Tom Cruise has recently opened up about his former marriage to Nicole Kidman, marking a rare occasion for the actor to discuss personal aspects of his past.
The two Hollywood stars tied the knot in 1990 when Cruise was 28 and Kidman was 23. Over the span of their 11-year marriage, they collaborated on three films and adopted two children before parting ways in 2001.
One of their early collaborations was the 1990 film *Days of Thunder*, which they worked on while engaged. The movie was released in June of that year, followed by their wedding in December. Their other joint ventures included *Far and Away* (1992) and Stanley Kubrick’s *Eyes Wide Shut* (1999).
Reflecting on *Eyes Wide Shut* and their involvement in the film, Cruise, now 62, shared with Sight and Sound how he came to be cast alongside Kidman. “I flew out to [Kubrick’s] house, and I landed in his backyard. I read the script the day before and we spent the day talking about it. I knew all of his films,” Cruise recalled.
Kubrick, known for directing classics like *The Shining* (1980) and *2001: A Space Odyssey* (1968), passed away from a heart attack at 70, just months before the release of *Eyes Wide Shut*.
In a rare display, Cruise praised Kidman, acknowledging her talent. “Then it was basically he and I getting to know each other. And when we were doing that, I suggested Nicole play the role [of Alice]. Because, obviously, she’s a great actress,” he said.
Cruise further explained his commitment to the film, recounting a conversation with Kubrick: “Whatever it’s going to take [to make the movie], we’re going to do this.”
*Eyes Wide Shut* centers on Dr. Bill Harford and his wife Alice, played by Cruise and Kidman, respectively. Alice confesses to having fantasies about another man, prompting Harford to explore a secretive, sexually charged society.
The Independent reported Cruise’s thoughts on the project: “I thought the film was very interesting, and I wanted to have that experience. When I go to make a movie, I do a lot of detailed investigation and a lot of time with the people before I commit so that I understand what they need and want and they understand me and how we can work together and really create something very special.”
Kidman, who is now 57, has also fondly recalled her time working on *Eyes Wide Shut*.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times for the film’s 25th anniversary, she reminisced, “When Tom and I first started with Stanley, it was at his home, and we didn’t even go over to the sets at Pinewood [Studios]. Six, eight weeks passed, and we’re wondering, ‘Are we ever going to start?’ And we just wouldn’t start. We were getting comfortable with each other, comfortable enough to throw out ideas.”
Although the project was initially planned to span six months, it extended to nearly two years, consuming much of their time and taking them off the market.
Kidman also mentioned that during filming, both she and Cruise stayed in a studio on the set. “We had a home 10 minutes away, but we lived in that trailer,” she explained. “Tom and I shared it because Stanley would say, ‘You’re not each getting a trailer. We can’t afford it’.”