Kylie Minogue Netflix doc: Fame, cancer and her ever-growing fandom

While reflecting upon her four-decade-long career in “Kylie,” an intimate new three-part Netflix documentary, Kylie Minogue says a throwaway line that anchors the endeavor: “Life makes sense to me onstage.” Considering how she’s made 17 albums, sold 80 million records worldwide, her songs have been streamed over 5 billion times, and how she’s Australia’s bestselling female artist of all time, with shelves full of accolades like 18 ARIA Awards and two Grammys, one can easily understand her POV.

Directed by Emmy-winning editor Michael Harte (“Three Identical Strangers,” “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie,” “Beckham”), we’re given a glimpse into Minogue’s life through a narrative composed of home movie footage, personal photos and new interviews with her, family, former colleagues, lovers and dear friends like musician Nick Cave, who affectionately refers to her as “this force” in the “joy machine” of pop music. An immensely popular teen soap actor turned pop superstar, Minogue, 57, learned how to smile for the camera on cue despite intense — and often cruel and misogynistic — scrutiny of her every move at a very early age. As she grows and evolves, we witness the evolution of a publicly confident, sparkly superstar and a warm, private, resilient survivor of breast cancer and the fickle middle finger of showbiz who doesn’t take herself too seriously.

There was no “seismic shift” compelling her to share her story, but gentle, prolonged prodding from producer John Battsek (of “The Deepest Breath,” “Wham!” and “Beckham”) did the trick. “It took a number of years for me to say yes to him,” she says, Zooming into our chat from the UK. “I’d just go, either there’s too much going on, or I don’t feel ready. But at a certain point I thought, if not now, when?”

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The level of fandom you experienced at such a young age must’ve been overwhelming. How did you process all the attention?

You just keep trying to figure it out. In the “Neighbours” days, Jason [Donovan, her co-star and ex-boyfriend] and I were a team with Guy Pearce. The three of us were thick as thieves, all the same age, all fresh out of high school, into this soap opera. It wasn’t like we were stepping into a role in this smash hit show. We were part of its success story. We just were like, “Oh, we’ve got a job. We’ve got to know our lines. We’ve got to get to work on time.” And they worked us. We were offered shopping malls, this photo shoot, that photo shoot — Smile, keep smiling! Bigger smiles! We had each other, all three of us, and we’ve got solid families and people in our lives. I can’t imagine being more of a loose cannon, or how you would navigate it without that grounding.

Your family seems like such a solid support system throughout the documentary, especially given how the press treated you. Just watching how downright cruel, predatory and misogynistic they were was unbelievable. We’re the same age, so I remember some of what you experienced.

Yeah, unbelievable! When you were talking about what it must have been like to have that fandom early, I don’t think that was ever a problem. It was a thing to navigate, but it [the problem] was the press. They’re saying one thing, but I meet people on the street, and they don’t think that way. So, to quote myself from the documentary, it just didn’t make sense. I’ve been meeting quite a lot of millennials and younger people on promo these past few days, and they’re riled. They got to know me in the 2000s in these kind of stellar moments, and they just had no idea.

The documentary includes discussions about your public past relationships, like with your co-star Jason Donovan, then about Michael Hutchence and Nick Cave. That’s such a vulnerable thing to share with your fans. What went into deciding whether to let us in on that personal part of your life?

It’s not that I’m so comfy, like, “Hey, let’s talk about my life!” To talking about Michael [Hutchence], I didn’t give it much thought beforehand. I knew I had some great images and some great footage of that time. I didn’t know Michael [Harte] would craft it so beautifully and poetically, and that just kind of leads … [to Nick Cave] … You’ve got the bright-eyed wonder of Jason and I, more like a younger love, and it’s a forever story — we could see each other for the rest of time, and we will always be those people. But I didn’t really see it coming the way it’s transpired, talking about Michael in the documentary, and that time.

Kylie Minogue with Michael Hutchence from “Kylie.”

(Netflix)

Can you share a little bit about the first time you went to Kylie Night and your decades-long mutual love with the LGBTQIA+ community?

