Nicole Kidman plans to expand film and television production in Nashville

Speaking at the Nashville Film Festival during an event titled Nicole Kidman: Where Art Meets Home in Nashville, held at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's CMA Theater, the star said: "I'll be bringing more and more production here.

"Reese Witherspoon lives here too, and she's one of my best besties. I can't say that we will be bringing Big Little Lies here.

"That's all got to go where it is. But in terms of just, you know, there is so much room here for production. "The crews are fantastic and the actors, and the people, all of... I feel that it's taking off and will continue to take off, so off we go. Come on, Tennessee, we've got this."

Nicole has already filmed the first season of her crime series Scarpetta in Nashville and confirmed she is "thrilled" to be starting production on its second season.

She described the city as one that "inspires so much creativity."

Born in Honolulu in June 1967 and raised in Sydney, Nicole began her acting career in Australia, gaining international attention with the 1989 thriller Dead Calm.

She rose to global prominence in the 1990s with roles in Days of Thunder, To Die For and Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut.

Her performance in The Hours (2002), as writer Virginia Woolf, won her the Academy Award for best actress.

Over a four-decade career she has also won Emmy, Golden Globe and Bafta awards, and worked across film, television and theatre.

At the Nashville panel, Kidman also spoke about her attachment to the city where she lives with her husband, country music singer Keith Urban, 57, and their daughters Sunday, 16, and Faith, 13.

She said: "My favourite thing is the people. I love the Nashville people because they embraced me two decades ago and they keep making it possible for our family to have the most beautiful life here. Incredibly grateful."

Following the discussion, audiences were given a screening of Kidman's 2003 film Cold Mountain, directed by Anthony Minghella, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination.