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鈥檚 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鈥檚 鈥淩abbit Hole.鈥�
鈥淚 later found out that the reason she said I was right for the part was because I was able to blush on camera,鈥� Teller, now 37, said. 鈥淏ut that was not acting, Nicole. That was hives.鈥�
She would also get the third of her five nominations for the role in director John Cameron Mitchell鈥檚 film about grief and loss. Teller was just a 23-year-old senior at New York University.
鈥淪he was this, like, mystic creature. And I was just so taken by her grace and her beauty and her talent,鈥� Teller said. 鈥淎fter the first day of filming, Nicole comes up to me and she gives me a hug, and she says, 鈥極h, Miles, that was such a great first day.鈥� I can still remember that moment. I was on top of the world.鈥�
It wouldn鈥檛 last.
鈥淭he next time I show up on set, I see Nicole and she鈥檚 kind of across the room, and I wave to her and I say, 鈥楬i, Nicole.鈥� And she just stares at me, says nothing, and walks away,鈥� Teller said. 鈥淎nd I was like, oh my God, I just messed up. This is not how you do it in the big leagues, kid.鈥�
Later at the wrap party, she apologized for the emotional gaming, saying she wanted to keep the young actor off balance.
鈥淪he knew that that would help me and would help the performance. And it did,鈥� Teller said. 鈥淣icole, I am so proud to have 鈥楻abbit Hole鈥� as my first film, and to say that I was cast by you personally. I truly can say that I wouldn鈥檛 be here without you.鈥�
Two years later, Teller auditioned to appear with Kidman again, in 鈥淭he Paperboy.鈥� But he didn鈥檛 get it.
鈥淚 guess I didn鈥檛 blush enough,鈥� he said.
That role went instead to . He鈥檚 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 鈥淗igh School Musical鈥� films and 鈥淗airspray.鈥�
鈥淲hat most people don鈥檛 know is that when I was making those films, I watched 鈥楳oulin Rouge鈥� religiously,鈥� said Efron, sporting a major mustache that would have fit perfectly in that film, which got Kidman her first Oscar nomination. 鈥淚 must have seen the film over a hundred times, because it鈥檚 there that I found inspiration, and it was there that I found Nicole Kidman.鈥�
In the crime drama 鈥淭he Paperboy,鈥� 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.
鈥淚t was terrifying and it was thrilling,鈥� Efron said. 鈥淎nd as my character and I were looking for guidance, there she was.鈥�
He concluded, 鈥淣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.鈥�
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 鈥淭he Hours鈥� in 2003.
She thanked by name every director she has worked with, including (鈥淭o Die For鈥�), (鈥淧ortrait of a Lady鈥�), (鈥淢oulin Rouge鈥�), (鈥淭he Beguiled鈥�), (鈥淭he Killing of a Sacred Deer鈥�), , (鈥淒ogville鈥�), (The Interpreter鈥�) and (鈥淓yes Wide Shut鈥�). She teared up when talking about the last two, each of whom died not long after making their final film with her.
鈥淚t is a privilege to make films and glorious to make films and television with the storytellers who allowed me to just run wild,鈥� 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鈥檚 鈥淭he Hours鈥� co-star, killed when she said she was still intimidated by Kidman despite being 鈥渢he greatest actress of my generation.鈥�
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鈥檚 AMC Theatres 鈥渨e make movies better鈥� ads.
鈥淣icole Kidman,鈥� he said. 鈥淪he makes movies better.鈥�
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