tom cruise life facts

Actor Tom Cruise is the star of several box-office hits, including Risky Business , A Few Good Men , The Firm , Jerry Maguire , and the Mission: Impossible franchise.

Who Is Tom Cruise?

Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, better known as Tom Cruise, was born on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, New York, to Mary and Thomas Mapother. Cruise's mother was an amateur actress and schoolteacher, and his father was an electrical engineer. His family moved around a great deal when Cruise was a child to accommodate his father's career.

Cruise's parents divorced when he was 11, and the children moved with their mother to Louisville, Kentucky, and then to Glen Ridge, New Jersey, after she remarried. Like his mother and three sisters, Cruise suffered from dyslexia, which made academic success difficult for him. He excelled in athletics, however, and considered pursuing a career in professional wrestling until a knee injury sidelined him during high school.

At age 14, Cruise enrolled in a Franciscan seminary with thoughts of becoming a priest, but he left after a year. When he was 16, a teacher encouraged him to participate in the school's production of the musical Guys and Dolls . After Cruise won the lead of Nathan Detroit, he found himself surprisingly at home on the stage, and a career was born.

'Taps,' 'The Outsiders'

Cruise set a 10-year deadline for himself in which to build an acting career. He left school and moved to New York City, struggling through audition after audition before landing an appearance in 1981's Endless Love , starring Brooke Shields. Around this same time, he snagged a small role in the military school drama Taps (1981), co-starring Sean Penn .

His role in Taps was upgraded after director Harold Becker saw Cruise's potential, and his performance caught the attention of a number of critics and filmmakers. In 1983, Cruise appeared in Francis Ford Coppola 's The Outsiders , which also starred Emilio Estevez , Matt Dillon and Rob Lowe —all prominent members of a group of young actors the entertainment press dubbed the "Brat Pack." The film was not well received, but it allowed Cruise to work with an acclaimed director on a high-profile project.

'Risky Business'

His next film, Risky Business (1983), grossed $65 million. It also made Cruise a highly recognizable actor — thanks in no small part to a memorable scene of the young star dancing in his underwear.

In 1986, after a two-year hiatus, the budding actor released the big-budget fantasy film Legend , which did poorly at the box office. That same year, however, Cruise's A-list status was confirmed with the release of Top Gun , which co-starred Kelly McGillis, Anthony Edwards and Meg Ryan . The testosterone-fueled action-romance, set against the backdrop of an elite naval flight school, became the highest-grossing film of 1986.

'The Color of Money,' 'Rain Man' and 'Born on the Fourth of July'

Cruise followed the tremendous success of Top Gun with a string of both critically acclaimed and commercially successful films. He first starred in The Color of Money (1986) with co-star Paul Newman , and then went on to work with Dustin Hoffman on Rain Man (1988). Cruise's next role, as Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic in the biopic Born on the Fourth of July (1989), earned him an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe for Best Actor.

'A Few Good Men,' 'The Firm' and 'Interview with a Vampire'

In 1992, Cruise proved once more that he could hold his own opposite a screen legend when he co-starred with Jack Nicholson in the military courtroom drama A Few Good Men . The film grossed more than $15 million its first weekend and earned Cruise a Golden Globe nomination. He continued to demonstrate his success as a leading man with The Firm (1993) and Interview with a Vampire (1994), which co-starred Brad Pitt.

'Mission: Impossible,' 'Jerry McGuire'

Next, Cruise hit the big screen with two huge hits—the $64 million blockbuster Mission: Impossible (1996), which the star also produced, and the highly acclaimed Jerry McGuire (1996), directed by Cameron Crowe. For the latter, Cruise earned a second Academy Award nomination and Golden Globe for Best Actor.

'Eyes Wide Shut,' 'Magnolia'

Cruise and then-wife Kidman spent much of 1997 and 1998 in England shooting Eyes Wide Shut , an erotic thriller that would be director Stanley Kubrick 's final film. The movie came out in the summer of 1999 to mixed reviews, but that year Cruise enjoyed greater success with the release of Magnolia . His performance as a self-confident sex guru in the ensemble film earned him another Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

'Vanilla Sky,' 'The Last Samurai'

Cruise then starred in the long-awaited smash hit Mission: Impossible 2 in 2000, alongside Anthony Hopkins , Thandie Newton and Ving Rhames. In 2002, he starred in Vanilla Sky , his second collaboration with Crowe, as well as Steven Spielberg 's Minority Report . The following year, Cruise traveled to Australia to shoot the $100 million war epic The Last Samurai, which earned him another Golden Globe nomination.

'War of the Worlds'

Cruise proved he remained a top draw by starring in the Spielberg-directed remake of the science-fiction classic War of the Worlds (2005), which grossed more than $230 million at the box office.

His next effort, Mission: Impossible 3 (2006), also scored well with audiences. However, Cruise was faced with a professional setback in August when Paramount Pictures ended its 14-year relationship with the actor. The company's chairman cited Cruise's erratic behavior and controversial views as the reason for the split, though industry experts noted that Paramount more likely ended the partnership over Cruise's high earnings from the Mission: Impossible franchise.

Cruise quickly rebounded and on November 2, 2006, he announced his new partnership with film executive Paula Wagner and the United Artists film studio. Their first production as a team, the political drama Lions for Lambs (2007), proved a commercial disappointment despite a strong cast that included Meryl Streep and Robert Redford .

'Tropic Thunder'

Taking a break from weighty material, Cruise delighted audiences with his performance in the comedy Tropic Thunder (2008). Despite his relatively small role in a movie that featured Robert Downey Jr. and Ben Stiller , Cruise stood out by obscuring his trademark good looks to play a balding, obese movie studio executive.

'Valkyrie,' 'Rock of Ages'

In December 2008, Cruise released his second project through United Artists. The film, Valkyrie , was a World War II drama about a plot to assassinate German leader Adolf Hitler . Cruise starred as a German army officer who became involved in the conspiracy.

Cruise returned to one of his most popular franchises in 2011 with Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol . Breaking into new territory, he then starred in the 2012 musical Rock of Ages . Although Cruise received some positive reviews for his performance as a rock star, the movie failed to attract much of an audience.

'Jack Reacher,' 'Edge of Tomorrow'

Returning to his mainstream action roots, Cruise starred in the 2012 crime drama Jack Reacher , based on a book by Lee Child. He then headlined a pair of science-fiction adventures, Oblivion (2013) and Edge of Tomorrow (2014). Showing no signs of slowing down, the veteran actor in 2015 delivered his usual high-energy performance for the fifth installment of his blockbuster franchise, Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation .

Latest Movies and Familiar Franchises

In 2016, Cruise reprised the role of Jack Reacher for Never Go Back . He then headlined a reboot of The Mummy (2017), which performed respectably at the box office but was savaged by critics, before earning better reviews later that year for the crime thriller American Made .

2018 brought a return to familiar territory for Cruise, who starred in Mission Impossible —Fallout that summer. Prior to its release, he tweeted a photo to mark day 1 of production on the long-awaited sequel Top Gun: Maverick , scheduled for a June 2020 release.

Scientology and Personal Life

Cruise married actress Mimi Rogers in 1987. It was through Rogers that the actor became a student of Scientology, the religion founded by writer L. Ron Hubbard. Cruise credited the church with curing his dyslexia, and he soon became one of its leading proponents. However, while his spiritual life flourished, his marriage to Rogers ended in 1990. That same year, Cruise made the racecar drama Days of Thunder alongside Kidman. Though the movie was unpopular among critics and fans alike, the two lead actors had real chemistry. On Christmas Eve 1990, after a brief courtship, Cruise and Kidman married in Telluride, Colorado.

Divorce from Kidman

For much of the 1990s, Cruise and Kidman found themselves fiercely defending the happiness and legitimacy of their marriage. They filed two different lawsuits against tabloid publications for stories they considered libelous. In each case, the couple received a published retraction and apology, along with a large monetary settlement which they donated to charity. The couple has two children, Isabella and Connor.

On February 5, 2001, Cruise and Kidman announced their separation after 11 years of marriage. The couple cited the difficulties involved with two acting careers and the amount of time spent apart while working. Following the divorce, Cruise briefly dated his Vanilla Sky co-star Penelope Cruz , followed by a much-publicized relationship with actress Katie Holmes. A month after his ties to Holmes became public, Cruise professed his love for the actress in a now-famous appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, during which he jumped on Winfrey's sofa, shouting "Yes!"

Marriage to Katie Holmes

In June 2005, after a two-month courtship, Cruise proposed to Holmes in a restaurant at the top of the Eiffel tower. In October, they announced that they were expecting their first child together. The hasty proposal and surprise pregnancy quickly became tabloid gossip. But Cruise made even bigger headlines that year as an outspoken advocate for Scientology. He openly criticized former co-star Brooke Shields for using anti-depressants during her recovery from postpartum depression. He also denounced psychiatry and modern medicine, claiming Scientology held the key to true healing. Cruise's statements led to a heated argument with news anchor Matt Lauer on The Today Show in June 2005, for which Cruise later apologized.

In 2006, Cruise and Holmes welcomed daughter Suri into the world. That year, they were married in an Italian castle, with celebrities Will Smith , Jada Pinkett Smith , Jennifer Lopez and Victoria and David Beckham among those in attendance. However, the storybook romance wouldn't last, and in June 2012, the couple announced their separation.

QUICK FACTS

• Birth Year: 1962
• Birth date: July 3, 1962
• Birth State: New York
• Birth City: Syracuse
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Actor Tom Cruise is the star of several box-office hits, including 'Risky Business,' 'A Few Good Men,' 'The Firm,' 'Jerry Maguire' and the 'Mission: Impossible' franchise.
• Astrological Sign: Cancer

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CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Tom Cruise Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/actors/tom-cruise
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: March 26, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 3, 2014

The Biography.com staff is a team of people-obsessed and news-hungry editors with decades of collective experience. We have worked as daily newspaper reporters, major national magazine editors, and as editors-in-chief of regional media publications. Among our ranks are book authors and award-winning journalists. Our staff also works with freelance writers, researchers, and other contributors to produce the smart, compelling profiles and articles you see on our site. To meet the team, visit our About Us page: https://www.biography.com/about/a43602329/about-us

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These 60 Facts About Tom Cruise Will Tell You Everything You Need to Know

Otherwise ageless movie star tom cruise is celebrating his 60th birthday and here's a guide to the man behind the myth..

Tom Cruise , he of the ageless face, body and energy level, is celebrating a birthday July 3.

Contrary to what's visible to the naked eye, the actor is turning 60. 

He has the appropriate amount of work under what must be a utility belt to back that up, including his first-ever billion-dollar box office haul with Top Gun: Maverick . But it's Cruise's sheer zest for entertaining audiences that continues to awe and delight.

And his viral lecture  in December 2020, when COVID-19 pandemic protocol wasn't taken as seriously as he demanded on the set of Mission: Impossible 7 ,   proved that the world's biggest movie star isn't afraid to throw his hard-earned Hollywood weight around, either.

"I said what I said," he told Empire  in an interview published in May 2021. "There was a lot at stake at that point."

Alas, production was suspended anyway  in June 2021 after a positive COVID test, but after all sorts of pandemic-induced delays,  Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One is  finally  slated for July 14, 2023, with Part Two  to follow on June 28, 2024.

"I have an aggressive side, absolutely," Cruise told Cameron Crowe 36 years ago  for  Interview  magazine . "I need a creative outlet. Now I work out every day. I get up and work out 45 to 60 minutes. And that's how I start my day. Discipline is very important to me."

When Brad Pitt , who's only 58, told GQ Australia  a few years ago that he thinks making movies (or at least being in them) is "a younger man's game," you could practically hear Cruise's inimitable laugh.

So, with our need for speed recently fulfilled, in honor of his milestone birthday here are 60 things to know about Tom Cruise:

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1. Thomas Cruise Mapother IV  was born on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, N.Y., to  Thomas Cruise Mapother III , an electrical engineer, and Mary Lee Pfeiffer , both of Louisville, Ky. (His grandfather and great-grandfather were both Thomas Cruise Mapother, as well.)

2. He has two older sisters, Lee Anne and Marian , and one younger sister, Catherine , nicknamed Cass. 

3. Cruise wanted to act from around the time he was 4 and started doing impressions of everyone from Donald Duck to Humphrey Bogart and Elvis Presley .

4. In 1974, when the family was living in Ottawa, Mary Lee packed up and took the kids back to Louisville. She officially divorced Tom III in August 1975 and, six weeks later, he remarried, briefly. Joan Lebendiger , recently widowed, had four kids, one of whom later told biographer Andrew Morton that they never saw their stepbrother Tom again after the wedding.

"As a kid, I had a lot of hidden anger about that. I'd get hit, and I didn't understand it," Cruise  recalled to  Vanity Fair  in 1994.

"He was the kind of guy who really got picked on a lot at school himself when he was growing up," he said of his father. "He had also been small, though he ended up being six foot two. People had been quite brutal to him. Inside, I believe he was a really sensitive individual." Tom III could also "actually be quite loving." 

But in 2006 he told Parade  that his dad was "a bully and a coward—the person where, if something goes wrong, they kick you. It was a great lesson in my life, how he'd lull you in, make you feel safe and then, bang!"

Cruise visited his father in the hospital before he died of cancer in 1984 and Tom III said he'd get better and they would "'talk about the whole thing,'" the actor told  VF , but that never came to pass.

5. Tom was very close to his mother, whom he described to James Lipton on Inside the Actors Studio   as "a very warm, charismatic woman, very kind, very generous." She worked four jobs at any given time to take care of them, and Tom had a paper route to pitch in. "Every night I'd come home, bathe my feet and sit in the family room, and Tom would massage my feet for a half-hour," Mary Lee recalled to Rolling Stone . (She died at 80 in 2017.)

6. He was also protective of his sisters and, as the man of the house, took on the role of scrutinizing their boyfriends when they'd come by to meet the family.

7. Cruise was raised Catholic and he spent his freshman year of high school at St. Francis Seminary in Cincinnati, after a priest named Father Ric Schneider gave a talk at his (also Catholic) school in Louisville. "He was a typical teenager, trying to find his way in life," Schneider told the New York Daily News in 2013. "We would give them an IQ test, and he just about made the cut. The cutoff is 110, and he scored exactly 110."

It's been rumored that Cruise considered entering the priesthood, but he doesn't it remember it that way. "We didn't have the money back then, and I went for the education for a year, and it was free," Cruise has explained.

8. Mary Lee got remarried to Jack South in 1978 and the whole family moved to New Jersey when Tom was 16.

"In the beginning, I felt threatened by my stepfather," Cruise told Rolling Stone . "There's a part of you that's in love with your mother. But he is such a wise, smart man. He loved my mother so much that he took us all in, four young people. We'd bet on football games, and he was a terrible bettor, so I'd make lots of money."

As for his dad, Tom III, who had recently passed away, "I think that he felt remorse for a lot that had happened. He was a person who did not have a huge influence on me in my teens; the values and motivation really came from my stepfather. But he was important. Really important. It's all sort of complex. There wasn't one thing I felt."

9. He was always a daredevil, jumping off things, riding his bike too fast, sometimes into walls and, here and there, breaking bones. In high school he joined the glee club and did plays. He was also an athlete, over the years dabbling in soccer, baseball, basketball, football and ice hockey, and he wrestled. Sports and acting were where he really stood out and, shocker, the ladies have loved him since grammar school.

"I was a wild kid," Cruise admitted. "I'd cut school. Everything had to do with my wanting always to push the envelope to see: where do I stand with myself? How far can I go?"

10. Cruise has been open about his battle with dyslexia, calling himself "a functional illiterate" in school, though he "loved learning. I wanted to learn, but I knew I had failed in the system."

"My energy was always all over the place. Reading was not at the top of my list, because it took me so long," he told Cameron Crowe for Interview in 1986. "When I wrote a paper, my mother would help me with it. I would take a test and get very nervous. I would skip questions and skip lines. I've gotten better. I've learned to control my eyes. I used to have to use my finger all the time. I just wasn't relaxed about it."

11. Senior year of high school he got kicked off the football team after he was caught drinking, according to Morton, but that left him time to audition for the school musical, Guys and Dolls . He played Nathan Detroit, and a commercial director who happened to catch a performance told him he should pursue acting professionally. So, he started going to New York on weekends to audition for musicals—and he missed his graduation ceremony while performing in an amateur production of Godspell .

12. Cruise made his movie debut in the 1981 drama Taps , in a role that was bigger than the one he was originally cast in "because you could see right away that he had a giant talent," former Paramount head Sherry Lansing said in Stephen Galloway 's 2017 biography Leading Lady . "He was always extremely focused and exceptionally polite."

13. On the set of Francis Ford Coppola 's The Outsiders , featuring a veritable who's-who of '80s-era heartthrobs , prankster Cruise scrawled "Helter Skelter" on co-star Diane Lane 's mirror and put honey on her toilet seat.

14. The only direction Cruise received for his iconic Risky Business dance to "Old Time Rock and Roll" was one line in the script: "Joel dances in underwear through the house." He ad-libbed the rest, grabbing the candlestick, "using it as a guitar, jumping on the table. I waxed half the floor and kept the other half dirty, so I could slide in on my socks. As we went along, I threw more stuff in," he shared with Crowe in 1986.

15. Cruise dated his Risky Business co-star Rebecca De Mornay , who called him a "pure person." She told Rolling Stone in 1986, "There's something earnest and virtuous about him that's quite rare." According to Taps co-star Sean Penn , they were out at a club in New York one night and after realizing that a girl he was talking to was trying to pick him up, Cruise "screamed at her, 'I have a girlfriend I'm in love with!'" (Perhaps at the time readers thought Penn might be exaggerating.) He and De Mornay started dating in the summer of 1983 and maintained a long-distance relationship while he shot Ridley Scott 's Legend in London, but broke up when he returned to the U.S. to start making Top Gun .

16. Top Gun producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson envisioned no one other than Cruise playing Maverick after they saw a magazine story about the elite flying school at San Diego's Miramar Naval Air Station and went down to see the hot shots in person. "From the first time we went down to Miramar—even before the script was written—we said, 'These guys are Tom Cruises,'" Bruckheimer told Rolling Stone .

17. Although Cruise also told Rolling Stone in 1986 that he wasn't sure he would be able to get married in his "present state of mind," he tied the knot with  Mimi Rogers on May 9, 1987, two years after meeting her at a dinner party. Emilio Estevez  was Cruise's best man.

18. Paul Newman , his co-star in 1987's The Color of Money , turned him on to race car driving and Cruise has been feeling the need for speed on land and in the air (and sometimes on the water) ever since. Years later the student became the teacher when, in 2010, Cruise taught Zac Efron  about motorcycles. "I don't know," Efron told Details when asked why Cruise offered to do that. "I don't even want to know. It's just so cool that he gave a s--t, the fact that he cared at all."

19. Mimi and her first husband, Jim Rogers , were both members of the Church of Scientology (Jim was a high-level auditor) and she's said to have introduced Cruise to the organization, giving him L. Ron Hubbard 's Dianetics and other literature. His immersion in Scientology coincided with the release of Top Gun and the actor becoming one of the biggest stars in the world, and to this day Cruise remains the most famous member of the church.

20. Despite being critically panned, 1988's Cocktail , starring Cruise as a playboy bartender, gave Disney its biggest opening weekend ever at the time: $11.8 million.

21. According to Morton's 2008 biography  Tom Cruise , director Oliver Stone wanted Tom to be injected with a chemical that would have rendered him temporarily paralyzed so he could better identify with the role of real-life Vietnam War veteran and activist Ron Kovic in 1989's  Born on the Fourth of July . The insurance company understandably shut that idea down. The film still won two Oscars, best editing and best director for Stone, so it worked out.

22. People named Cruise its "Sexiest Man Alive" in 1990. Soon after, he and Rogers divorced. When Vanity Fair  asked about his first marriage in 1994, Cruise replied tersely , "It was a long time ago. I really don't think about it."

