The Oscar winner and husband Keith Urban opened up to ET at the Hollywood Film Awards on Sunday.
Nicole Kidman has worked hard to get to where she is in her life and in her career, and the celebrated actress is hoping to set an example for her children.
ET's Nischelle Turner spoke with the Oscar winner on the red carpet at this year's Hollywood Film Awards on Sunday -- where she was honored with Career Achievement Award -- and she opened up about how being a mother has shaped the way she views her show business legacy.
"I think everything is motivated by wanting to take care of your children and carve a path for them and leave them with a sense of morality, dignity and accountability," said Kidman, who was joined by husband Keith Urban at the star-studded awards show at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.
Kidman and Urban share two daughters -- 10-year-old Sunday Rose and 7-year-old Faith Margaret -- while the actress is also the mother of her 25-year-old daughter Isabella and 23-year-old son Conner, whom she shares with ex-husband Tom Cruise.
According to the actress, her desire to serve as an inspirational role model was also instilled in her by her mother, Janelle Ann Kidman.
"I grew up with a very opinionated strong mother who was very educated and who wanted her girls to have opportunities," Kidman continued. "I suppose that the great thing is being able to create other opportunities for other women and for the next generation."
On Sunday, the actress' storied career and life in front of the camera was celebrated at the gala event, where she was presented with the Career Achievement Award by her show business peers and colleagues.
However, for Kidman, being an actress was never about accolades or acclaim, but was a creative impulse that she's been driven by since childhood.
"I've just always wanted to act since I was a little girl," Kidman shared. "I needed to. And I started it at school, I went to drama school, and I've just continued on the path and it's lead me to the most wonderful places and it's given me so much joy."
That being said, the actress admitted that getting the honor feels "incredibly validating," but more importantly, being recognized for your accomplishment gives her "the opportunity" to "keep throwing my support and my voice behind the things that I'm passionate about."
"So I suppose it's almost like forward momentum," she added.
Kidman's latest drama, Boy Erased, is in theaters now.
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