It’s awesome, to be supported through thick and thin. It was really, like, 1990 when I first heard of Kylie Night, I was like, “What’s Kylie Night?” I actually didn’t go that night, but I ended up going a few years later. Just to rattle through it, the photograph that you see in the documentary of me at Three Faces, a nightclub in Melbourne, I’d been to a Lemonheads gig, which could not be more polar opposite than a drag club! That says a lot. There’s that indie rock part of me, then bound into Three Faces. I came across it late in the making of the documentary, but I have footage from 1996 at Mardi Gras in Sydney, this rickety footage. No one had cameras! This place is just a sweat mosh pit — amazing!

I remember when you received your cancer diagnosis and how heartbreaking that was for you. Cancer touches the lives of so many people. How did it change you? And why did you feel that it was important to share that part of your story in the documentary?

Obviously, that’s a moment that will forever be imprinted on my being and in my memory. It’s like a meteor coming from outer space and hitting you on the head. You’re still you, just a different version of you, or the next you. There was a lot of uncertainty at the time. It’s beyond cool that I can talk about it now without really going there — ’cause I’ll go if I go there — but I think, in general, my attitude is my glass is half-full. When it dips below, of course, it has from time to time, but I try to pump it up to be positive. I was determined to get back to do what I do. I wanted to feel able. Before there was streaming, friends would bring me DVDs, but I couldn’t get through a movie. Getting down the street was a real mission. What does this mean? It was overwhelming in a way that I can’t describe to you. Even if we were to sit together all afternoon, I couldn’t describe it.

It took time for Kylie Minogue to agree to tell her story in the documentary, “Kylie.”

(From Netflix)

Now, with every record you put out, new young people become really interested in your work, which must feel so exciting and wonderful.

With what “Padam Padam” kind of kick-started, especially in the States, was to know that there were kids for whom this was one of their first mega pop songs. After one of the most amazing — I will never forget it — gigs I was doing around that time, friends or team members would bring kids, or nephews, or whoever, and these little ones, you know, 7, 8, 9. They’re trying to keep their eyes open to get to “Padam,” and the kids would go, “Oh, we love that new song, ‘The Loco-Motion!’ [originally released in 1987]. My heart started bloating! That’s the sweetest thing ever.

Are you at liberty to share what you’re up to musically now? I saw on Instagram that you shot a new video. Fans are also fantasizing about an appearance from you on Madonna’s album …

That’s a random thing. There was a rumor I was on her album, but I’m not — I’m excited to hear it, all! But new music? Yes! There’s a new song called “Light Up” that lives perfectly within the documentary. It’s not a “Padam,” but it’s got a lot of heart. Initially, I was thinking about my mom, ‘cause you can see in this documentary — don’t make me cry — I love her so much. I was writing about when you’re struggling, whether you’re a child or a grown-up, and someone who loves you will look into your eyes and, like a manga cartoon, you kind of zoom in and you see this world of possibility. When you’re lost, helpless or glassy-eyed, someone who can see in you what you can’t see can light you up, and you can get through that moment. My family does, and you clearly see how Michael [Hutchence] and Nick can touch my soul. You can get through health issues. You can get out on stage and do that thing that you’re supposed to do when everything feels like you couldn’t do it, so it’s like parental love, friendship love, can spread to audience love. Because they will give you the strength to go out and have those moments to share. It’s a beautiful thing.

Kylie Minogue is no stranger to looking like a mirror ball — here she’s in silver head to toe during an April 2025 concert in Illinois.

(Rob Grabowski / Invision / AP)

What do you hope your fans will take from watching the documentary?

That this has been a lifelong journey. That we’re all human. Stay true to yourself. Love the people around you. There’s a thing I say very often before I step out on stage — I’ll go, “Let the love in and let the light out.” It’s quite a big thing to be able to accept that love because we’re all weird, wacky humans wondering, do I deserve this? Am I going to get found out, or something?

So you reflect the love back, like a mirror ball.

It only takes one light to land on the mirror ball, and that refracts, so anything that I get is paid forward and multiplied. And I’ll leave it at that.

“Kylie” premieres May 20 on Netflix.