Nicole Kidman admits she was having a 'breakdown' when Jodie Foster took over her role in Panic Room - amid divorce from Tom Cruise after 11 years of marriage: 'I was in a really bad way'

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 Nicole Kidman candidly admitted to having a 'breakdown' when Jodie Foster took over her role in Panic Room amid her divorce from Tom Cruise after 11 years of marriage.

Nicole, 56, and Jodie, 61, took part in The Hollywood Reporter's Drama Actress Roundtable released on Wednesday as they opened up about the shake-up.

Nicole - who recently stripped down for a steamy sex scene with Zac Efron -  was originally cast as the mother Meg Altman in the 2002 film Panic Room.

However she had to leave the project due to a knee injury leading to Jodie replacing her. 

Jodie discussed the falsehoods of competition between leading actresses while talking about replacing the Aussie actress in the film as she said: 'There’s this misconception that somehow female actresses are at each other or they don’t like each other or whatever. 

'Even this year, going to the various events [for Nyad], it always just feels so nice because the women really feel like they want each other to succeed. Like, Nicole, I took over a movie that you had to leave.'

Nicole responded: 'Yes! And thank you. I was in a really bad way. I was like, "I’m having a breakdown." And Jodie took over, thank the Lord.'

It was interesting timing as the project began filming in January 2001 which was seven months before her divorce with Tom Cruise, now 61, was finalized.

The two were married for 11 years from 1990 to 2001 and share two adopted children together: daughter Isabella born in 1992 and son Connor born in 1995.

Nicole was famously pictured looking elated after signing her divorce papers in Los Angeles back in August 2001.

Meanwhile Panic Room was released on March 29, 2022. 

The synopsis of the film was: 'A divorced woman and her diabetic daughter take refuge in their newly-purchased house's safe room when three men break-in, searching for a missing fortune.' 

It was well-received by critics who praised Jodie's performance and even earned her a nomination for a Saturn Award for Best Actress.

It also did well at the box office as it grossed $30million opening weekend and ultimately grossed $96.4million in the US and Canada with a worldwide total reaching $197.1million.

Panic Room served as the launching pad for Kristen Stewart who played Jodie's daughter Sarah and also starred  Forest Whitaker, Jared Leto, and Dwight Yoakam.