In news that has us clutching our pearls and Googling “What dimension is this?”, Tom Cruise has said some very un-Tom-like, normal human words about his ex-wife Nicole Kidma—and no, it wasn’t through a PR statement, a stunt, or via interpretive dance off a building.
Yes, in a recent interview, our favorite adrenaline-fueled action doll, 62-year-old “Mission: I Do My Own Stunts” legend, cracked open the vault of emotions and actually mentioned Nicole Kidman by name. Not only that—he complimented her. Like… out loud. In public. On record. Somebody check the Thetan levels.
To jog your memory (because Hollywood marriages are like iPhone chargers—easy to lose track of), Tom and Nicole were married from 1990 to 2001, back when landlines were a thing and Tom still had middle-part energy. They also adopted two kids: Isabella, 32, and Connor, 30—aka the only reason those two still appear in the same Wikipedia article.
So, what’s the occasion for this rare verbal bouquet from Tom? He was reminiscing about working with Nicole and the late, eternally deep director Stanley Kubrick on their 1999 joint therapy session—uh, I mean film—Eyes Wide Shut. You know, the movie that made couples cancel their date nights?
“I flew to his house, landed in the backyard like the dramatic main character I am,” Tom told Sight and Sound, completely unprompted. “I read the script the day before. We vibed. We talked cinema. It was very… Kubrick-core.”
And here’s the kicker: when it came time to cast the female lead, Tom pulled out the big marital card. “I suggested Nicole,” he said, probably while sipping tea with intensity. “Because obviously—she’s a great actress.”
Yes, that’s a direct quote. Tom Cruise called Nicole Kidman “a great actress.” Not “a fine scene partner.” Not “the tall woman who used to live in my house.” A great actress.
And then he went full Film Nerd Mode: “Whatever it’s going to take [to make the movie], we’re going to do this,” he told Kubrick, probably while slowly rotating in a leather chair for dramatic effect.
Tom then added, in classic Cruise fashion, “I thought the film was very interesting, and I wanted to have that experience.” (Note: “interesting” is the same word people use for kombucha and awkward weddings.)
He explained how he does “a lot of detailed investigation” before committing to a film, which we assume includes researching everyone’s shoe sizes and how many helicopters can be used in a single take.
Tom Cruise said something nice about Nicole Kidman in 2025. If that’s not character development, we don’t know what is. Next thing you know, he’ll be doing a rom-com and drinking coffee sitting down.
