Oscar winners, world record holders and a member of the royal family will be present for the filming of Strangerland.

Nicole Kidman, Hugo Weaving and Joseph Fiennes make up an internationally acclaimed cast. Canowindra born and raised Oscar winner, Richard Payten, will be the film’s executive director.

If you happen to bump into one of these stars, then some conversation starters will surely be needed. The weather, too predictable. Favourite sporting team, won’t impress. So lets find out some interesting facts about the stars of the big screen.

Nicole Kidman

Strangerland will be the first time since Dead Calm (1989), in which Nicole Kidman will use her native Australian accent in character.

At one point Nicole held the world record for the most money earned from a commercial. A lazy $3.8 million for a few minutes of lending her face to a perfume brand. Nicole performs her own songs and stunts in movies, while filming Moulin Rogue, Nicole broke a rib.

 She has played a character called Grace four times, most recently in the Grace of Monaco.

2003 was a great year for Nicole as she picked up the double, an Oscar and a Golden Globe for her work in The Hours.

 If the conversation lasts this long don’t mention butterflies, she is terrified of them. 

In 2001, Nicole did a music video with British pop-star, Robbie Williams. The song was called, "Somethin' Stupid," and it was a big hit in Britain. Check it out on Youtube.

Hugo Weaving

Hugo was born in 1960 in Nigeria, his family lived all of the world before settling in Australia. Like Nicole, he also suffered an on-set injury, hurting his hip while filming The Matrix. 

Weaving has also starred in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, in which he played the son-in-law to Cate Blanchett’s character, despite being nine years old than Blanchett. 

His voice has been used in numerous animated films; Megatron, Happy Feet and Babe.

His work as the main villain in Transformers (2007) and Captain America (2011) seemed to cement his place in Hollywood, but the Australian has always had an aversion to high-profile stardom. "You stop being able to create another human being," he once said. 

"So I rather like playing the roles of masked characters. It allows me to maintain a certain private life."

Joseph Fiennes

Born in 1970 in England, Fiennes is best known for his portrayal of William Shakespeare in ‘Shakespeare in Love’ and you’ll get extra points if you greet him using his full name; Joseph Alberic Iscariot Twisleton Wykeham Fiennes.

 Fiennes won’t be a stranger to the Australian accent, starring alongside Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush.

In 1998 Joseph Fiennes played two characters in two different films where he played a man that cheated on the woman he was with. Both the women he “cheated” on went on to be nominated for the Best Actress Academy Award that year. They were Cate Blanchett and Gwyneth Paltrow.

In 1999 he was voted one People Magazine 50 best looking people in the world.

So where does the royal family fit into this, Fiennes is the eighth cousin to Princes Charles. 

Richard Payten

Let’s not forget our local connection with the Oscars, Richard Payten won an Oscar for See-Saw Films production of The Kings Speech in 2011.

As Richard himself says, its a long way from school at Bangaroo. 

Find out more on Richard Payten:

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