It is not common to hear that an actor has declined the opportunity to act alongside one of the biggest Hollywood stars, Tom Cruise.

However, Czech model and actress Eva Herzigova did just that when she was offered a role in the 1999 mystery psychological drama Eyes Wide Shut.

The film follows Dr. Bill Hartford, who embarks on a night-long adventure and encounters an unnamed secret society after his wife, Alice Harford, admits that she considered having an affair.

Despite being a hit at the box office, the Stanley Kubrick film also received criticism for its erotic nature.

People were not happy with the amount of s**ual and n/de scenes and strong language used in the movie.

In an interview with The New York Times, Eva Herzigova hinted at similar reasons for rejecting the offer to star in Eyes Wide Shut.

Eva Herzigova had tried her hand at acting in the 1990s, following her success as a cover model for Elle, Vogue, and Top Model.

After making a few appearances on screen, she was offered a role in Tom Cruise’s 1999 film, Eyes Wide Shut.

Reportedly, the film went through multiple casting changes before the Mission Impossible star and his ex-wife, Nicole Kidman, landed the lead roles.

Starring in a Stanley Kubrick film alongside two established stars in the industry would have been a great opportunity for the model-turned-actor.

However, she declined the offer.

Later, in an interview, Herzigova talked about why she rejected the proposal.

She revealed that the makers only “needed a model,” who was given only three scenes in the entire film, and she had to do all three scenes fully n/ked.

Herzigova also shared what was expected of her in those three scenes of the film.

She said that one of the scenes featured her in a 20-minute intense conversation with Tom Cruise.

However, the other two scenes featured her character using drugs, and in her third and final scene, her character was dead.

Herzigova shared that although she was looking for opportunities in acting, she did not want to pursue it in the manner expected in the film.

“I just didn’t want to start out that way,” she shared.

The 50-year-old model-actress revealed that she tried to convince the makers to make certain changes in the character so that she could “wear a little something,” but all her requests were denied, leading her to withdraw from Eyes Wide Shut.

The decision to reject the role in Eyes Wide Shut did not have any significant impact on Herzigova’s career at the time.

However, she admitted that it did “slow things down.” In addition, she revealed that she struggled to find work in the industry for quite a while after that.

Despite this setback, Herzigova continued to pursue her acting career.

She appeared in smaller roles in some French films, including Les Anges Gardiens, which was released in 1995.

However, she did not experience the same level of success in acting as she did in modeling.

In the interview with The New York Times, Herzigova also talked about her experience in the modeling industry.

She revealed that she had been working in the industry for over three decades and had seen significant changes.

According to her, the industry had become more inclusive, and the notion of beauty had evolved over time.

“The idea of beauty has always been there, but the way that it’s perceived, accepted, and celebrated has changed,” she shared.

Furthermore, she added that people were now more accepting of different body types, skin colors, and ages in the modeling industry.

Herzigova’s modeling career began when she was just 16 years old.

She was discovered by a modeling scout in Prague, and shortly after, she was signed to a modeling agency in Paris.

Her career took off when she appeared on the Wonderbra billboard campaign in 1994, which featured the slogan “Hello Boys.” The campaign brought Herzigova international fame and made her a household name.

Herzigova revealed that she had been taking acting classes since she was 17 years old and had always been passionate about the craft.