Pop Oddity: Nicole Kidman Was A Video Girl In Pat Wilson’s “Bop Girl”
Some of Hollywood’s biggest names got their big break in a music video. Jennifer Lopez sizzled in Janet Jackson’s “That’s The Way Love Goes,” Angelina Jolie brought a little glamor to Meatloaf’s “Rock ‘N Roll Dreams Come Through” and Channing Tatum showed off his stripper moves in Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs.” One of the most memorable Video Girl turns, however, belongs Nicole Kidman. The Australian actress, who is experiencing something of a resurgence in 2017, made her screen debut in Pat Wilson’s “Bop Girl.”
Released in 1983, “Bop Girl” is a delirious snapshot of the decade’s bizarre fashion and general irreverence. Pat Wilson plays a sexy bride in the video, which lands somewhere between Muriel’s Wedding and Madonna’s “Like A Virgin.” She is surrounded by a group of bridesmaids that range from a motherly figure, who seems overly preoccupied with her hanging out her laundry, to a gangly, flame-headed Nicole Kidman. The 15-year-old puffs a cigarette in the pool (it was a different time) and later bops along to extremely catchy song by the beach.
“Bop Girl” reached number 2 in Australia and was popular enough to spawn a sequel called “Bop Girl Goes Surfin'”! The track came perilously close to being a hit in the US, stalling at number 104. Pat released a now highly collectible EP called Strong Love in 1984, but she faded from view after that. Nicole would get her big break in BMX Bandits later that year and has fond memories of “Bop Girl”. She insisted the video be used for both a BBC documentary about her career and an American Cinematheque tribute. Watch the video up top and check out a wacky “live” performance below. They sure don’t make ’em like this anymore.
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