But before the term “ice queen” gets thrown about (don’t worry, I’ve heard it all), there are other roles which call on her particular tenderness, such as her Oscar-nominated turn as real-life mum Sue Brierley in the Australian film Lion, stoic but distraught, grappling with the heart-rending possibility of losing her adopted son played by Dev Patel.

And for the sheer showgirl side of Kidman, there’s one film that shouldn’t be missed. And, no, I’m not talking Moulin Rouge! but The Paperboy, where she flings herself into the role of blowsy belle Charlotte Bless, caught in a grimy, sweaty, incredibly problematic relationship with convicted killer Hillary (Jon Cusack). She’s brazen, almost scarily so, but can flip this on its head, a character as changeable as the teased-out peroxide-blonde wig Bless favours.

She’s drawn to this incredible range of do-you-dare sort of roles, expert at channelling women standing on the precipice of their very own personal apocalypse, storm breaking.“I’ve been in probably some of the most divisive films there have been,” she once told Deadline. “I’m so glad to be in those films… The idea of not having limitations or boundaries is important to me.”

But it’s not just this that spurs my fandom. I won’t lie that her somewhat intriguing private life adds to her public appeal. We’ll never really know what it was like to be married to Scientology-mad Cruise for a decade, and to then be somewhat estranged from the two children they share. Or to exhaust herself working for auteur Stanley Kubrick on Eyes Wide Shut, or being the mate and muse of Baz Lurhmann on two occasions.

And she feeds into this, being savvy enough to drop enough tidbits in interviews to offer a glimpse into her world – but still keeping you just out of reach.

She’s also a red carpet legend (her 1997 Oscars dress pretty much invented couture celebrity dressing). Don’t come at me with your “But what has she done to her face?” claims, because that’s (A) so early ’00s, (B) none of our business and (C) incorrectly placing blame for trying to survive as a woman actor past 30.

And I’m not so blinkered that I find every project golden, there have been some very wrong turns. Bewitched was bad, Queen of the Desert is a challenge to sit through, and let’s never speak of Grace of Monaco again. Her projects are not box-office guarantees either. (Put your hand up if you’ve seen How to Talk to Girls at Parties. Thought not.)

However, Kidman’s desire to constantly push herself in roles that many others wouldn’t touch, and to consistently work with exciting directors keeps her oeuvre something to marvel at. “If I can respect somebody, I’ll walk to the ends of the earth,” she’s said of those she chooses to work with, a veritable cinephile’s dream. To wit: Minghella, Sorkin, Campion, Herzog, Chan-wook, von Trier, Coppola, Lanthimos, Baumbach, Pollack, Glazer.

She’s bigger than her performances, though. She has been a UN ambassador since way before it became celebrity currency, and a generous philanthropist. She’s a prolific television producer, and an advocate for female talent, making a clear vow to work with women directors every 18 months, supporting those just breaking through like Australian Kim Farrant (Strangerland) and Bodies Bodies Bodies’ Mimi Cave (the upcoming Holland, Michigan).

So I will continue to follow her wherever she goes, because any role she touches has that something (well, almost – the Adam Sandler comedy Just Go with It almost broke the relationship).

“Art is important,” she proclaimed when winning her Oscar for The Hours (one win, five nominations thus far) and you can see that in her vast back catalogue. It’s this, the art of it all, that she champions. And it’s for this she fully deserves this AFI accolade. And your attention.

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