Tom Cruise is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, with the actor working with some of the most acclaimed filmmakers, especially during the earlier stages of his career. As a result, Cruise appeared in some truly unique films. One of these was helmed by the legendary Stanley Kubrick and emerged as the most explicit movie in Cruise’s career.
However, Cruise wasn’t the first choice for the lead role in Kubrick’s 1999 film Eyes Wide Shut. Instead, Woody Allen and Tom Hanks were the favored choices among Kubrick’s wishlist of potential leading men for what turned out to be his final film as a director. Here is everything you need to know about the original choice for Eyes Wide Shut.
Woody Allen Almost Cast Instead of Tom Cruise in Eyes Wide Shut
Eyes Wide Shut was released in 1999 and stars Tom Cruise and his then-wife Nicole Kidman in the lead roles. It follows Cruise’s Dr. Bill Harford who embarks on a night-long adventure after learning that his wife contemplated having an affair.
For the lead role, director Stanley Kubrick had originally considered casting an actor with a bit more comedic flair. According to David Mikics’ biography Stanley Kubrick: American Filmmaker, the director first envisioned the project in the early 70s and even drew up a wishlist of potential lead actors.
The most intriguing name in the filmmaker’s shortlist was Woody Allen. While Allen is primarily known for his directorial and screenwriting career, he has also acted in numerous films. Allen also dabbled in standup comedy during the 1960s, making him an ideal pick.
He cast an actor without a comic bone in his body, the earnest, highly deliberate Tom Cruise.
Mikics made the above comment (via IndieWire) about Cruise’s casting in the movie, adding that comedy would have served as a defense mechanism for the main character but Kubrick ultimately made him defenseless.
Thus, Micks explained why Cruise, an actor with no comedic bone was cast in the movie. Kubrick’s list also included names such as Steve Martin, Dustin Hoffman, Warren Beatty, Alan Alda, Albert Brooks, Bill Murray, Tom Hanks, and Sam Shepard.
Tom Cruise Talked About Releasing Eyes Wide Shut After Stanley Kubrick’s Death
Despite having the project in his mind for almost two decades, Kubrick did not live to see it released as he passed away in March 1999, a few months before Eyes Wide Shut hit theaters.
During an interview, Cruise opened up about working with Kubrick and spoke about seeing the project through without the filmmaker who was deeply involved with it since its inception. Cruise said the following (via RogerEbert.com):
Stanley had worked on this and thought about it for about 28 years.
Cruise admitted that given Kubrick’s stature, he certainly felt pressure to see off the project after the director’s passing.
At the same time, Cruise also stated that the film’s explicit and NSFW material had him nervous. However, Cruise recalled that Kubrick wasn’t bothered by all the noise surrounding the project because of its explicit nature and noted that the project was extremely personal for the director.
Eyes Wide Shut is streaming on Paramount+.
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