Nicole Kidman recalls being warned marriage to Tom Cruise could affect her career

Nicole Kidman has revealed that people warned her that marrying Tom Cruise could negatively affect her acting career, but she said she was too in love to care about the potential consequences.

Speaking to British Vogue, Kidman reflected on marrying Cruise when she was 23, after the pair fell in love while working together on Days of Thunder. The couple married on Christmas Eve in 1990 and remained together for 11 years before divorcing in 2001.

Kidman recalled being told that becoming the wife of one of Hollywood's biggest movie stars could affect how she was viewed professionally. Rather than allowing those concerns to influence her decision, she said she simply wanted to marry the man she loved.

"We just fell madly in love and it was that simple," Kidman said, recalling the reaction from people around her. She remembered being told, "OK, well this is really going to affect your career," but said her response was essentially that she did not care because she was in love and wanted to get married.

Kidman said her friends later reminded her of those warnings after she became known in some circles primarily as Cruise's wife. She recalled responding that she was willing to put her career aside for the relationship.

The actress's marriage to Cruise coincided with the early years of her Hollywood career. Before and during their relationship, she appeared in films including Batman Forever, To Die For, The Portrait of a Lady and Practical Magic, while her high-profile relationship with Cruise frequently attracted intense media attention.

Kidman and Cruise adopted two children, Isabella and Connor, during their marriage. They also starred together in three films: Days of Thunder, Far and Away and Eyes Wide Shut. The couple separated in 2001, with their divorce finalised later that year.

Kidman went on to have one of the most acclaimed periods of her career after the split, including her Oscar-winning performance in The Hours. Her career also included films such as Moulin Rouge!, The Others and Cold Mountain.

Looking back, Kidman's comments highlight how differently she viewed the balance between romance and career when she was in her early twenties. Rather than worrying about whether marriage to Cruise would change her professional trajectory, she said she followed her feelings and chose the relationship.