are even more strangely intimate.
含羞草研究社淚t was terrifying and it was thrilling,含羞草研究社� Efron said. 含羞草研究社淎nd as my character and I were looking for guidance, there she was.含羞草研究社�
He concluded, 含羞草研究社淣icole, thank you so much. On behalf of the teenager who was so inspired by you on screen, and the man who stands here today proud to be one of your many collaborators, congratulations.含羞草研究社�
It was the kind of personal, loving tribute that was the norm that night.
The AFI award often goes to mid-career Hollywood figures, and often comes years before they would typically receive other major honorary awards. Previous winners include , , and .
It gave Kidman a chance to reflect on the nearly 100 films and TV shows she has appeared in, as she stood on the stage where she won her Oscar for playing Virginia Woolf in 含羞草研究社淭he Hours含羞草研究社� in 2003.
She thanked by name every director she has worked with, including (含羞草研究社淭o Die For含羞草研究社�), (含羞草研究社淧ortrait of a Lady含羞草研究社�), (含羞草研究社淢oulin Rouge含羞草研究社�), (含羞草研究社淭he Beguiled含羞草研究社�), (含羞草研究社淭he Killing of a Sacred Deer含羞草研究社�), , (含羞草研究社淒ogville含羞草研究社�), (The Interpreter含羞草研究社�) and (含羞草研究社淓yes Wide Shut含羞草研究社�). She teared up when talking about the last two, each of whom died not long after making their final film with her.
含羞草研究社淚t is a privilege to make films and glorious to make films and television with the storytellers who allowed me to just run wild,含羞草研究社� Kidman said.
She cried earlier in the evening when her husband of 18 years, country singer , talked about going to rehab a few months into their marriage, and the love and compassion she showed.
Laughs abounded too.
Streep, Kidman含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社淭he Hours含羞草研究社� co-star, killed when she said she was still intimidated by Kidman despite being 含羞草研究社渢he greatest actress of my generation.含羞草研究社�
Witherspoon did the best of many Australian-accented impressions of Kidman.
And Morgan Freeman had the A-list crowd rolling with a video parody of Kidman含羞草研究社檚 AMC Theatres 含羞草研究社渨e make movies better含羞草研究社� ads.
含羞草研究社淣icole Kidman,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淪he makes movies better.含羞草研究社�
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