23. Cruise met Nicole Kidman  during casting for the racing drama Days of Thunder and they tied the knot on Dec. 24, 1990. They adopted two children, Isabella and Connor , and starred in two more movies together, Far and Away and Eyes Wide Shut .

After Isabella arrived, Cruise told Vanity Fair in 1994 , "We talked about children from time to time, but there was always the work. But then we went, When is it ever going to be the right time? That's how the conversation started. You're lying in bed at night and you're trying to sleep, so you roll over and you go, What would happen if we had this in our life?

"One of the things that Nic and I talk about is that now suddenly we're a family. We're at that point where we're trying to define where we are. Can we still party? Are we really boring? Oh, my God . . . we're old!"

24. Disney had Cruise in mind when they created the look of the title character in 1992's Aladdin . "There's a confidence with all of his attitudes and his poses," lead animator Glen Keane said in a DVD extras feature.

25. An old tabloid go-to back in the 1980s and '90s was to claim that this or that star was gay, and Cruise was aware that the rumor was out there.

"First of all, I don't think it's an indictment," Cruise told Vanity Fair in 1994. "But I hadn't heard those rumors till about three months ago myself… I don't know why they say it. I've heard everything from I've cheated on my wife to my wife was there on the set of  The Firm  because she was pissed off about my love scene on the beach. It's not true, but people are going to say what they want to say."

26. Cruise wanted Brian De Palma to direct Mission: Impossible , which would mark his debut as a producer with his agent turned partner Paula Wagner , even though De Palma was in movie jail following several flops. Cruise even deferred his $20 million salary (not including his back-end deal) so they could raise the movie's budget. Mission accomplished: M:I made almost $500 million worldwide and spawned a franchise . De Palma, however, didn't attend the film's premiere in May 1996, reportedly because he and Cruise didn't always see eye to eye during production.

27. Shooting M:I , Cruise insisted they use a fan big enough to create the 120 mile-per-hour wind he'd be facing if he was really clinging to a bullet train while a helicopter exploded behind him. A crew member told Galloway, "He said, 'I want the wind blowing in my face and I want my jaws to be blowing.' That's Tom. He's a guy's guy."

28. The intense Eyes Wide Shut shoot was scheduled to last four months but ended up keeping Tom and Nicole in London for 18 months. Also during their time in England, as fate would have it, they attended Princess Diana 's funeral in September 1997, as did with Tom Hanks  and Steven Spielberg , who were in town making Saving Private Ryan .

29. "All I can say is that I hope we are together when we are 80," Nicole Kidman told  Talk  in 2000. "I can't say we will be, but I will be so devastated if we are not." Alas, they announced their separation on Feb. 5, 2001. "She knows why, and I know why," Cruise cryptically told Vanity Fair later that year. "She's the mother of my children, and I wish her well. And I think that you just move on. And I don't say that lightly. I don't say that with anything."

30. Penélope Cruz  successfully sued an Australian tabloid in June 2003, winning damages and a retraction over a story claiming she and then-boyfriend Cruise had postponed their impending marriage because she had cheated on him. They broke up in January 2004 after more than two years of dating, a source telling People the relationship "just ran its course."

31. The Church of Scientology denied a 2012 Vanity Fair report that Homeland actress Nazanin Boniadi , then a church member, had basically been recruited to date Cruise for a few months, starting in October 2004 with a group outing that included renting the skating rink at Rockefeller Center and dinner at Nobu. "I'd rather not talk about that," Boniadi told the New York Post in 2013.

32. Cruise specifically held out for J.J. Abrams to direct Mission: Impossible III —Abrams' feature film debut—after watching some episodes of Alias . Paramount was freaking out, wanting M:I3 for a summer 2005 tentpole release, which wasn't going to happen if Cruise and Abrams—busy at the moment with a show called Lost —got their way, but it turned out Cruise had an ace up his sleeve. Spielberg was ready to roll with War of the Worlds in time to give Paramount the summer blockbuster it needed while they waited for Abrams to become available.

33. On May 23, 2005, a giddy Cruise raised his arms in victory, got down on one knee and did a couple of fist pumps, and then jumped up on Oprah Winfrey 's couch (also twice), fueled by love for his new girlfriend, Katie Holmes . "You're gone," the talk show host observed.

"I've got so much energy, I can't help it," Cruise said.

They were both laughing hysterically and the studio audience was cheering, but… maybe you had to be there?

Lest anyone forget, Holmes was at the taping and Winfrey led a chant for her to come out. "She's gonna run!" Cruise exclaimed. "She is freaking out ." Then he took off for backstage to go get her, the camera trailing him, and once they had emerged Cruise enveloped the Dawson's Creek star in a hug.

That moment unwittingly set the tone for Cruise and Holmes' entire relationship, romantic to many but to everyone… just a lot .

34. A month later, Cruise accused Matt Lauer  of being "glib" when the Today host questioned his take on mental health care—specifically, his dismissal of psychiatry and his criticism of Brooke Shields ' "irresponsible" use of medication to treat postpartum depression.

35. Cruise and Holmes' daughter, Suri Cruise , was born on April 18, 2006.

36. Mission: Impossible III came out on May 5, 2006, and did… fine. It was (and remains) the lowest-grossing installment of the franchise, making $134 million domestically, but more memorably it marked the moment where folks started wondering if Cruise had lost his movie-star mojo, if his unadulterated zeal had turned off audiences for good. Not making it better: Paramount severed its 14-year relationship with Cruise's production company that August, and then-Viacom Chairman Sumner Redstone actually told the Wall Street Journal , "We don't think that someone who effectuates creative suicide and costs the company revenue should be on the lot. His recent conduct has not been acceptable to Paramount."

37. Suri was introduced to the world on the September 2006 cover of Vanity Fair , zipped up in her father's leather jacket akin to how Paul McCartney   snuggled daughter Mary on the cover of his 1970 solo album McCartney . The first glimpse at the cover was a huge get for Katie Couric 's first night as lead anchor of the CBS Evening News .

38. Cruise and Holmes' wedding at the 15th-century Castello Orsini-Odescalchi in Rome on Nov. 18, 2016, reportedly cost upward of $3 million . Guest Giorgio Armani designed the bride's ceremony and reception dresses and attendees included Will Smith  and Jada Pinkett Smith , John Travolta  and Kelly Preston , David  and Victoria Beckham , Jim Carrey  and Jenny McCarthy , Leah Remini  and Angelo Pagan , and Jennifer Lopez  and Marc Anthony . Andrea Bocelli performed.

39. Church of Scientology leader David Miscavige was Cruise's best man. According to Remini, who left the church in 2013, a traditional Scientology wedding ceremony includes the vow "to never close their eyes in sleep on a disagreement or an upset."

40. Shields and husband Chris Henchy were also in attendance, Cruise having apologized for publicly disparaging his Endless Love co-star's use of medication to treat postpartum depression. "If you get invited to that wedding, you go," Shields recalled on The Jenny McCarthy Show in 2016. The actress even provided the bride's "something old": an antique enamel compact.

41. 2010's Knight and Day with Cameron Diaz  was widely treated as some sort of "comeback" movie for Cruise, a test to see if he could still have a monster action movie hit after Mission: Impossible III underwhelmed.

"I don't understand why people think that," he marveled to the U.K.'s Telegraph . "I've been working the whole time."

42. His roles in the interim had included his unrecognizable—and hilarious—surprise turn as crass, bullying, bald and fat studio exec Les Grossman in Ben Stiller 's Tropic Thunder , for which he earned a Golden Globe nomination.

"I had about a dozen people making the silicone prosthetics for his head, neck, chest, and hands," makeup designer Barney Burman recalled to Grantland . "We made him special gloves. I did the sculpting, someone else did the molds, someone else was casting them. I had six different people punching hairs into the scalp piece, so his entire head was one-at-a-time, hand-punched hairs; his arms were hand-punched one at a time; his chest was hand-punched."

Added Aida Caefer , "I made the fat suits for Tom Cruise. He was all for  the more ridiculous, the better . The suit went from his neck all the way down to his ankles…The character moved around a lot and he was so soaked in sweat that we had rotating suits for him—one in the morning and one after lunch."

"Tom choreographed all his own moves," Stiller said. "I remember watching him do this stuff and thinking this is so frigging funny."

43. The rumor that Cruise turned down the role of Iron Man, which would have changed the whole vibe of the Marvel Universe, is not true, he says. "Not close," he told ComicBook.com in 2018 when asked if he was really almost Tony Stark. "Not close, and I love Robert Downey Jr. I can't imagine anyone else in that role, and I think it's perfect for him."

44. For 2011's Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol , Cruise hung off the edge of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai—the world's tallest building—without a double (though with the appropriate wires). And while he'd been doing as much of his own physical laboring as possible for decades, this reinvigorated Cruise's reputation as the guy who does all the death-defying stunts the insurance companies will allow. The film's $695 million worldwide box office also signaled that Cruise's reputation had preceded him—in a good way.

45. Holmes filed for divorce in June 2012. Her father, attorney Martin Holmes , had helped draft their prenuptial agreement and all was remarkably settled within weeks. And neither of them have ever talked about what happened . They've acknowledged that they were once married to each other, but why it ended has remained anyone's guess. And, oh, how the people have guessed.

46. Eyebrows were raised when the 5-foot-7 Cruise was tapped to play 6-foot-5 vigilante Jack Reacher from Lee Childs ' best-selling novel series.

"Size in my books is a metaphor for an unstoppable force," Childs explained. "Cruise portrays that in his own way."

47. Not as initially OK with the creative license was Interview With the Vampire   author Ann Rice , who according to Vanity Fair was livid in the early '90s when Cruise was cast to play Lestat, having written the character with Rutger Hauer in mind.

"It always helps if one is controversial in casting a movie," director Neil Jordan said. "I just thought that if Tom was willing to go the distance this character demands—and he was—then we could end up with something quite extraordinary, and we did."

48. Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation was legendary before it hit theaters in 2015 for Cruise's viral airplane stunt, in which he hung onto the door of an Airbus A400M as it took off. For real. He also did his own motorcycle chase and learned how to hold his breath for six and a half minutes for the underwater document swap.

49. He was back on the bike for Mission: Impossible—Fallout and "when the [safety] rigs didn't work, we just went for it," director Christopher McQuarrie told the New York Times . "Everything that you're seeing Tom doing, he's doing free riding on cold cobblestones. Sometimes there was rain; sometimes there was morning dew. There was always a danger of skidding and wiping out."

Cruise also did his own skydiving along with Henry Cavill 's stunt double, dangled from a rope attached to a flying helicopter, and piloted a helicopter for a mid-air chase scene, getting his certification in six weeks. It normally takes three months, McQuarrie said, but Cruise trained for 16 hours a day to cut the time in half.

"Tom was having the time of his life," the director said.

50. Cruise has social media accounts but they are strictly for un-risky business, and he prefers to not know everything that's happening online. "Sometimes I have to for work, but I keep it very limited," he told E! News in 2016. "I don't spend time doing that kind of stuff."

51. Cruise isn't one to let himself go in between physically taxing roles. "Sea-kayaking, caving, fencing, treadmill, weights, rock-climbing, hiking… I jog… I do so many different activities," he has said.

In fact, he refers to his personal workout space—a version of which he takes with him everywhere—as the "Pain Cave."

"Only the motivated can enter," he explained to the AP at the 2017 premiere of The Mummy . "All you got to do is just be motivated. Anyone can come in, we have the crew come in, and we just make it available to everyone."

As co-star Jake Johnson   revealed: "You start every morning with the daily challenge. So before work starts, you're in there. His hair and makeup team is in there, his crew is in there, so there's about 15, 20 people every day doing their squats and jumping jacks. And then I kinda got into it with him…I wanted to be in a Tom Cruise movie and do it the Tom Cruise way."

That includes, alas, avoiding sugar.

"I love sugar," Cruise assured James Corden  on The Late Late Show in 2018, "but I can't eat it because when I'm training, I'm doing all these movies—so I send it to everyone." And then, "I wait for the calls. Like, 'tell me about it.'"

52. Don't tell anyone, but Cruise is human: Aside from what he did to himself running around in childhood, he threw out his back making Legend ; developed an ulcer while shooting Eyes Wide Shut ; tore his labrum scaling a cliff at Dead Horse Point, Utah, for Mission: Impossible 2 ; and broke an ankle on Mission: Impossible—Fallout .

"It was the easy one where I'm running and I jump from one building to the next," Cruise later described the fateful stunt on  The Tonight Show .

53. But this guy commits . In addition to doing three months of helicopter pilot training in six weeks and learning how to hold his breath like he's David Blaine , he played pool for 12 hours a day to play Fast Eddie Felson's protegee in The Color of Money. He lost 18 pounds and read classic books out loud to work on his diction to play centuries-old Lestat in Interview With the Vampire. He learned German to better embody a World War II-era officer in Valkyrie . He actually spent a year and a half learning how to fly a helicopter for  Mission: Impossible—Fallout  (before his whirlwind certification).

54. "I haven't seen him in awhile, but he has sent me a birthday gift every year since I was 11 years old," Dakota Fanning  said on Watch What Happens Live in 2016 about her dad in 2005's War of the Worlds . "Beautiful gifts, it's really kind. I always think, 'Oh, when I'm 18, he'll probably stop. Oh, 21, he'll stop. But every year."

What does Team Cruise pick out? "It's usually shoes," the actress, then 22, shared.

55. In 1986, he told Cameron Crowe , "Let's face it, I'm not saving lives here. I feel fortunate, but this is just one aspect of my life. I love my work, but my family is very important to me, too. You pick up the paper and see that there are many things happening outside my little world."

Since then, the real-life heroics include, all within a few years in the '90s: He lifted two boys over a barricade to prevent them being crushed at the Mission: Impossible premiere in London; he sent his own yacht's skiff to rescue a family whose sailboat was on fire in the Mediterranean in 1996; he rushed to the aid of a woman who had been mugged in London; and he paid the $7,000 emergency room bill for an uninsured cashier who was injured in a hit and run—an accident Cruise witnessed.

"It's just an impulse," Cruise told People in 2000 about his spate of good deeds. "I was never a Boy Scout, so maybe I'm making up for it now."

Or, as he said in the video of an interview for his church that went viral in 2008, "You can't drive past an accident, because as a Scientologist you are the only one who can help"

56. Though he's the most famous face of Scientology, Cruise is incredibly protective of his beliefs and doesn't say too much about it publicly. But in October 2016, he told ITV at the London premiere of Jack Reacher: Never Go Back , "It's something that has helped me incredibly in my life. I've been a Scientologist for over 30 years. It's something that is, you know...without it, I wouldn't be where I am. So, it's a beautiful religion. I'm incredibly proud."

57. Cruise has been nominated for three Oscars: Best Supporting Actor for Magnolia and Best Actor for Jerry Maguire and Born on the Fourth of July . He has seven Golden Globe nominations and three wins, for those three films.

58. He  returned all three Globes  in 2021 as the Hollywood Foreign Press Association came under fire for its lack of diversity in its ranks.

59. Cruise's movies have collectively grossed more than $11 billion at the box office worldwide, though Top Gun: Maverick  is his first  film to cross the billion-dollar threshold on its own.

Prior to the release of the 36-years-in-the-making, pandemic-delayed sequel, his highest-grossing movie worldwide was Mission: Impossible—Fallout , with $791 million. Domestically, his biggest film was War of the Worlds with $234 million—though adjusted for inflation, it was the original  Top Gun  ($180 million in 1986 vs. $444 million in 2022). Top Gun: Maverick has made $534 million in the U.S.

60. Of course those are real F-18s and the actors are really flying in  Top Gun: Maverick .  "It is aggressive. You can't act that, the distortion in the face," Cruise explained in a making-of featurette . "They're pulling 7 1/2, 8 G's. That's 1,600 pounds of force."

As he recalled to  Empire , he told the studio before they got started, "'You don't know how hard this movie's going to be. No-one's ever done this before.'" But he was firm about not wanting to do any "CGI stuff."

And in the end, Cruise said, "There's never been an aerial sequence shot this way. I don't know if there ever will be again, to be honest."

61. When Tom Cruise wants to tell you he appreciates you, he sends dessert. The White Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake from Doan's Bakery  in Woodland Hills, Calif., has become the stuff of holiday-gift-giving legend, sent to the likes of Tom Hanks , Rosie O'Donnell  and, more recently,  Top Gun: Maverick co-stars Miles Teller  and Jon Hamm .

When December comes around, the staff at Hanks' production company Playtone "start eyeing what mail has come in," Hanks shared on the Mythical Kitchen YouTube series  Last Meals . "Is the big box coming in? Are we getting what has essentially been called 'the Tom Cruise cake?'"

Asked about the criticism that he hadn't really played any grown-ups yet, Cruise told Cameron Crowe for Interview  in 1986, "God forbid if I do everything I want to do before I'm 26. When I get to [ Paul ] Newman 's age, I'm looking to still be playing the great characters he plays.

"I hope the public and everyone realize that I'm still growing. I'm still feeling my oats here. I'm working toward the long range of what I can be as an artist. And I work my ass off trying. Because I know what I want to be."

Mission: accomplished.

( Originally published July 3, 2019, at 3 a.m. PT )

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Tom Cruise facts: Top Gun actor's age, films, marriages, children, net worth and more revealed

4 May 2023, 13:45

Tom Cruise has been one of Hollywood's leading names for over nearly forty years.

Tom Cruise is an American actor who is the fifth-highest-grossing (as of 2023) film actor of all time as well as one of the highest-paid actors in cinema.

He has appeared in some of the biggest film franchises ever like Top Gun and its sequel Top Gun: Maverick (which is his highest-grossing film to date), the Mission Impossible film series, as well as other blockbusters such as Jerry Maguire , Minority Report , Interview With A Vampire , A Few Good Men , The Last Samurai , War Of The Worlds, Days Of Thunder, Cocktail and Jack Reacher .

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• When Tom Cruise and Cher secretly dated in the 1980s: 'There was a connection'
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Cruise became a Hollywood lead during the 1980s with stand-out performances in films like Rain Man , The Color Of Money , and Born on the Fourth of July .

Although he is well-known for his roles in action movies, Tom Cruise has also been nominated for four Academy Awards throughout his career, though he hasn't won any.

Cruise has been a member of the controversial Church of Scientology since converting in the 2000s, and has advocated for the organisation as it helped him to overcome his dyslexia.

Risky Business Original Glasses Dance Scene (Mandela FX)

How old is Tom Cruise and when was he born?

Tom Cruise was born on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, New York. In 2023, he will turn 61 years old.

His father Thomas Cruise Mapother III was an electrical engineer and his mother Mary Lee was a special education teacher. They both originated from Louisville, Kentucky so Cruise and his three sisters (Lee Anne, Marian, and Cass) were brought up as Catholic.

One of his cousins, William Mapother is also an actor and has appeared alongside Cruise in five of his films.

He once described his father as "a merchant of chaos" as he was a violent bully who would beat Tom Cruise and his siblings.

How did Tom Cruise get his start in acting?

Tom Cruise moved around frequently during his youth due to his father's work, and attended 15 different schools in 14 years.

After falling in love with acting during his youth, Cruise eventually moved to New York City to pursue a career in the profession, then onwards to Los Angeles.

He was cast in several small roles shortly after his move, but it wasn't until he was cast in Francis Ford Coppola's 'Generation X' cult classic The Outsiders (which featured young stars like Patrick Swayze , Matt Dillon, Diane Lane, and Emilio Estevez) that he began gaining notoriety.

His big break came when he was cast in the iconic comedy-drama Risky Business which subsequently became a cult phenomenon and surprise box office hit, which is still regarded as one of the defining films of the 1980s.

What are Tom Cruise’s biggest films?

