Stanley Kubrick regarded Eyes Wide Shut as a "piece of shit" that had been ruined by the interference of its A-list stars, a friend of the director claimed this week. The character actor R Lee Ermey starred in Kubrick's 1987 film Full Metal Jacket and remained in close contact with the director until his death in March 1999. He described the film-maker as a "shy, timid" man who was effectively bullied by his stars, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.

"Stanley called me about two weeks before he died," Ermey told Radar Online. "We had a long conversation about Eyes Wide Shut. He told me it was a piece of shit and that he was disgusted with it and that the critics were going to have him for lunch. He said Cruise and Kidman had their way with him - exactly the words he used."

Eyes Wide Shut marked Kubrick's return to film-making after a 12-year hiatus. The film was in the final stages of post-production when he died at his home in Hertfordshire. It was finally released to mixed reviews and middling box office.

Asked why Kubrick had allowed himself to be strong-armed by his stars, Ermey said, "He was kind of a shy little timid guy. He wasn't real forceful. That's why he didn't appreciate working with big, high-powered actors. They would have their way with him, he would lose control and his movie would turn to shit."

During the film's production, Cruise and Kidman were full of praise for the director's methods and claimed that the finished film was exactly as he would have wanted. Discussing the experience of working with Kubrick, Kidman insisted that "it was incredibly rewarding, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat."