Nicole Kidman feels "lucky" because she has been given multiple "chances" within her career

Speaking at the TIME Women of the Year Leadership Forum, she explained: "The way you develop your talent-really, is it going to be immediate? It's going to be layer upon layer, step by step. And that requires patience.

"I was one of the fortunate ones where I was given a chance over and over and over again, and I'm still being given that.

The 'Eyes Wide Shut' star also insisted that others need to "stop judging women" and criticising their work because the films tend to focus on "compassion and understanding to start with.

She added: "Because by doing that, we're actually helping each other. And we're helping the world because the stories about us being put out there build compassion and empathy and understanding."

Since making her public plea, the Academy Award-winning actress has collaborated 19 female directors on various film and TV projects.

She added: "It was something I wanted to do because the only way to change the numbers was to actually get in the trenches and do it. And so I'm still in the trenches doing it..

"There's many different facets to me, as there are to all of us.

"I'm sort of trying to take a big bite out of the world and what I do, and share my opportunities with other people.

" have the desire to make a film about marriage, like a really, really raw, deep film about marriage and partnership, all of those things."