1. Nicole Kidman
With roles in To Die For and Batman Forever in 1995, she was one of the world's biggest movie stars. Throughout her varied career, the talented actress seemed equally at ease in dramatic roles (The Portrait of a Lady; Rabbit Hole) as she did in comedic ones (Bewitched, Paddington). She was a four-time Oscar nominee, winning for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in The Hours in 2002.
She won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in 2018 for her role in HBO's Big Little Lies. With her husband Keith Urban and their two children, she divides her time between Australia and the United States. She and her ex-husband Tom Cruise also have an adopted son and daughter.
2. Mel Gibson
Despite his controversies, Mel Gibson, who was born in the United States and raised in Sydney, is one of Hollywood's most successful filmmakers and actors. He rose to prominence in 1979 as the title character in George Miller's Mad Max, and his star continued to grow with films such as Gallipoli, The Year of Living Dangerously, and the Lethal Weapon franchise. He won Oscars for Best Director and Best Film for his work on the historical drama Braveheart, which he directed and starred in 1995. Hacksaw Ridge, his 2016 war drama, demonstrated that he was still one of the world's great filmmakers.
3. Russell Crowe
Russell rose through the ranks of Australian television and film, including a memorable role in 1992's Romper Stomper, before landing roles in Hollywood, including L.A. Confidential, and earning an Oscar nomination in 1999 for his inspiring portrayal of tobacco industry whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand.
He has also appeared in the films Cinderella Man, A Beautiful Mind, and Robin Hood. He lives in Sydney and has two children from his previous relationship with Danielle Spencer.
4. Olivia Newton
The singer was one of Australia's darlings in the 1970s, but it wasn't until she starred in the film adaptation of the Broadway hit Grease that the world became hopelessly devoted to the young star.
After a long battle with breast cancer, the mother of one now lives in the United States with her husband, John Easterling.
5. Elle MacPherson
MacPherson, who first appeared in a Tab cola commercial in 1982, went on to become part of a new generation of supermodels that included Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, and Cindy Crawford. She appeared on the cover of Time in 1989 and was dubbed "The Body"—a moniker that stuck. MacPherson has two children and reportedly now resides in the United States after spending years in London.
6. Heath Ledger
His star was still rising when he died suddenly in 2008, but his legacy remains. Following his performance in the Australian film Two Hands, Ledger appeared alongside Mel Gibson in 10 Things I Hate About You, A Knight's Tale, and The Patriot.
He was nominated for an Oscar for his Oscar-nominated performance in Brokeback Mountain, and in 2008, he played The Joker in The Dark Knight, for which he received a posthumous Oscar. Matilda, his daughter from his marriage to actress Michelle Williams, survives him.
7. Paul Hogan
Through Nine's The Paul Hogan Show, he became a beloved star in Australia, and as Crocodile Dundee demonstrated in 1986, his comedy translates throughout the world. The film is still the highest-grossing Australian film.
Paul divorced Noelene in 1986 and later married Dundee co-star Linda Kozlowski. He has six children from his two relationships and resides in the United States.
8. Cate Blanchett
One of Australia's most successful and critically acclaimed actresses, the NIDA graduate made her stage debut in 1992, opposite Geoffrey Rush in the Sydney Theatre Company production of David Mamet's Oleanna. Her first film role was in Paradise Road in 1997, and the following year she became a worldwide sensation after portraying QE1 in Elizabeth, for which she received an Oscar nomination (many critics believe she should have won, with the gong handed to Gwyneth Paltrow for Shakespeare in Love).
She has been nominated for an Oscar seven times and has won twice (Blue Jasmine and The Aviator). Cate still resides in Sydney, Australia, with her husband, playwright and screenwriter Andrew Upton, and their four children.
9. Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman is best known for his role as Wolverine in the X-Men franchise, but he can do a lot more than sprout hair on his face.
Jackman, a talented singer, and dancer from Sydney won a Tony Award for his performance as Peter Allen in Broadway's The Boy From Oz.
He has also appeared in Les Misérables, Van Helsing, The Prestige, and the 2017 box office smash The Greatest Showman. He and his wife, actress Deborra-Lee Furness, have two children.