Top Gun (1986) Official Trailer - Tom Cruise Movie

- Mission Impossible (series)

- A Few Good Men

- Risky Business

- The Last Samurai

- Jerry Maguire

- The Color Of Money

- Born on the Fourth of July

- Top Gun: Maverick

Is Tom Cruise married?

Tom Cruise is not currently married. He divorced his third wife Katie Holmes in 2012.

He was also married twice before, first to actress Mimi Rogers from 1987-1990, and then to actress Nicole Kidman from 1990-2001 who he appeared alongside films like Days Of Thunder and Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut .

Does Tom Cruise have any children?

Tom Cruise has three children. He shares his only son Connor and eldest daughter Isabella with his ex-wife, Nicole Kidman who adopted the pair when they were married.

He also has a biological daughter, Suri, who he had with ex-wife Katie Holmes.

Cruise is notoriously private about his children and his relationship with them, although it's been repeatedly reported that he is estranged from his three kids.

What is Tom Cruise’s net worth?

JERRY MAGUIRE - Show Me the Money - MATHEMATICS in the MOVIES

Tom Cruise's reported net worth is $620 million.

Are there any other facts we should know about Tom Cruise?

Tom Cruise loses his mind on Oprah - Original Video - Hilarious!! - Celeburbia.com

The Hollywood action hero got his Hollywood teeth before he became a leading man, getting braces fitted before his career properly kicked off after being cast in Ridley Scott's fantasy film Legend .

Cruise was reportedly touted to play Neo in The Matrix film franchise before it went to Keanu Reeves , and similarly with the role of Iron Man before Robert Downey Jr was cast as the lead.

Executives at Disney wanted to likeness of Aladdin to resemble Tom Cruise as they said it'd make the character more likeable.

After his turn in Risky Business (and the iconic improvised dance scene) Cruise was credited with saving the sunglasses brand Ray-Ban from going under due to the renewed popularity the film gave the frames.

He participates in most of - if not all of - his stunts in movies, and has a gruelling regime to keep him prepared. When asked about how he keeps fit Cruise replied with: "Sea-kayaking, caving… fencing, treadmill, weights… rock-climbing, hiking… I jog… I do so many different activities."

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IMDbPro Starmeter 77 12

• Contact info
• 64 wins & 119 nominations total

Photos 1992

• Nathan Algren

• Jerry Maguire

• Post-production
• Cage (rumored)
• In Development
• Pre-production

• Capt. Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell

• Team Member

• Nick Morton

• Jack Reacher

• Stacee Jaxx

• Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg
• producer (produced by)

• producer (uncredited)

• executive producer

• In-development projects at IMDbPro

Personal details

• Tomu Kurûzu
• 5′ 7″ (1.70 m)
• July 3 , 1962
• Syracuse, New York, USA
• Spouses Katie Holmes November 18, 2006 - August 20, 2012 (divorced, 1 child)
• Children Isabella Jane Cruise
• Parents Thomas Mapother III
• Relatives William Mapother (Cousin)
• Other works Played Nathan Detroit in a high school production of "Guys and Dolls"
• 12 Print Biographies
• 9 Portrayals
• 32 Interviews
• 145 Articles
• 21 Pictorials
• 764 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

• Trivia His acting idol is Paul Newman . Much to the delight of Cruise, they became good friends during work on The Color of Money (1986) . Newman got him into racing, and Cruise ultimately raced on his team.
• Quotes The thing about filmmaking is I give it everything, that's why I work so hard. I always tell young actors to take charge. It's not that hard. Sign your own checks, be responsible.
• Trademarks Often plays romantic leading men with an edge
• Salaries Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part Two ( 2025 ) $13,000,000 + % of back end
• How old is Tom Cruise?
• When was Tom Cruise born?
• Where was Tom Cruise born?

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38 facts about tom cruise.

Written by Dyanne Bertsch

Modified & Updated: 02 Mar 2024

Reviewed by Jessica Corbett

Tom Cruise is one of the most recognizable and influential actors in Hollywood. With a career spanning over three decades, Cruise has left an indelible mark on the entertainment industry through his charismatic performances, daring stunts, and relentless pursuit of excellence. From his breakout role in “Risky Business” to his iconic portrayal of Ethan Hunt in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, Cruise has proven time and again that he is a force to be reckoned with.

Aside from his successful acting career, Cruise is also known for his off-screen persona. From his highly publicized relationships to his involvement in the controversial Church of Scientology , Cruise’s personal life has often made headlines. However, there are many fascinating facts about Cruise that are less known to the general public. In this article, we will delve into 38 intriguing facts about Tom Cruise, shedding light on the man behind the superstar and uncovering some lesser-known aspects of his life and career.

Key Takeaways:

• Tom Cruise is a dedicated actor known for performing his own stunts and starring in blockbuster movies, earning him a strong fan following and numerous accolades.
• Tom Cruise is a multi-talented celebrity with a passion for flying, philanthropy, and environmental advocacy, showcasing his diverse interests and impactful contributions.

Tom Cruise was born on July 3, 1962.

Tom Cruise, whose full name is Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, was born in Syracuse, New York.

Tom Cruise made his film debut in 1981 in the movie “Endless Love.”

He had a small role in the film, but it marked the beginning of his successful acting career.

Tom Cruise’s breakthrough role came in the 1983 film “Risky Business.”

His portrayal of Joel Goodson, a high school student involved in a risky business venture, earned him widespread recognition.

Tom Cruise is known for performing his own stunts in movies.

His dedication and fearlessness have allowed him to execute incredible action sequences in films like the “Mission: Impossible” series.

Tom Cruise is a dedicated Scientologist.

He has been a prominent member of the Church of Scientology for many years.

Tom Cruise has been married three times.

He was previously married to Mimi Rogers, Nicole Kidman, and Katie Holmes .

Tom Cruise has three children.

He has a daughter named Suri from his marriage to Katie Holmes, and two adopted children, Isabella and Connor Cruise .

Tom Cruise has received three Academy Award nominations.

Although he has yet to win an Oscar, his talent and versatility as an actor have been recognized by the Academy.

Tom Cruise has a pilot’s license.

He is a skilled pilot and owns several aircraft.

Tom Cruise is known for his intense workout routines.

He is dedicated to maintaining a fit physique and often performs his own stunts, which require a high level of physical fitness.

Tom Cruise is one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood.

His box office success and worldwide fame have allowed him to command hefty salaries for his film roles.

Tom Cruise has starred in several iconic films.

Some of his most notable movies include “Top Gun,” “Jerry Maguire,” “ Rain Man ,” and “A Few Good Men.

Tom Cruise has worked with renowned directors.

He has collaborated with directors like Stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg, Oliver Stone, and Christopher McQuarrie .

Tom Cruise has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

He received this prestigious honor in 1986 for his contributions to the entertainment industry.

Tom Cruise has a production company called Cruise/Wagner Productions.

He co-founded the company with his former producing partner, Paula Wagner.

Tom Cruise is known for his philanthropic efforts.

He has donated to numerous charitable organizations and has been involved in humanitarian work.

Tom Cruise has had a successful career as a producer.

He has produced several films, including “Mission: Impossible” movies and “Edge of Tomorrow.”

Tom Cruise is a dedicated father.

Despite his busy schedule, he makes time for his children and is actively involved in their lives.

Tom Cruise has a passion for flying.

In addition to being a pilot, he enjoys flying helicopters and has even trained with the United States Navy for his role in “ Top Gun: Maverick .

Tom Cruise has been honored with numerous awards throughout his career.

He has received accolades from various organizations and film festivals for his outstanding performances.

Tom Cruise is known for his infectious smile.

His charming smile has captivated audiences worldwide and is often mentioned as one of his trademark features.

Tom Cruise is a dedicated advocate for the environment.

He has actively supported and promoted initiatives to protect the planet.

Tom Cruise has a black belt in Kenpo karate.

He trained in martial arts for many years and incorporates his skills into his action-packed movie roles.

Tom Cruise has a close friendship with fellow actor and director, Steven Spielberg.

The two have collaborated on multiple projects and share a mutual respect for each other’s work.

Tom Cruise has a strong work ethic.

He is known for his dedication to his craft and his commitment to delivering outstanding performances.

Tom Cruise is involved in various charitable causes.

He has supported organizations such as the Red Cross, the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, and the Church of Scientology’s charitable initiatives.

Tom Cruise has been honored with a Golden Globe Award.

He won the Golden Globe for Best Actor for his role in the film “Jerry Maguire.”

Tom Cruise has a strong fan following.

His charismatic personality and impressive body of work have gained him millions of devoted fans around the world.

Tom Cruise is known for his dedication to his roles.

He goes to great lengths to immerse himself in the characters he portrays, often undergoing intense training and research.

Tom Cruise has been recognized with the Cecil B. DeMille Award.

This prestigious award is granted by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for outstanding contributions to the entertainment industry.

Tom Cruise has starred in numerous blockbuster movies.

His films have grossed billions of dollars at the box office, solidifying his status as one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

Tom Cruise is known for his humanitarian efforts.

He has been involved in various charity projects, including helping to fund schools, hospitals, and relief efforts in areas affected by natural disasters.

Tom Cruise is a skilled motorcyclist.

He has been seen riding motorcycles in several of his movies and is known for his love of adrenaline-fueled activities.

Tom Cruise has received the Harvard Lampoon’s Hasty Pudding Man of the Year award.

This award is presented annually to individuals who have made a lasting impact on the world of entertainment.

Tom Cruise is known for his meticulous attention to detail.

He is involved in every aspect of his film projects, from script development to editing.

Tom Cruise has a successful career as a film producer.

He has produced films such as “Valkyrie,” “Jack Reacher,” and “The Mummy.”

Tom Cruise has starred in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise.

He is famous for his role as Ethan Hunt, a skilled and daring IMF agent.

Tom Cruise continues to be a box office draw.

His popularity and talent ensure that his movies consistently perform well at the box office.

