Nicole Kidman has taken a reflective stance on her experience of making the film under the direction of Stanley Kubrick with her husband Tom Cruise as Eyes Wide Shut marks 25 years of its release. In an interview obtained by Deadline, the Academy Award-winning actress recalled the unique process of filming with Kubrick, especially the extensive rehearsal period before the actual filming. (Also Read: Nicole Kidman’s The Perfect Couple Teaser Bares It All With Ishaan Khatter, Mira Rajput Reacts; Fans Call It ‘Very Hot Sir’)
“When Tom and I first started working with Stanley, it was at his house, and we didn’t even go to the set at Pinewood [Studios]” Kidman explained in an interview obtained by Deadline.
“Six, eight weeks went by, and we were thinking, ‘Are we ever going to start?’ And we just weren’t starting. We were getting comfortable with each other, comfortable enough to throw ideas around. For that scene, we improvised the beginning of it through rehearsals,” he said.
Kidman, who was married to Cruise from 1990 to 2001, explained how Kubrick seemed to draw inspiration from their real-life relationship for some scenes.
In an interview with Deadline, Kidman said, “I think he was working on it.” She added, “There were certain ideas he was interested in. He would ask a lot of questions. But he had a very strong sense of the story he was telling. I remember him saying, ‘Triangles are tricky. You have to tread carefully when it comes to triangles.’ Because a person can feel like they’re being attacked. But he was aware of that and knew how to handle us.”
The actor explained that despite the intimate nature of the scenes, he never felt pressured by Kubrick and Cruise. “But there’s something about being a woman in that equation,” he said, “and Stanley liked women. His relationship with Tom was different. They worked on their character more together.”
In a previous interview with Deadline in 2017, Kidman expressed gratitude for the calm approach she took during the long shoot of Eyes Wide Shut. “Because I was married and my kids were there. It wasn’t like I was going to finish work quickly and go somewhere else. I was there, with Stanley, and I didn’t care. Whatever,” she said.
Stanley Kubrick, known for his meticulous filmmaking style, died of a heart attack on March 7, 1999, at the age of 70, shortly after showing the final cut of Eyes Wide Shut to his family and the film’s stars.
As Kidman reflects on the legacy of Eyes Wide Shut, she cherishes the experience of working with Kubrick and Cruise, and acknowledges its profound impact on her career and personal life.