10. Kylie Minogue
While many celebrities used Neighbours to launch their acting careers, Kylie had other plans.
Minogue went on to become one of Australia's most successful music acts after releasing her debut single Locomotion in 1987, recording hits such as I Should Be So Lucky, Better You're the Devil, and I can't get you out of my head.
Golden, the singer's 14th album, was released in 2018.
11. Chris Hemsworth
Hemsworth rose from humble beginnings in Melbourne and the Northern Territory outback to become one of the world's biggest movie stars, best known for his role as Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films.
In 2014, People magazine named him the "Sexiest Man Alive." He lives in Byron Bay, New South Wales, with his wife Elsa Pataky and their three children.
12. Margot Robbie
An alumnus of Neighbours Margot Robbie, from Dalby, QLD, stunned audiences in 2013 with her performance (and flawless Brooklyn accent) in Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street, and she has Since then, he has gone on to become a Hollywood superstar.
She was nominated for an Oscar in 2018 for her performance as Tonya Harding in me, Tonya. She and her husband, Tom Ackerley, live in both Los Angeles and the Gold Coast.
13. Miranda Kerr
Miranda Kerr rose to prominence as a Victoria's Secret Angel in 2007, becoming one of the world's most recognizable models.
She has a son, Flynn, with ex-husband Orlando Bloom and another son, Hart, with billionaire husband Evan Spiegal.
14. Toni Collette
Collette's career was launched with the title role in Muriel's Wedding, which led to starring roles in About a Boy, The Hours, and Little Miss Sunshine.
She was nominated for an Oscar in 2000 for her performance as the distraught mother in the box office smash The Sixth Sense.
She has received numerous honors, including an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her performance as Tara Gregson in Showtime's the United States of Tara.
15. Guy Pearce
Guy, like Hugo Weaving, played a drag queen in the 1994 Australian blockbuster The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
Following that road trip, he landed roles in L.A. Confidential, Memento, The King's Speech, and Ridley Scott's Alien prequel Prometheus are among the films on the list.
The former Geelong boy is married to Dutch actress Carice van Houten and they have one child.
16. Keith Urban
Keith Urban, who was born in New Zealand and raised in Queensland, was relatively unknown in Australia before his relationship with Nicole Kidman. However, he has been a country music star in the United States since the 1990s, when he moved in 1992.
He is also a mentor on The Voice and has previously served as a judge on American Idol. He is both an Australian and a US citizen, and he and his wife, Nicole, have two children.
17. Naomi Watts
She's come a long way since rejecting Tom Cruise in a TV commercial in the 1980s for a lamb roast.
She moved to the United States after some Australian television appearances and appeared in several films before landing a role in the critically acclaimed David Lynch film Mulholland Drive.
Naomi, who has two children with ex-Liev Schreiber, has since appeared in 21 Grams, King Kong, The Wave, and other films.
18. Isla Fisher
The former Home and Away star are one of Hollywood's most recognizable Australians, having appeared in films such as Wedding Crashers, The Great Gatsby, and Now You See Me.
The actress, who was born in Perth, Australia, is married to Sacha Baron Cohen and has three children. They own properties in both London and Los Angeles.
19. Hugo Weaving
He was a go-to actor in Australia, appearing in films such as Bodyline, Proof, and Bangkok Hilton (with Nicole Kidman). When The Matrix debuted in theatres in 1999, his role as the virtual Agent Smith catapulted him to stardom.
Hugo, who has two children with long-term partner Katrina Greenwood, now works in both Australian and Hollywood productions.
20. Rose Byrne
At 13, the Sydney-raised female actress made her Australian film debut in Dallas Doll. She began appearing in films in 1999, including Gregor Jordan's Two Hands, in which she co-starred with Heath Ledger, before landing her first Hollywood role as a background handmaiden in Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones
By 2007, she was regularly cast in Hollywood studio films, and in 2009, she became a blockbuster star with her role in Nicolas Cage's film Knowing. She has since appeared in films such as Insidious, Bridesmaids, X Men: First Class, Neighbours, and Peter Rabbit. She and her husband, US actor Bobby Cannavale, have two children.
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