Tom Cruise is undoubtedly one of the biggest and most influential celebrities in Hollywood. With a career spanning decades, he has cemented his status as a versatile actor, producer, and director. From his iconic role in “Top Gun” to his mesmerizing performances in “Mission: Impossible” series, Cruise has consistently delivered captivating performances that have thrilled audiences worldwide.

Behind the scenes, Cruise is known for his dedication, work ethic, and commitment to his craft. He performs many of his own stunts, which has only added to his reputation as an action star and further endeared him to his fans.

As Tom Cruise continues to mesmerize audiences with his talent and charm, there’s no doubt that he will remain an enduring and beloved figure in the world of entertainment for years to come.

Q: How old is Tom Cruise?

A: As of 2021, Tom Cruise was born on July 3, 1962, which makes him 59 years old.

Q: What is Tom Cruise’s net worth?

A: Tom Cruise has an estimated net worth of around $600 million, making him one of the wealthiest actors in Hollywood.

Q: How many times has Tom Cruise been married?

A: Tom Cruise has been married three times. He was previously married to Mimi Rogers, Nicole Kidman, and Katie Holmes.

Q: What are some of Tom Cruise’s most famous movies?

A: Some of Tom Cruise’s most famous movies include “Top Gun,” “Mission: Impossible” series, “Jerry Maguire,” “Rain Man,” and “A Few Good Men,” among others.

Q: Does Tom Cruise perform his own stunts?

A: Yes, Tom Cruise is known for performing many of his own stunts in his movies, which adds an extra level of authenticity and excitement to his action-packed roles.

Q: Has Tom Cruise won any awards?

A: Yes, Tom Cruise has won several awards throughout his career, including three Golden Globe Awards and three Academy Award nominations.

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Our commitment to delivering trustworthy and engaging content is at the heart of what we do. Each fact on our site is contributed by real users like you, bringing a wealth of diverse insights and information. To ensure the highest standards of accuracy and reliability, our dedicated editors meticulously review each submission. This process guarantees that the facts we share are not only fascinating but also credible. Trust in our commitment to quality and authenticity as you explore and learn with us.

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Tom Cruise fun facts: 10 things you might not know about the ‘Maverick’ star

• Updated: Jun. 25, 2022, 3:01 p.m. |
• Published: Jun. 25, 2022, 3:00 p.m.

A look at Tom Cruise through the years. (AP)

• Mike Rose, cleveland.com

Considered by some to be Hollywood’s last action hero , Tom Cruise is currently flying high as his sequel to “Top Gun” is one of the biggest box-office hits of 2022. As he approaches his 60th birthday next weekend, we decided to take a look back at Cruise’s career and share some interesting facts about the actor.

Check out the slideshow below to learn more about his past, see photos of Tom Cruise over the years and much more.

10 things you might not know about Tom Cruise

The skyline is seen on Monday, Sept. 21, 2015, in Syracuse, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mike Groll) AP

1. He was almost born on the 4th of July

Thomas Cruise Mapother IV was born in Syracuse, NY on July 3, 1962

2. He spent several years living in Canada

Cruise’s family spent time living in Ottawa when his father took a job as a defense consultant. They moved back to the U.S. after his parents divorced.

3. He could have been Fr. Tom

Cruise spent some time studying at a seminary in Cincinnati before deciding to pursue an acting career.

Actor Tom Cruise poses with his new star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard, Oct. 16, 1986. Cruise starred in 'Risky Business' and 'Top Gun,' and will be starring with Paul Newman in 'The Color of Money.' (AP Photo/Nick Ut) AP

4. Career highlights

Tom’s first film role came with ‘Endless Love’ in 1981. ‘Top Gun’ was his first major action blockbuster in 1986. He starred in the first of the ‘Mission: Impossible’ films in 1996.

U.S. actor William Mapother, cousin of actor Tom Cruise arrives at a restaurant for dinner with Cruise and his fiancee U.S. actress Katie Holmes in Rome, Thursday Nov. 16, 2006. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) AP

4. His cousin is also an actor

Cruise has appeared in multiple films with his cousin William Mapother, including “Rain Man” and “Born on the Fourth of July”

Photos of Tom Cruise with Mimi Rogers, Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes. (AP)

5. His leading ladies

Tom has been married three times, first to Mimi Rogers in 1987 and followed by Nicole Kidman in 1990. He and Katie Holmes married in 2006 and divorced in 2012. He’s also dated actresses Penelope Cruz and Rebecca De Mornay.

Photos of Tom Cruise with his children, Connor and Isabella and with daughter Suri. (AP)

6. The next generation

Tom has one biological daughter, Suri, and two adopted children, Isabella and Connor

Tom Cruise, Robert Downey Jr. and Keanu Reeves at Cannes. (AP)

7. Other roles

Cruise was reportedly considered for the leading role of Neo in ‘The Matrix’ and was Marvel’s first choice to play Tony Stark early in the planning for ‘Iron Man.’

The principals of this years' best film, from left, Mark Johnson, Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise and Barry Levinson are all smiles as they display their "Oscars" in Los Angeles, March 29, 1989 after "Rain Man" was named best film. This was the 61st Annual Academy Awards. (AP Photo) AP

8. Awards season

Tom has been nominated for Academy Awards 3 times: For ‘Born on the Fourth of July,’ ‘Jerry Maguire’ and ‘Magnolia’ and won a Golden Globe for each role.

The Ohio State University Marching Band performs at the 133rd Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Owen Baker) AP

Following a Top Gun-themed halftime show, Cruise set up an exclusive screening for OSU’s band to see ‘Maverick’

Actor Tom Cruise waves to fans as co-actress Hayley Atwell smiles during a break in the shooting of the film Mission Impossible 7 a in Rome, Monday, Oct. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) AP

10. What’s next for Tom?

Cruise has two more ‘Mission: Impossible’ films on the schedule as well as the potential for a sequel to ‘Edge of Tomorrow’

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61 Random Tom Cruise Facts to Celebrate His 61st Birthday

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The post 61 Random Tom Cruise Facts to Celebrate His 61st Birthday appeared first on Consequence .

This article was originally published in 2022 with 60 facts, to celebrate Tom Cruise’s 60th birthday. It has been updated to include 61 facts, in celebration of his 61st. 

The life, career, and legacy of Tom Cruise is epic, dramatic, sometimes complicated, but impossible to ignore. One of our last remaining old-school movie stars, who’s proven capable of great range over the years, Cruise has wielded his power in Hollywood to create unforgettable film moments and behind-the-scenes innovations, constantly pushing himself to new extremes with each passing day.

To appreciate his complexity and talent on the occasion of this, his 61st birthday, we’ve compiled 61 facts that only hint at why Tom Cruise remains one of the most famous men on the planet. He’s been grinning that signature grin and running his damn heart out for over 40 years on screen, and he shows very little sign of stopping anytime soon.

1. Tom Cruise’s real name is Thomas Cruise Mapother IV.

2. Tom Cruise’s cousin William Mapother is also an actor, most notably known for playing the role of Ethan in Lost .

3. Here is an incomplete list of the directors that Tom Cruise has worked with over the years: Barry Levinson, Ben Stiller, Brad Bird, Brian De Palma, Cameron Crowe, Christopher McQuarrie, Curtis Hanson, Doug Liman, Edward Zwick, Francis Ford Coppola, Franco Zeffirelli, Stanley Kubrick, Paul Thomas Anderson, Ridley Scott, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Sydney Pollack, Rob Reiner, John Woo, Michael Mann, and Steven Spielberg.

4. At the beginning of his career, the actor starred in six films over the span of only two years: Endless Love (1981), Taps (1981), The Outsiders (1983), Losin’ It (1983), Risky Business (1983), and All The Right Moves (1983).

5. Tom Cruise was 19 in his first film, playing Billy in Endless Love .

6. Top Gun: Maverick is Tom Cruise’s highest-grossing film , surpassing $1 billion at the box office. The film is Paramount’s second domestic highest-grossing film, following Titanic .

7. Attended the Neighborhood Playhouse and the Actors Studio in New School University, New York, where he studied drama.

8. Tom Cruise has been nominated for an Oscar three times, twice as lead actor for his roles in Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire , and then as supporting actor in Magnolia .

9. Although he has been nominated three times, Cruise has yet to win an Oscar.

10. Tom Cruise has not been nominated for an Oscar since the year 2000.

11. Cruise did win three Golden Globe awards for Born on the Fourth of July , Jerry Maguire , and Magnolia .

12. In May 2021, Tom Cruise returned his three Golden Globe Awards to protest the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s lack of racial diversity and alleged moral misconduct.

13. At age seven, Cruise was diagnosed with dyslexia .

14. Tom Cruise was introduced to Scientology in the 1980s by his first wife, Mimi Rogers.

15. Tom Cruise claims that his dyslexia was cured by Scientology .

16. An infamous Tom Cruise promotional video about Scientology, leaked online in January 2008 , was parodied in the spoof film Superhero Movie , with actor Miles Fisher playing the Tom Cruise role.

17. The Alliance of Women Film Journalists has nominated him four times for a less than auspicious award: Most Egregious Age Difference Between the Leading Man and the Love Interest. He won in 2019 for Mission: Impossible – Fallout , alongside co-star Rebecca Ferguson.

18. Tom Cruise has exactly one television credit — for directing. He helmed the episode “The Frightening Frammis” for the 1993 Showtime anthology series Fallen Angels .

19. He has yet to act in an actual TV show, outside of talk show and award show appearances.

20. On October 16, 1986, Cruise earned his Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

21. Tom Cruise performs a majority of his own stunts, including climbing the tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa, in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol .

22. Tom Cruise did all of his own stunts in the film Edge of Tomorrow .

23. Tom Cruise helped rebuild the film studio United Artists with Paula Wagner in the 2000s, though the effort was ultimately unsuccessful .

24. Disney used Tom Cruise’s “persona” as a model for the title character of Aladdin .

25. Tom Cruise has refused for his likeness to be made into action figures .

26. Growing up, the actor went to 15 different schools in the span of only 14 years.

27. As a young boy he helped support his mom by doing odd jobs like cutting grass and selling Christmas and Easter cards.

