Quotes

[on Eyes Wide Shut (1999)] I had three scenes in the film originally and Kubrick cut one beautiful scene with Tom and me - very nice dialogue, I remember - where Tom was trying his costume and mask. It was the next scene after his daughter left the room, and they were in another room in front of mirrors, and he was dressed in his costume and trying his mask. I forgot the lines but I think they were talking about his daughter. It was a really good scene. I think Kubrick cut it because he didn't want to show Tom in his mask and cloak before the orgy.

[on Eyes Wide Shut (1999)] I met Stanley Kubrick at the beginning of the shooting. He was an unusual and wonderful human being. He didn't hold the auditions himself......they made the tapes for him and he chose the best ones. My agent got a call for my audition for a part in the film. I made that; after that he got another call and was told that I now needed to do another audition for a bigger part in the film. And I made that one too, and I got that part. I met him at the beginning of the shooting and while we shook hands he asked me, "Do you know who Pirc was?" I said, "Do you mean Vasja Pirc?" He said, "Yes." I said, "He was a great Solvenian chess player." He said, "Yes. Please begin." I asked, "Begin what?" He said, "Start the first move." He wanted us to play "blind chess". And then I remembered something and I said, "No, you need to begin first." He asked, "Why?" I said, "Beause Vasja Pirc was known as the defender." The Pirc Defence - he really liked me saying that! That was our first meeting. He was wonderful. A perfectionist, but really profound. He reminded me very much of Zivojin Pavlovic. Kubrick was very serious as a person, full of inner peace and wisdom.