From pulling off whimsical characters like Les Grossman to becoming the biggest box-office draw of the 21st century, Tom Cruise has done it all in his decades-long career. But before cementing himself as the greatest action star of our time, the Mission: Impossible actor didn’t back away from taking on challenging gigs, in order to test his limits as an actor.
And arguably, the most intense challenge Cruise ever faced in his career was his time working in Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut, in which he starred alongside his then-wife Nicole Kidman. But even though the production process of this movie is infamous for Kubrick’s passion to craft the perfect product, Cruise had surprisingly nothing but nice things to say about the director.
Tom Cruise Defends Stanley Kubrick’s Infamous Philosophy
It’s well-known Stanley Kubrick wasn’t the easiest person to work with, as he had no problems resorting to extreme methods in order to generate the best outcome from his actors. And The Shining director took his methods to craft perfection to the extreme for Eyes Wide Shut, whose production lasted for a whopping 15 months. But despite the harsh rules Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman had to oblige, reports claimed the duo were “completely subservient,” and Cruise even came forward to defend Kubrick’s infamous philosophy on sets.
From reportedly working with an ulcer to happily doing “95 takes of walking through a door,” the actor had no problem following Kubrick’s strict code. The actor also blamed himself for much of the perfectionist energy on sets while defending the legendary director, reasoning he demands a lot from himself.
“In times when we couldn’t get it, it was just like, ‘F***!’ I’d bring it upon myself because I demand a lot of myself.” Cruise said.
But amid the exhausting production process, the Top Gun star revealed the director always kept a jovial atmosphere on sets, as the two bonded over their want to craft perfection.
Stanly Kubrick Kept a Jovial Atmosphere During the Filming of Eyes Wide Shut
Although from an outer perspective, the production of Eyes Wide Shut does appear exhausting, the atmosphere on set was a lot more cheerful according to Tom Cruise. Apart from pushing his acting skills to the test in the Kubrick-led film, all of the crew members did have a lot of fun during the filming process. Cruise recalled the experience, stating,
“I’d show up on the set and we’d find ourselves singing a song, goofing around, and we’d rehearse the scene, and he’d ask, ‘What are we gonna shoot the rest of the week?’ And I’d say, ‘Oh, Stanley, please don’t say that!’ Because at the end of the week, we’d still be working on that same scene, and he would laugh at himself.”
Unfortunately, before the movie hit the big screens, Stanley Kubrick sadly passed away at the age of 70. But Tom Cruise didn’t stop defending Kubrick’s methods whenever given the opportunity and remains grateful that he got to opportunity to work with one of the greatest to ever pick the camera.
Eyes Wide Shut is available to stream on Paramount Plus.
Source: Vanity Fair