28. Tom Cruise took up acting after a knee injury put a halt on his wrestling career in high school.

29. As a teenager, Cruise starred in Glen Ridge High School’s production of Guys And Dolls , playing Nathan Detroit .

30. In terms of cars, Tom Cruise’s “coming of age ride” was a used Dodge Colt .

31. In 1994, Cruise received his pilot license. He owns a Gulfstream G450 .

32. In addition to flying, Cruise also skydives and scuba dives in his free time.

33. David Miscavige, leader of the Church of Scientology, was Cruise’s best man for two of his weddings — first in 1990 to Nicole Kidman and then in 2006 to Katie Holmes.

34. He married Katie Holmes after proposing to her on the top of the Eiffel Tower . Before they even knew each other, Holmes had a longtime crush on Cruise, beginning when she was a young girl.

35. Tom Cruise’s 2005 appearance on Oprah , where he famously jumped the couch, was one of the first viral videos on YouTube. It also spawned several parodies, from Family Guy to Scary Movie 4 .

36. Cruise was the recipient of MTV’s first Generation Award in 2005, an award given to a professional with a variety of roles, personal flair, and great talent.

37. Cruise worked with his on-screen idol, Paul Newman, on the film The Color of Money , and the two bonded over their love of racing .

38. After his own struggle with dyslexia, Cruise founded the Hollywood Education and Literacy Project, where he serves as a board member.

39. In 1996, Tom Cruise stopped to help a woman named Heloisa Vinhas after she was in a hit and run accident , and he later paid her hospital bills.

40. In 1998, he also helped chase down robbers who stole nearly $160,000 worth of jewelry during a mugging in London .

Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount Pictures)

41. Tom Cruise has three siblings, Cass, Marian, and Lee Anne Mathpother. Lee Anne served as his publicist for a short time.

42. The infamous dance from Risky Business was improvised by Cruise .

43. In 2014, Japan declared October 10th to be Tom Cruise Day . At the time, Cruise had made more trips to the country than any other Hollywood star.

44. One of Tom Cruise’s first big purchases after Risky Business was a car for his younger sister , who he had promised he would pay back for helping him with his paper route.

45. He also paid for his sister’s college tuition.

46. His first celebrity crush was Ingrid Bergman in Notorious .

47. Cruise purchased one of his first motorcycles at the age of 10 . He hid it from his mother and ended up crashing it not long after purchasing it.

48. While on set for The Last Samurai , Tom Cruise was almost majorly injured due to a stunt malfunction causing his co-star to swing his blade at the wrong time. The other actor stopped himself moments before injuring Cruise.

49. Initially, Cruise was the first choice for the lead in Marvel’s Iron Man , but he turned down the role.

50. Cruise was also reportedly considered for the role of Neo in The Matrix .

51. In the same year — 1988 — Cruise starred in the Oscar winner for Best Picture ( Rain Man ) and the Razzie winner for worst film ( Cocktail ).

52. Initially, Anne Rice, author of Interview with the Vampire , was displeased with the casting of Cruise for the movie adaptation. However, after the movie was released, she retracted her position and praised Cruise for his work on the film.

53. Tom Cruise was the first actor to star in five consecutive films that hit $100 million in the box office: A Few Good Men (1992), The Firm (1993), Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994), Mission: Impossible (1996), and Jerry Maguire (1996).

54. Famous for his wild stunts, Cruise actually performed the “Knife in the Eye” scene from Mission Impossible II with a real knife. The knife was mere millimeters from his eye.

55. In 2018, Rotten Tomatoes calculated that, on average, films where Cruise runs more distance on screen tend to do better critically and commercially.

56. Cruise set up a private screening of Top Gun: Maverick for The Ohio State Marching Band after the band performed a Top Gun- themed half-time show.

57. Reportedly, sales of Ray-Ban Wayfarers skyrocketed following Cruise wearing them in Risky Business . The sunglasses company was considering discontinuing the now-iconic glasses prior to the spike in popularity.

58. Cruise held his breath for over six minutes while shooting an underwater sequence for Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation . (Kate Winslet did manage to break his record during the filming of Avatar 2 .)

59. Cruise has said he only eats 1,200 calories a day , most of which is veggies and protein.

60. While there have been questions over the years as to how many movies Tom Cruise has actually seen , we have since confirmed one movie he definitely saw: Christopher Nolan’s Tenet , in July 2020 . (He wore a mask.)

61. In February 2023, Steven Spielberg told Tom Cruise that “you saved Hollywood’s ass ,” thanks to the record-setting box office of Top Gun: Maverick .

Happy birthday, Tom Cruise.

61 Random Tom Cruise Facts to Celebrate His 61st Birthday Consequence Staff

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61 Random Tom Cruise Facts to Celebrate His 61st Birthday

This guy will never stop running

This article was originally published in 2022 with 60 facts, to celebrate Tom Cruise’s 60th birthday. It has been updated to include 61 facts, in celebration of his 61st. 

The life, career, and legacy of Tom Cruise is epic, dramatic, sometimes complicated, but impossible to ignore. One of our last remaining old-school movie stars, who’s proven capable of great range over the years, Cruise has wielded his power in Hollywood to create unforgettable film moments and behind-the-scenes innovations, constantly pushing himself to new extremes with each passing day.

To appreciate his complexity and talent on the occasion of this, his 61st birthday, we’ve compiled 61 facts that only hint at why Tom Cruise remains one of the most famous men on the planet. He’s been grinning that signature grin and running his damn heart out for over 40 years on screen, and he shows very little sign of stopping anytime soon.

1. Tom Cruise’s real name is Thomas Cruise Mapother IV.

2. Tom Cruise’s cousin William Mapother is also an actor, most notably known for playing the role of Ethan in Lost .

3. Here is an incomplete list of the directors that Tom Cruise has worked with over the years: Barry Levinson, Ben Stiller, Brad Bird, Brian De Palma, Cameron Crowe, Christopher McQuarrie, Curtis Hanson, Doug Liman, Edward Zwick, Francis Ford Coppola, Franco Zeffirelli, Stanley Kubrick, Paul Thomas Anderson, Ridley Scott, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Sydney Pollack, Rob Reiner, John Woo, Michael Mann, and Steven Spielberg.

4. At the beginning of his career, the actor starred in six films over the span of only two years: Endless Love (1981), Taps (1981), The Outsiders (1983), Losin’ It (1983), Risky Business (1983), and All The Right Moves (1983).

5. Tom Cruise was 19 in his first film, playing Billy in Endless Love .

6. Top Gun: Maverick is Tom Cruise’s highest-grossing film , surpassing $1 billion at the box office. The film is Paramount’s second domestic highest-grossing film, following Titanic .

7. Attended the Neighborhood Playhouse and the Actors Studio in New School University, New York, where he studied drama.

8. Tom Cruise has been nominated for an Oscar three times, twice as lead actor for his roles in Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire , and then as supporting actor in Magnolia .

9. Although he has been nominated three times, Cruise has yet to win an Oscar.

10. Tom Cruise has not been nominated for an Oscar since the year 2000.

11. Cruise did win three Golden Globe awards for Born on the Fourth of July , Jerry Maguire , and Magnolia .

12. In May 2021, Tom Cruise returned his three Golden Globe Awards to protest the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s lack of racial diversity and alleged moral misconduct.

13. At age seven, Cruise was diagnosed with dyslexia .

14. Tom Cruise was introduced to Scientology in the 1980s by his first wife, Mimi Rogers.

15. Tom Cruise claims that his dyslexia was cured by Scientology .

16. An infamous Tom Cruise promotional video about Scientology, leaked online in January 2008 , was parodied in the spoof film Superhero Movie , with actor Miles Fisher playing the Tom Cruise role.

17. The Alliance of Women Film Journalists has nominated him four times for a less than auspicious award: Most Egregious Age Difference Between the Leading Man and the Love Interest. He won in 2019 for Mission: Impossible – Fallout , alongside co-star Rebecca Ferguson.

18. Tom Cruise has exactly one television credit — for directing. He helmed the episode “The Frightening Frammis” for the 1993 Showtime anthology series Fallen Angels .

19. He has yet to act in an actual TV show, outside of talk show and award show appearances.

20. On October 16, 1986, Cruise earned his Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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Tom Cruise | Biography, Movies, & Facts

  Tom Cruise   (born July 3, 1962,   Syracuse ,   New York , U.S.) American actor who emerged in the 1980s as one of Hollywood’s most popular leading men, known for his clean-cut good looks and versatility.

Cruise, who took up  acting  in  high school , made his  film   debut  in  Endless Love  (1981). He had supporting roles in such movies as  Taps  (1981) and  The Outsiders  (1983) before starring as a high-school senior who turns his parents’ home into a brothel in  Risky Business  (1983). The movie was a major success, earning Cruise widespread recognition. His star status was cemented with  Top Gun  (1986), the highest-grossing film of that year, in which he played a navy jet pilot. In 1986 Cruise appeared opposite  Paul Newman  in  The Color of Money , which was directed by  Martin Scorsese , and two years later starred as an autistic man’s selfish brother in  Rain Man . For his portrayal of a  Vietnam War  veteran turned activist in  Born on the Fourth of July  (1989), Cruise received his first  Academy Award  nomination.

Cruise went on to exhibit a broad depth and range of characters in his films during the 1990s, playing such  diverse  roles as a navy lawyer in  A Few Good Men  (1992), a vampire in  Interview with the Vampire  (1994), and a secret agent in  Mission: Impossible  (1996); the immense popularity of the latter film led to sequels in  2000 ,  2006 ,  2011 ,  2015 ,  2018 , and  2023 . His performance as a sports agent in  Jerry Maguire  (1996) earned Cruise a second Oscar nomination. In 1999 he starred with his then-wife,  Nicole Kidman , in the highly anticipated final film of director  Stanley Kubrick ,  Eyes Wide Shut  (1999), an examination of marital  fidelity  that drew mixed reviews. That year Cruise also earned acclaim as a misogynistic self-help guru in  Magnolia , for which he received an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor.

