Nicole Kidman topped E!'s list as the year's leading entertainer, winning the Network's 12th annual "Celebrity of the Year" award. The award was presented to Kidman in last night's episode of E!'s new hit series "Rank." Kidman's professional accomplishments this year included both box office and critical successes "Moulin Rouge," for which she sang along co-star Ewan McGregor, as well as the thriller, "The Others," executive produced by ex-husband Tom Cruise. Kidman's acclaim for the work in those films capped off an incredibly successful year for the actress, despite her recent high profile split with Cruise.
When asked by host Brooke Burke if there was a particular role that Kidman especially enjoyed playing, she responded, "I loved making 'Moulin Rouge.' It was kind of like giving birth to a baby, it was a really hard film to make, Baz (director Baz Luhrmann) and Ewan and (everyone) worked so hard on it. That was a role that I know I will never get again. I am just appreciative that it is a part of my body of work. And to do a musical that seemed to be so bold in what we were going to try and do. And then I read 'The Others' and they asked me to do it, and I just thought, 'My gosh, these two roles were completely different, who could ask for anything more in terms of work.' I was very, very lucky."
Questioned about what kind of film roles she'd like for herself in the future, Kidman offered, "In the future what I would really love to do is an epic love story. It's fun doing love stories. I've got to get offered it first!"
Asked about balancing a successful career with motherhood, Kidman replied, "It's hard, it's really hard, and that's why particularly this year is for my kids. I had taken a year that was so much about my work and they have been so patient and understanding. Because there are times when they just need their mom there. But it's hard, it's hard traveling ... you somehow juggle everything and keep your fingers crossed that everything will work out."
Kidman joins Tom Cruise (2000), Julia Roberts (1999), Helen Hunt (1998), Will Smith (1997), Robin Williams (1996), Jim Carrey (1995), Tom Hanks (1994), and Steven Spielberg (1993), Whoopi Goldberg (1992), Arnold Schwarzenegger (1991) and Kevin Costner (1990) as a recipient of the "Celebrity of the Year Award."
E!'S LIST OF "TOP 20 ENTERTAINERS OF 2001" (in reverse order of rank):
20. Jennifer Aniston
19. The Rock
18. Mel Brooks
17. Paul McCartney
16. Sarah Jessica Parker
15. Johnny Depp
14. Denzel Washington
13. Renee Zellweger
12. Madonna
11. Reese Witherspoon
10. Kelly Ripa
9. Ray Romano
8. Britney Spears
7. Eddie Murphy
6. Destiny's Child
5. James Gandolfini
4. Julia Roberts
3. 'N Sync
2. Jennifer Lopez
1. Nicole Kidman
E! Online voters also crowned Michael Jackson as the 'Celebrity with the Biggest Comeback,' Jennifer Lopez's love affair with Chris Judd as the 'Best Celebrity Romance of the Year,' Julia Roberts as the 'Celebrity with the Best Fashion Sense,' David Letterman as the 'Celebrity Host that Most Influenced Popular Culture,' Harrison Ford the 'Entertainer That We Missed Seeing the Most' and Rachel's pregnancy on "Friends" as the 'Most Memorable Moment in Entertainment.'
"Rank: Top 20 Entertainers of 2001" will re-air on Friday, December 14 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. Stay tuned for more episodes of "Rank" which will continue to explore the best, worst, funniest and scariest that entertainment has to offer.