You Haven't Lived Until You've Seen Nicole Kidman's Academy Museum Gala Hairstyle

Celebrities — performers, especially — are beauty chameleons. Take Nicole Kidman, for example, who's been surprising fans with unexpected hair and makeup moments for years. Even so, one thing you may not already know about the Academy Award winner is that she has a naturally curly hair texture that doesn't make an appearance as frequently as it deserves to. Thankfully, though, she embraced her curls this past weekend at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures opening gala — and it was like a trip back to the '90s. Nicole Kidman's Academy Museum hair is one of the most fabulous beauty moments from the star-studded evening (right up there next to Olivia Rodrigo's old-Hollywood-inspired glam).

The 54-year old's voluminous center-parted curls looked straight out of her Days of Thunder era. Her reddish-blonde strands paired so perfectly with her strapless floral gown from Rodarte’s S/S ‘22 collection. Celebrity hairstylist Kylee Heath was responsible for perfecting the star's red-carpet-ready hair — she did so using various Oribe hair care products that defined her beachy curls while delivering volume all throughout. "Curls night out,✨ @nicolekidman rocking those natural curls," the pro cheekily captioned a photo of Kidman. Get an up-close look at the stunning behind-the-scenes pic below.

As for glam, celebrity makeup artist Kelsey Deenihan was the mastermind behind the Nine Perfect Strangers actor’s look. She made her pout stand out in red lipstick and warmed up her complexion with blush — two simple elements that complemented the rest of her glam without taking too much attention away from her hair.

While fans don’t see Kidman’s curly hair too often on the big (or small) screen, it’s likely that she wears it naturally when she’s not filming. "I have naturally curly hair that's constantly being styled when I'm working,” she said in a 2017 interview with People. “So when I'm not working, I love saturating it in this nourishing oil and leaving it alone."

Her curls did get their moment in the limelight in the 2020 HBO miniseries The Undoing. Fans were obsessed with the style, so it’s no surprise that her curls are making tsunami-like waves this time around, too.