As Nicole Kidman commemorates 25 years since the release of Eyes Wide Shut, the actor has taken a reflective stance on her experience making the film alongside her then-husband, Tom Cruise, under the meticulous direction of Stanley Kubrick. The Academy Award-winning actor reminisced about the unique process of filming with Kubrick, particularly the extensive rehearsal period that preceded actual filming, in an interview obtained by Deadline. (Also Read: Ishaan Khatter bares it all in Nicole Kidman's The Perfect Couple teaser, Mira Rajput reacts; fans say ‘Too hot sir’)
"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]," Kidman recounted in an interview obtained by Deadline.
"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. For that scene, we improvised the beginning of it through the rehearsals," she said.
Kidman, who was married to Cruise from 1990 to 2001, noted how Kubrick seemed to draw inspiration from their real-life relationship for certain scenes.
"I suppose he was mining it," Kidman reflected, adding, "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," in an interview with Deadline.
The actor clarified that despite the intimate nature of the scenes, she never felt ganged up on by Kubrick and Cruise. "But there's something about being a woman in that equation, too," she added, "And Stanley liked women. He had a different relationship with Tom. They worked more closely together on his character."
{{/usCountry}}The actor clarified that despite the intimate nature of the scenes, she never felt ganged up on by Kubrick and Cruise. "But there's something about being a woman in that equation, too," she added, "And Stanley liked women. He had a different relationship with Tom. They worked more closely together on his character."
{{/usCountry}}In a previous interview with Deadline in 2017, Kidman had expressed gratitude for the calm approach she took during the lengthy filming of Eyes Wide Shut. "Because I was married and I had my kids there. It wasn't like I was rushing to get finished, to get somewhere else. I was there, with Stanley, and I didn't care. Whatever," she had said.
Stanley Kubrick, known for his meticulous filmmaking style, passed away from a heart attack at the age of 70 on March 7, 1999, shortly after showing a final cut of Eyes Wide Shut to his family and the stars of the film.
As Kidman reflects on the legacy of Eyes Wide Shut, she continues to cherish the experience of working with Kubrick and Cruise, acknowledging the profound influence it had on her career and personal life.