Tom Cruise praises ex-wife Nicole Kidman in a rare comment 24 years after divorce
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Tom Cruise has spoken publicly about Nicole Kidman, offering rare praise for his ex-wife’s acting skills.
The former couple starred together in the 1999 film 'Eyes Wide Shut', directed by Stanley Kubrick.
Cruise opened up about their time working on the movie and reflected on how the pair approached the project while they were still married.
Tom Cruise says Nicole Kidman is a 'great actress'
While recalling his first meeting with Stanley Kubrick, Tom Cruise spoke about how he became involved with the film and suggested Nicole Kidman for the role of Alice Harford.
“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,” said Cruise, per the Independent.
“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,” the 'Mission: Impossible' star added.
Kidman went on to portray Alice Harford alongside Cruise’s character, Dr Bill Harford. The movie followed the couple as they dealt with themes of infidelity, both onscreen and offscreen, as they were married at the time.
Tom Cruise recalls unique filming process with Nicole Kidman and Stanley Kubrick
Tom Cruise opened up about the experience of making the film in a conversation with 'Sight and Sound', noting the crew was small and the process intense.
“We arrived in the summer and basically we just started testing ... the script was just an idea. We [were] constantly rewriting the scenes and shooting the scenes and then reshooting the scenes to really find the tone of the film,” said Cruise.
In a 2020 interview with The New York Times, Kidman looked back on the long filming process, sharing that despite the film’s darker tones, she and Cruise found ways to enjoy themselves.
“We would go go-kart racing after those scenes,” Kidman said. “We’d rent out a place and go racing at 3 in the morning.”
Nicole Kidman raised her children during film production
She also reflected on raising their children, daughter Isabella and son Connor, during production.
“We had two kids and were living in a trailer on the lot primarily, making spaghetti because Stanley liked to eat with us sometimes. We were working with the greatest filmmaker and learning about our lives and enjoying our lives on set,” Kidman said.
Kidman and Cruise, who were married in 1990 after meeting on 'Days of Thunder', split in 2001. Speaking to DuJour magazine in 2012, she said, “It took me a very long time to heal.”
She added that the separation “was a shock to my system.”
After their breakup, Cruise married Katie Holmes, with whom he shares daughter Suri. They divorced in 2012. He's now rumoured to be dating Cuban and Spanish actress Ana de Armas.
Kidman later married Keith Urban in 2006, and the couple has two daughters, Sunday and Faith.
