Tom Cruise hadn't spoken about Nicole Kidman in over 20 years. He just made a rare comment about her.

Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise made headlines in 1999 when they starred in the erotic thriller Eyes Wide Shut.

Now, Tom Cruise has made a rare — but very complimentary — comment about his ex-wife and scene partner, revealing that it was him who actually suggested she play the part in the film.

"I suggested Nicole play the role," Cruise told the British Film Institute's Sight and Sound magazine. "Because obviously she's a great actress."

The last time Cruise spoke publicly about his ex-wife was back in 2002 when he was asked about their breakup.

"She knows why, and I know why," Cruise said to Vanity Fair. "She's the mother of my children, and I wish her well."

Last year, on the film's 25th anniversary, Kidman, too, chose to speak up about their joint project, which still holds the Guinness World Record for the longest continuous film shoot at 400 days.

It was a rare moment, given that Kidman almost never speaks about her ex-husband Tom Cruise.

In fact, in a 2018 interview when she was asked about the parallels between a movie she was in and her marriage to Cruise she responded, "I have come to the point where I can say: 'I am not going to keep discussing my ex.' It’s nice for me to be able to say that, finally."

So based on what they've said, what do we know about their time on the controversial film?

Watch: Inside Nicole Kidman's Farm. Post continues below.

It wasn't Nicole Kidman's first film with Tom Cruise.

Before its release, fans were eager to see real-life couple Kidman and Cruise on screen again, after they starred alongside each other in Days of Thunder and Far and Away.

The film marked a departure for both actors. Cruise portrayed a New York physician who, upon learning of his wife's fantasies about infidelity, embarks on his own extramarital journey.

Upon the film's release, Kidman and Cruise graced magazine covers across the country. However, even amidst the accolades, their relationship couldn't withstand the strain, with Cruise filing for divorce two years later.

Since then, both actors have remained relatively tight-lipped about each other and the movie.

What it was really like filming Eyes Wide Shut with Tom Cruise.

Twenty-five years on from the release of Eyes Wide Shut, Kidman admitted that director Stanley Kubrick used their relationship to create tension on the screen.

When asked about how the director impacted her relationship, Kidman responded: "I suppose he was mining it. There were ideas he was interested in."

She elaborated, "He’d ask a lot of questions. But he had a strong sense of the story he was telling."

Kidman said that there was also an element of 'triangles' with the three of them on set.

"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."

Because of budget constraints, Kidman and Cruise opted to share a trailer on set, despite living just 10 minutes away from Pinewood Studios in London, where filming took place.

"Tom and I shared it because Stanley would say, 'You’re not each getting a trailer. We can’t afford it.' Tom had a smaller area because he was running stuff. And he’d play video games. That was when [Minesweeper] was big. So there was a lot of that," Kidman told the outlet.

Kubrick, known for his meticulous and lengthy filmmaking process, often surprised those who worked with him. One such example is Sydney Pollack, who had a supporting role in the film.

Kidman revealed that Pollack initially expected to be on set for just three days, "And Tom and I just looked at each other, going, ‘Mmm-hmmm. Sure, Sydney."

Last year, a scene of Kidman from the film, where she wore nothing but her underwear, was unexpectedly shown at the AFI Life Achievement Award Gala, with her daughter seated beside her.

Luckily, Sunday Rose took it well, telling Kidman, "Mum, that was good."

Eyes Wide Shut was Kubrick's last movie. He died, aged 70, of a heart attack in March 1999.

Feature Image: Warner Bros.

This article was originally published in July 2024 and has since been updated.

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