Nicole Kidman felt stifled during her 10-year marriage to Tom Cruise, and only became an individual when they split in 2001. The actress claims she was never considered a star in her own right, and was treated as an extension to the Valkyrie actor.

Just two years after her divorce from Cruise, Kidman cemented her status on Hollywood's A-list by lifting the Best Actress Oscar for her role in The Hours - and she admits she flourished after the split.

Kidman, who is now married to country star Keith Urban, tells the December issue of Glamour magazine, "I felt I became a star only by association. I felt it was my job to put on a beautiful dress and be seen and not heard."

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(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)