Friend and 'Big Little Lies' co-star Laura Dern presented Nicole Kidman with The Hollywood Reporter's Sherry Lansing Leadership Award at THR's Women in Entertainment gala, presented by Lifetime, in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The award recognizes trailblazers and philanthropists in entertainment and media.
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00:00Congratulations again to all you amazing, inspiring young women.
00:06What an honor to be here in this room.
00:10What a privilege to join you all this morning and to be in a room filled with such extraordinary
00:16people and leaders and guides and women, namely, a namesake I want to pay tribute to again.
00:27I know we all feel this way, but I remember doing my first job as an 11-year-old, and
00:34the script supervisor was a woman, not my makeup, not my hair.
00:39That was the one woman on set, and I thought, God, I wonder if other women work in this
00:44business.
00:46And then I met Sherry Lansing and the greatest gift to all of us as a leader and pioneer.
00:53So what a tribute to get to be here and pay tribute to you with the namesake of this award.
00:59Thank you, Sherry.
01:06And there's another person in this room who is today's honoree of this amazing award,
01:15a true leader, a guide, my guide, my producer, my collaborator, my sister, and yes, so you
01:26all know, sometimes my therapist, ladies and gentlemen, Nicole Kidman.
01:32No, you have to wait.
01:35You and Selena got to sit down till we stop talking.
01:40I'm going to say a few more things, but I first had the privilege of getting to know
01:47Nick through friendship.
01:49It was amazing.
01:50I don't know how it happened, even though I'm from Santa Monica, California, that I
01:55was invited 25-plus years ago into the Australian coven.
02:02It consists of an amazing group of beloved friends and artists who protect and champion
02:08each other.
02:10Then I got to bear witness to Nicole as my producer and as my fellow actor on Big Little
02:16Lies and now producing partner and sister on a new film we're working on.
02:25And this is where I've witnessed up close and personal her commitment in every area
02:33of her life to lift other women up, to not only give profound support, but consistently
02:41give them incredible opportunities with radical determination.
02:45In 2017, Nicole made a commitment at the Cannes Film Festival to work with a female director
02:54every 18 months.
02:56Then she changed her mind because that wasn't enough for her.
02:59So seven years later, she's far surpassed her own goal.
03:03And in the past year alone, four of her six current projects were directed by women.
03:16Two of her upcoming projects also directed by women.
03:20And one of those projects, and for those of you who have not seen it, what an extraordinary
03:25experience and opportunity you have ahead in the project I get to speak of, directed
03:31by Helena Raine, who is sitting here with us, the film Baby Girl.
03:43Baby Girl is extraordinary.
03:46And Baby Girl within it, like all of the performances that Helena captures, like the sound, like
03:52the music, like the imagery, will never leave us.
03:58And within it is Nicole's performance.
04:02It defies fear.
04:04It expresses such profound bravery and holds the deepest of raw truth.
04:11Nicole plays the high-powered CEO and dutiful mother, Romy.
04:15And Nicole's performance offers an extraordinary point of view within the complexities of the
04:23human condition and societal expectations on women.
04:28Since I've watched it several days ago, I can't stop thinking.
04:32I kept, I keep thinking as I'm sitting with all of you today about the expectations we
04:40put on ourselves and how we try to rise above societal expectations for some unreachable
04:51concept of leadership.
04:54And yet leadership was there all along.
04:59It's when we allow ourselves to be all of it.
05:02And I think the two of you and your collaboration have captured so much for us to consider and
05:08for all women to consider and how we support deeply and truly support each other.
05:15This film also exemplifies Nicole's career-long dedication to extraordinary leadership.
05:23She leads us every time toward a perspective of the female gaze pointing inward.
05:30Be it in the writing, the direction, or of course, the acting, Nicole's determination
05:36as a producer, along with Per Sari and Blossom Films, pushes us to feel uncomfortable, to
05:43witness what we have not seen before, and to ask questions as a culture and as individuals
05:50that guide us toward deeper empathy and humanity.
05:55One of the many other ways that Nicole demonstrates her exceptional leadership is in the way she
06:01consistently shows up.
06:05Nicole is never not growing opportunities or building stories.
06:12Despite her endless commitments, Nicole is always showing up, not only as an actor and
06:19producer, but equally as mother, as wife, as daughter, as sister, as friend, and as
06:28advocate, and yes, you know this is true, as neighbor.
06:33You have never seen decorations like her.
06:36If you want to be reminded it's Halloween, you know it's Halloween.
06:41She is the greatest neighbor anybody can have, and she creates true home.
06:46She is at the ready for a cup of tea with open ears and an open heart, and nothing falls
06:53through the cracks with Nicole around.
06:56From the first time I had the privilege of seeing her on screen, to our most recent visit
07:02together, yes, with an amazing cup of tea, Nicole continues to teach me how to pave the
07:08way for inspiring and magical leadership.
07:12I know that for Nicole, leadership means inviting everybody in with her.
07:19I've watched her do it all these years, so please join me to invite her here and pay
07:26tribute in honoring this glorious and amazing goddess.
07:31I am so proud to present this award to my beautiful friend, ladies and gentlemen, the
07:36goddess herself, Nicole Kidman.