Nicole Kidman has quietly built one of television’s most impressive modern résumés—and her next role could make the list even more interesting.
Nicole Kidman may be one of Hollywood’s most recognizable film stars, but some of her most memorable recent performances have happened on television.
From the emotionally devastating Big Little Lies to the unsettling world of Nine Perfect Strangers and the high-stakes espionage of Lioness, Kidman has repeatedly used television to take on complicated, unpredictable women.
Her growing TV résumé has also expanded in 2026. Margo’s Got Money Troubles has added another dimension to her screen work, while Lioness has returned for its third season. And there is another major project on the horizon: Discretion, an eight-episode legal thriller for Paramount+ that is currently in production and is scheduled to premiere in 2027.
So, which Nicole Kidman TV shows are actually worth adding to your watchlist?
1. Big Little Lies
If there is one series that transformed Kidman’s television career, it is HBO’s Big Little Lies.
Kidman plays Celeste Wright, a successful former lawyer living an apparently idyllic life in wealthy Monterey, California. Behind the polished homes and seemingly perfect family is a deeply troubled marriage that becomes central to the series.
The show combines mystery, family drama and social commentary while exploring domestic abuse, trauma, friendship and the secrets people hide behind carefully constructed lives.
Kidman starred alongside Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Shailene Woodley and Zoë Kravitz, with Meryl Streep joining the cast in Season 2.
The role became a major turning point in Kidman’s television career. Harper’s Bazaar similarly identifies Celeste as the role that marked a clear renaissance in her move into prestige television.
Why watch it: Kidman delivers one of her most emotionally demanding television performances.
2. Lioness
For viewers who prefer espionage and action, Lioness offers a very different Nicole Kidman.
Kidman plays Kaitlyn Meade, a senior CIA official overseeing dangerous undercover operations. The series stars Zoe Saldaña as Joe, an operative tasked with managing missions involving undercover agents and terrorist networks.
Season 3 premiered on Paramount+ on August 2, 2026, with Kidman returning as both star and executive producer. Morgan Freeman and Michael Kelly also remain part of the high-profile ensemble.
The latest season pushes the series toward an increasingly personal conflict, with Joe confronting threats that reach beyond the battlefield.
Behind the scenes, the performances require considerable preparation. Kidman recently discussed how she, Morgan Freeman and Michael Kelly work through Taylor Sheridan’s dense scripts to make sure they understand the specialized language before filming.
Why watch it: It showcases Kidman in a colder, more strategic role—and places her inside one of television’s current big-budget espionage franchises.
3. The Perfect Couple
What happens when a glamorous wedding suddenly becomes a murder investigation?
That is the premise of Netflix’s The Perfect Couple, in which Kidman plays Greer Garrison Winbury, a successful novelist and wealthy family matriarch.
The story begins with a wedding in Nantucket. But when a body is discovered shortly before the ceremony, the celebration turns into a whodunit, with virtually everyone becoming a potential suspect.
Kidman leads an ensemble that includes Liev Schreiber, Eve Hewson, Dakota Fanning and Meghann Fahy.
Harper’s Bazaar also included the series in its ranking of Kidman’s television roles, noting its deliberately campy, mystery-driven appeal.
Why watch it: It is glossy, twisty and packed with family secrets—the kind of mystery designed for binge-watching.
4. Expats
For something quieter and more emotionally layered, Expats takes Kidman into a very different dramatic space.
Set in Hong Kong, the six-part Prime Video drama follows Margaret, an American woman whose life is shattered by a devastating family tragedy.
Directed by Lulu Wang, the series focuses on grief, privilege, identity and the complicated relationships between three women from very different backgrounds.
Kidman stars alongside Sarayu Blue and Ji-young Yoo, with Jack Huston also appearing in the ensemble.
Why watch it: This is less about conventional thrills and more about atmosphere, grief and character psychology.
5. Nine Perfect Strangers
Kidman takes on one of her strangest recent television characters in Nine Perfect Strangers.
She plays Masha Dmitrichenko, the mysterious founder of an exclusive wellness retreat called Tranquillum House.
Nine guests arrive hoping to change their lives. Instead, the retreat gradually becomes increasingly disturbing as hidden secrets emerge and Masha’s unconventional methods push the visitors beyond their comfort zones.
The series also features Melissa McCarthy, Michael Shannon, Luke Evans and Bobby Cannavale.
The show’s second season moves the story to the Austrian Alps and expands the world around Masha. Tatler Asia’s coverage of Season 2 notes that the new setting brings higher stakes and reveals more about Masha herself.
Why watch it: If psychological mysteries, eccentric characters and unsettling wellness retreats are your thing, this one belongs on the list.
6. Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Kidman’s 2026 television slate also includes Margo’s Got Money Troubles, an Apple TV+ comedy-drama starring Elle Fanning.
The series follows Margo, a young single mother struggling with money and an uncertain future. After turning to an unconventional online career, she reconnects with her estranged father and finds herself pulled into a complicated new chapter of her life.
Kidman plays Linda “Lace” Sawkins, a former professional wrestler and lawyer who becomes connected to Margo’s situation. Michelle Pfeiffer and Nick Offerman also star.
Why watch it: It gives audiences another side of Kidman, moving away from the dark psychological thrillers that have dominated much of her recent television work.
7. Scarpetta
And then there is Kidman’s move into forensic crime drama.
In Scarpetta, she plays Dr. Kay Scarpetta, the brilliant chief medical examiner at the center of Patricia Cornwell’s bestselling crime-novel universe.
The series brings Kidman together with Jamie Lee Curtis, Bobby Cannavale, Simon Baker and Ariana DeBose. The story revolves around forensic investigations, murder and the professional and political pressures surrounding Scarpetta’s work.
Why watch it: Kidman stepping into a forensic-investigation franchise gives her another opportunity to build a character around intelligence, authority and psychological tension.
And Nicole Kidman isn’t slowing down
Perhaps the most surprising part of Kidman’s television career is how quickly it continues to expand.
Her upcoming project Discretion is currently in production at Paramount+. The eight-episode legal thriller is produced by A24 and stars Kidman alongside Elle Fanning and Josh Lucas, with Stephan James and Colton Ryan among the additional cast members. Paramount says the series is scheduled to launch in 2027.
That means Kidman’s television era is far from over.
In fact, looking at her recent roles—from an abused wife and grieving mother to a mysterious wellness guru, wealthy matriarch and CIA supervisor—it is difficult to predict exactly what she will do next.
And that may be the real reason audiences keep coming back.
Nicole Kidman is no longer simply a movie star who occasionally appears on television. Television has become one of the places where she is taking some of her biggest creative risks.
WWC ONE MEDIA J.M.D
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