Eyes Wide Shut: Why did Kubrick cast Nicole Kidman? Actress responds

Last film in the iconic and acclaimed career of Stanley Kubrick, Eyes Wide Shut (1999) has Nicole Kidman as Alice Harfordmain character alongside Bill Harford (Tom Cruise). Now, the actress has revealed what motivated the filmmaker, who died on March 7, 1999, to choose her for the role.

Released on September 3, 1999 in the United Kingdom, the film has the following synopsis: “When Alice admits to having sexual fantasies about a man she met by chance, her husband, the doctor Bill Hartfordbecomes obsessed with the idea. He discovers a secret sex group and attends one of the meetings, realizing that he has gotten himself into more than he should have.”

During an interview with The LA Times to celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary, Kidman recalled the elements she brought to the character. “My boldness. I’m quite outspoken and Alice becomes quite outspoken, especially when she was high… although that wasn’t me when I was high,” she said. “I was naturally that way. Honest.”

Stanley Kubrick saw this in the actress and asked her to maintain that sense of boldness: “The best thing about him is he told us, ‘Don’t put me on a pedestal.’ That’s rule number one. Because when we get to his house, we’re like, ‘Oh, my God. The great Stanley Kubrick.’ And that kind of thinking gets in the way of the creative process.”

He didn’t want sycophants. He told us to throw ideas out there. And everyone needs to wait at least 10 seconds before saying ‘no’ to an idea. I heard that, I was in my 20s, and I thought, ‘OK. It’s on.’ It was experimental, like making student films in Australia.

“I suppose that’s why he cast me. That mischief, that provocative nature, he found that and became more interested in Alice,” continued Nicole Kidman. “The scene where I drop the dress… that was me. That wasn’t scripted. That was my dress from my closet. ‘This is how I take the dress off, Stanley.’ Since I had so many clothes, we weren’t paying to buy clothes. And Stanley came and I was showing him all these beautiful dresses. That’s how it happened.”