Nicole Kidman Recalls Being Warned Against Marrying “Big Movie Star” Tom Cruise at Just 23

Lara WalshThu, August 13, 2026 at 1:38 PM UTC

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Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise at the ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ premiere in 1999Credit: Getty ImagesThe Gist -

In a recent interview with British Vogue, Nicole Kidman recalledbeing advised against marrying Tom Cruise.

The Practical Magic actress was in her early 20s when she tied the knot with the “big movie star” in 1990.

Kidman also opened up about her divorce from ex-husband Keith Urban, revealing she “had a different view of what [her] life was going to be.”

Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise’s status as one of the most iconic power couples of the ‘90s has endured, almost three decades after their divorce was finalized in 2001. However, the Babygirl actress revealed she was cautioned against marrying the “big movie star” at the time in rare new comments about her former marriage.

As Kidman prepares to reprise her role as Gillian Owens in the highly anticipated Practical Magic sequel, she took a look back at her life when the first cult-favorite film came out in 1998. In an interview with British Vogue published on August 13, the Australian actress recalled being in her early 20s and “madly in love” with Cruise when they got married on Christmas Eve in 1990.

Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman attend the ‘Far & Away’ premiere at Academy Theatre in Beverly Hills, California on May 20, 1992.Credit: Getty Images

“Yeah I got married so young,” Kidman, now 59, told the publication about her early memories of being thrust into the limelight. “Suddenly, I was 22, 23 years old and I had this huge movie star husband, but it just seemed completely natural.”

The Eyes Wide Shut actress revealed she was advised against tying the knot with Cruise—whom she met on the set of Days of Thunder in 1989—due to concerns the union would negatively impact her Hollywood trajectory.

Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise at the 1997 OscarsCredit: Getty Images

“We just fell madly in love and it was that simple. I remember people saying to me, ‘OK, well this is really going to affect your career,’” Kidman shared. “I’m like, ‘I don’t care. I’m in love. I want to be married.’ Then, I was his ‘wife’ and they were like, ‘See, we told you.’ I’m like, ‘So what? I wasn’t meant to marry the man I love? Of course I’ll throw my career away. I don’t care.’”

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Kidman—who finalized her divorce from ex-husband Keith Urban in January after nearly 20 years of marriage—revealed that she’s still processing the unexpected split while starting to look ahead.

“I’m like, ‘OK, I didn’t expect this. I had a different view of what my life was going to be, but this is what it is now,’” she shared. “You make all these plans and you have all these ideas of what it’s all going to be like and then it’s… not. You have to adjust. You adapt. The future, it’s completely unknown to me right now. Strange.”

Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman attend the AFI Life Achievement Award Gala Tribute at Dolby Theatre on April 27, 2024 in Hollywood, California.Credit: Getty Images

“There was a point where I was very fearful and deeply vulnerable, which is exposing,” she admitted, adding, “And then at the same time [I’m] going, “Well, I can either really not confront it and just curl up, or I can just go forward with an enormous amount of hope.”

Kidman shared that she’s continued to rely on leading with “feelings first,” explaining, “I’ve approached my whole life like that. That’s just who I am. I don’t overthink things and I’m probably not that analytical.”

And while it’s been a whirlwind year, the star is looking forward to the next chapter, however uncertain it is. “I’ve always wanted to live a well-examined life, so what does that entail? Trying things, making mistakes, failing, getting back up, moving on, embracing love, staying open, keeping the heart open and the possibilities,” she said.

on InStyle

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”