Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman were once married. Credit: Vinnie Zuffante / Getty
The 62-year-old Misson Impossible star and Kidman, 57, were once one of Hollywood’s most iconic couples.
They tied the knot in 1990, when Cruise was 28 and Kidman just 23, after meeting on the set of Days of Thunder.
The couple would go on to adopt two children and star in three films together before their marriage ended in 2001.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Official Trailer
Credit: Warner bros. Pictures
0 seconds of 58 secondsVolume 90%
Their filmography includes Far and Away (1992) and Eyes Wide Shut (1999), the latter directed by Kubrick in what would be his final project before his death from a heart attack at the age of 70.
Speaking to Sight and Sound ahead of receiving a prestigious BFI Fellowship, Cruise opened up about working on the erotic psychological drama, recalling how he first got involved: “I flew out to his 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.”
Introduced to Kubrick by Sydney Pollack, whom the Top Gun star had worked with on The Firm, the actor also consulted with Martin Scorsese about the late filmmaker before committing to the project.
“Then it was basically he and I getting to know each other,” Cruise continued, before sweetly adding: “And when we were doing that, I suggested Nicole play the role [of Alice]. Because, obviously, she’s a great actress.”
According to Cruise, Kubrick initially told him the shoot would take “three or four months,” but the famously perfectionist director extended filming to 15 months, with reshoots keeping both actors tied to the project for nearly two years.
