Tom Cruise is an iconic figure in the world of action films, known for his unparalleled dedication and commitment to his craft. With his chiseled physique and daredevil spirit, Cruise embodies the essence of an action star in the truest sense. Throughout his career, Cruise has consistently delivered exhilarating performances, captivating audiences with his realistic stunts and adrenaline-fueled on-screen scenes.
The Mission Impossible star, despite delivering such risky scenes, struggled a lot alongside his ex-wife, Nicole Kidman, in Stanley Kubrick’s psychological drama film, Eyes Wide Shut. Cruise added that filming the movie was pretty tough as Kubrick’s vision from the film demanded a lot of effort, including the Top Gun: Maverick star to do 95 takes of walking through the door.
Tom Cruise On His 95 Takes Of Walking Through The Door
Eyes Wide Shut, directed by the legendary Stanley Kubrick, is a haunting and enigmatic film that delves into the depths of desire, obsession, and the dark underbelly of human sexuality. Released in 1999, the movie stars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman as a married couple, Dr. Bill Harford and Alice Harford, whose seemingly perfect lives are shattered when they embark on a tumultuous journey of sexual exploration and temptation.
Kubrick is a renowned filmmaker known for his perfectionism, meticulously attending to the minutest details. Kubrick wanted the actors to explore and discover their roles themselves to give a much more realistic appeal to the audience. But the process was surely not easy for star casts. And the Top Gun: Maverick star was no exception to this, as he was asked to perform the same scenes of walking through the door 95 times. Cruise added that from the beginning he was ready to commit as much time as required by this project but it was annoying when even in those 95 takes he couldn’t get the scenes right.
“I remember talking to Stanley and I said, ‘Look, I don’t care how long it takes, but I have to know: are we going to finish in six months?’ People were waiting and writers were waiting. I’d say, ‘Stanley, I don’t care—tell me it’s going to be two years.’ In times when we couldn’t get it, it was just like, ‘Fuck!’ I’d bring it upon myself because I demand a lot of myself. Making a movie is like stabbing in the dark. If I get a sense of the overall picture, then I’m better for the film.”
Nicole Kidman On The Intersecting The Lines Between Reality And Fantasy
Tom Cruise was not the only actor who had to go through a cumbersome process to get his scenes right in the movie. Cruise’s then-wife, Nicole Kidman, starred opposite the Mission Impossible star and also had her struggles to make the movie impactful. The Undoing star shared that Cruise wasn’t always presented with a favorable response. The Aquaman actress emphasized the division of the on and off-screen personas, highlighting that this intersection can be both exciting and dangerous.
“Tom would hear things that he didn’t want to hear. It wasn’t like therapy, because you didn’t have anyone to say, ‘And how do you feel about that?’ It was honest and brutally honest at times. As an actor, you set up: there’s reality, and there’s pretend. And those lines get crossed, and it happens when you’re working with a director that allows that to happen. It’s a very exciting thing to happen; it’s a very dangerous thing to happen. I wanted this to work, but you’re playing with dynamite when you act. Emotions kick up.”
It looks like even the blockbuster stars like Tom Cruise had their fair share of struggles when it comes to delivering an everlasting performance. Kubrick’s effort and vision on the other hand may seem a little brutal to many but the results of this grinding process are surely worth the praise.
Source: Vanity Fair
Also Watch:
