It’s not every day that Tom Cruise offers a glimpse behind the curtain — but when he does, it echoes. In a recent interview with Sight and Sound magazine, the Hollywood icon made a rare and unexpectedly tender comment about ex-wife Nicole Kidman, reigniting curiosity around one of cinema’s most mystifying relationships.
Reflecting on their time filming Eyes Wide Shut with legendary director Stanley Kubrick, Cruise finally opened up:
"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." A quiet bombshell, dropped with precision.

The comment might seem small, but for fans and industry watchers, it speaks volumes. The pair, once Hollywood’s golden couple, have maintained a polite but distant silence since their 2001 divorce. This sudden praise? Unusual. Intimate. Intriguing.
While Kidman recently offered her own take in a 2024 interview with the Los Angeles Times, she credited her casting to Kubrick’s interest in her natural boldness and provocative edge. She described a deeply collaborative process with the director, involving improvisation and trust, where Alice evolved through her own emotional input. Cruise’s version hints at a more personal hand in her casting — leaving just enough contrast to keep us guessing.