Nearly 25 years after their divorce, Tom Cruise still appears to be a fan of Nicole Kidman.
The 4x Oscar nominee recalled making the 1999 Stanley Kubrick-helmed erotic thriller with his then-wife, explaining that he “suggested Nicole play the role” of his character Dr. Bill Harford’s wife Alice.
“I flew out to [Kubrick’s] house, and I landed in his backyard,” he told Sight and Sound. “I read the script the day before and we spent the day talking about it. I knew all of his films. 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.”
Cruise told the writer/director “Whatever it’s going to take [to make the movie], we’re going to do this.”
Co-written by Kubrick and Frederic Raphael, Eyes Wide Shut stars Cruise as a wealthy doctor feeling restless in his marriage. When he discovers an elite underground sex club, Dr. Harford quickly realizes he’s in over his head.
“I thought the film was very interesting, and I wanted to have that experience,” said Cruise. “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 previously recalled the initial meeting with Kubrick, for which she was also in attendance, as well as their rehearsals for a scene where the couple has an intimate talk while sharing a joint.
“I suppose he was mining [our marriage],” she said of Kubrick. “There were ideas he was interested in. He’d ask a lot of questions. But he had a strong sense of the story he was telling. I do remember him saying, ‘Triangles are hard. You have to tread carefully when it’s a triangle.’ Because one person could feel ganged up on. But he was aware of that and knew how to manage us.”
Kidman added, “But there’s something about being a woman in that equation, too. And Stanley liked women. He had a different relationship with Tom. They worked more closely together on his character.”
Kubrick died of a heart attack at age 70 on March 7, 1999, just days after screening a final cut of Eyes Wide Shut for his family and the stars of the film.
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