Nicole Kidman In 'BMX Bandits': Star At 16 Years Old

Everyone's got to start somewhere. Even superstar Oscar winners.

Before she was an acclaimed actress and director, Nicole Kidman was a 16-year old in Australia making her film debut. She starred in 1983's "BMX Bandits," about a bunch of kids on their bikes getting chased by baddies.

Talking to EW, the film's director, Brian Trenchard-Smith, said:

When she came in, I could tell right away that she had great dramatic instincts. Some people are born actors. They have a grasp on how to make a line of dialogue believable. But they did want me to cast her because she was taller than the two boys in the film. I said, 'Are you crazy!' She had legs up to her armpits and a big shock of red hair and a gorgeous face. The camera loved her. She was IT as far as I was concerned. She has screen chemistry and not every actor has that.

A 1983 interview with Nicole is below; click over to Entertainment Weekly for more on the movie, including a fantastic interview about Nicole with Trenchard-Smith and an action-packed trailer.

WATCH:

Nicole Kidman on Young Talent Time from Severin Films on Vimeo.