Katie Holmes is on the verge of taking to the Broadway boards in an attempt to rejuvenate her career.
Her previous film, Mad Money, was a commercial and critical failure - and compounding attention on her marriage to Tom Cruise has diluted focus on her acting.
'Katie's feeling really down right now and she just wants to be hot property again,' a friend told Now Magazine. 'She feels washed up before she's even 30.'
Katie was a favorite in hit TV show Dawson's Creek in 1998 and progressed her career up to the 2005 blockbuster Batman Begins.
Her marriage to Scientologist Tom Cruise in 2006 was supposed to solidify her as a noted actress, but friends say Katie's 'distraught' that it did not eventuate.
'Katie had pretty good reviews for the movies she did before she met Tom and she was certain that her marriage to him would secure her future as a Hollywood big hitter,' says the friend. 'In fact, the opposite's happened.'
'It's been a tough year with all the embarrassing articles about Tom's Scientology obsession. It's affected Katie's confidence and her image. She's lost her status as a sex symbol – now it's the peculiarities of her marriage that get all the attention.'
Katie's told friends that she's inspired by actresses who've stepped back into the limelight after a stint in the theatre.
'Katie's stuck in a rut,' adds the friend, 'but a successful run on Broadway could make her the name on everyone's lips again.'