Cruise starred in a number of action films in the 2000s, including the science-fiction thriller  Minority Report  (2002), directed by  Steven Spielberg ;  The Last Samurai  (2003), in which he played a disaffected U.S. soldier who aligns himself with a  samurai  community; and the gritty Los Angeles-set  Collateral  (2004), in which he took on the role of an  obdurate  contract killer. He reteamed with Spielberg on  War of the Worlds  (2005), a visually impressive  adaptation  of the  H.G. Wells  novel of the same name. In 2008 Cruise earned laughs as an abrasive movie executive in the comedy  Tropic Thunder , and he portrayed the historical figure Col.  Claus von Stauffenberg , a German army officer who organized an attempt to assassinate  Adolf Hitler , in  Valkyrie .

Cruise subsequently starred in the action thrillers  Knight and Day  (2010) and  Jack Reacher  (2012). In the latter he played a former army investigator, a role he  reprised  in  Jack Reacher: Never Go Back  (2016). After appearing as a 1980s rock idol in the musical  Rock of Ages  (2012), he was cast as an  apocalypse  survivor in the sci-fi adventure  Oblivion  (2013). He then portrayed a glib military  public relations  officer who is repeatedly killed and resurrected in the comic alien-invasion romp  Edge of Tomorrow  (2014). In 2017 Cruise starred in the action-horror film  The Mummy  and the antic  drama   American Made . For  Top Gun: Maverick  (2022), he reprised his role from the 1986 blockbuster.

Cruise’s personal life often attracted as much attention as his acting. His marriage to Kidman was followed closely by the Hollywood media, as was their divorce in 2001. Over the next few years, his outspoken support of  Scientology  proved controversial, especially his 2005 public denouncement of  psychiatry  as an  illegitimate   science  (a view held by Scientologists). Cruise continued to find attention in tabloids and entertainment media through his public relationship with actress  Katie Holmes , to whom he was married from 2006 to 2012.

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Tom Cruise: Biography, Movies, Spouses, Kids, Facts & Beliefs

Tom Cruise is a renowned Hollywood actor, known for his exceptional acting skills and captivating on-screen presence. He has starred in numerous blockbuster movies and has won several awards throughout his career. In this article, we will explore Tom Cruise’s life, career, personal relationships, beliefs, and controversies.

Who Is Tom Cruise?

Tom Cruise is a famous American actor who gained popularity for his performances in popular movies from the 1980s to the 2000s. He was also married to actresses Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes. Cruise became interested in acting while in high school, and he rose to fame after starring in Risky Business and Top Gun. He received critical acclaim for his roles in Jerry Maguire and the Mission Impossible series.

Tom Cruise’s Early Life and Career

Tom Cruise, born on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, New York, is an American actor and producer who is recognized as one of the most popular movie stars in the world. He is known for his charismatic performances, daring stunts, and good looks.

Cruise’s parents, Mary Lee Pfeiffer and Thomas Cruise Mapother III, divorced when he was a child, so he grew up between his mother’s home in Louisville, Kentucky, and his father’s home in New Jersey. Despite spending his formative years shuttling back and forth between homes, Cruise discovered his love of acting at a young age and began pursuing it seriously in high school.

After graduating from Glen Ridge High School in New Jersey, Cruise moved to New York City to pursue his acting career. He struggled to land roles early on but eventually caught the attention of Hollywood casting agents with his talent and good looks.

Tom Cruise’s Movies ‘Taps,’ ‘The Outsiders’

Two of his early movies, “ Taps ” and “ The Outsiders ,” helped launch his career and established him as a rising star.

“ Taps ” was released in 1981 and directed by Harold Becker. The movie stars Timothy Hutton, Tom Cruise, Sean Penn, and George C. Scott. The story revolves around a military academy that is about to be closed down, and the cadets who are determined to save it. However, when the school is threatened with demolition, the students decide to take extreme measures to defend it. The movie explores themes of loyalty, honor, and sacrifice, as the young cadets struggle to assert their independence and defend their school against the authorities.

“ The Outsiders ” was also released in 1983 and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The movie stars a talented ensemble cast, including C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, and Tom Cruise. The story takes place in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the 1960s, and follows the lives of two rival gangs, the Greasers and the Socs. The movie explores themes of social class, identity, and brotherhood, as the young boys navigate the challenges of growing up in a world that is divided by wealth and status. The movie is known for its iconic soundtrack and memorable performances, and has become a cult classic in the years since its release.

In conclusion, both “Taps” and “The Outsiders” are important pieces of American cinema that explore the struggles and triumphs of young people coming of age in a changing world. Through compelling storytelling and unforgettable characters, these movies continue to resonate with audiences today and serve as a testament to the enduring power of the human spirit.

Tom Cruise Movie: ‘Risky Business’

“Risky Business” is a 1983 American comedy-drama film directed by Paul Brickman and produced by Jon Avnet. The movie stars Tom Cruise in the lead role, who plays a high school senior Joel Goodson living with his affluent parents in the suburbs of Chicago.

The story begins when Joel’s parents leave him alone for a weekend while they go on a trip. Joel decides to use this opportunity to relax and have some fun. However, things start to take a different turn when he meets a call girl named Lana (played by Rebecca De Mornay) whom he hires for the night. After initially being nervous around her, Joel starts to develop feelings for Lana, which leads him to become involved in her shady business dealings.

As the weekend progresses, Joel finds himself getting deeper and deeper into trouble as he becomes embroiled in a string of criminal activities. He must navigate through a series of unpredictable situations involving money, sex, and drugs while trying to keep his parents from finding out about his misadventures.

What makes “Risky Business” a standout film is its exploration of themes such as adolescent rebellion, growing up, and the dangers of taking risks. It portrays Joel’s journey from a sheltered teenager to a confident young man who learns to take responsibility for his actions. Throughout the film, Tom Cruise delivers a standout performance, showcasing his range as an actor and cementing his status as a leading man in Hollywood.

The film also features an iconic scene in which Joel dances in his underwear to the song “Old Time Rock and Roll” by Bob Seger, a moment that has been parodied and imitated countless times in popular culture.

‘Top Gun’ of Tom Cruise

“ Top Gun ” is considered one of Tom Cruise’s breakout roles and helped establish him as a leading Hollywood actor. His portrayal of Maverick, a hot-headed yet skilled pilot, captured audiences’ attention and made him a household name. Cruise’s performance was praised for its energy and intensity, and he received numerous accolades for his work in the film.

The movie’s plot revolves around Maverick’s journey to become the best fighter pilot in the world. With the help of his wingman, Goose (Anthony Edwards), Maverick competes against other top pilots in rigorous training exercises and dangerous aerial combat missions. Along the way, he falls in love with his flight instructor, Charlie (Kelly McGillis), and must confront his own demons to achieve his goals.

“Top Gun” features some of the most iconic aerial combat sequences in film history, showcasing the power and agility of advanced military aircraft. The film’s high-octane action and breathtaking cinematography paved the way for a new generation of action movies and inspired many aspiring pilots to pursue careers in aviation.

In addition to its thrilling action sequences, “Top Gun” also explores themes of brotherhood, loyalty, and bravery. The camaraderie between Maverick, Goose, and their fellow pilots is a key aspect of the film’s storyline, and the movie highlights the sacrifices and risks that are inherent in military service.

‘The Color of Money,’ ‘Rain Man’ and ‘Born on the Fourth of July’

“ The Color of Money ” is a 1986 drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Paul Newman and Tom Cruise. The film is a sequel to the 1961 release “The Hustler”. In this movie, Newman reprises his role as Eddie Felson, a former pool hustler who takes on a young protégé in Cruise’s character, Vincent Lauria.

The plot revolves around Eddie’s attempt to make a comeback in the world of professional pool playing, by mentoring Vincent and taking him on the road to hustle money from other players. Throughout the film, Eddie teaches Vincent the tricks of the trade, while also dealing with his own inner demons and temptations.

“ Rain Man ” is a 1988 drama film directed by Barry Levinson, starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. The film tells the story of Charlie Babbitt, a car dealer who discovers that he has an autistic older brother named Raymond, played by Hoffman. The two of them go on a cross-country road trip, during which Charlie tries to connect with his brother and learn more about him.

Throughout the film, we see how Raymond’s autism affects his behavior and his relationship with his brother, as well as the challenges that they face along the way. The film was praised for its portrayal of autism and for Hoffman’s performance, which earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor.

“ Born on the Fourth of July ” is a 1989 biographical war drama film directed by Oliver Stone, starring Tom Cruise as Ron Kovic, a Vietnam War veteran who becomes an anti-war activist. The film follows Kovic’s journey from his time serving in the Vietnam War, to his return home as a paraplegic, and his eventual involvement in the anti-war movement.

Throughout the film, we see how Kovic’s experiences in the war shaped his political views and his activism, as well as the challenges he faced in his personal life. The film was praised for its portrayal of the Vietnam War and its impact on soldiers, as well as Cruise’s performance, which earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.

‘A Few Good Men,’ ‘The Firm’ and ‘Interview with a Vampire’

In 1992, Cruise showed his acting skills by sharing the screen with a legendary actor named Jack Nicholson in the military courtroom drama film “ A Few Good Men “. The film was a box office success and earned Cruise a Golden Globe nomination. He continued to prove himself as a top actor with leading roles in “The Firm ” (1993) and “ Interview with a Vampire ” (1994), which also starred Brad Pitt .

‘Mission: Impossible,’ ‘Jerry McGuire’

Afterwards, Cruise appeared in two major successful films: Mission Impossible (1996), which he also produced and earned $64 million at the box office, and Jerry McGuire (1996), directed by Cameron Crowe and highly praised. For his role in Jerry McGuire, Cruise received a second Academy Award nomination and won a Golden Globe for Best Actor.

‘Eyes Wide Shut,’ ‘Magnolia’

During 1997 and 1998, Cruise and his then-spouse Kidman stayed in England to film “ Eyes Wide Shut ,” a sensual suspense movie that turned out to be director Stanley Kubrick ‘s last project. The film received mixed reviews when it was released in the summer of 1999. In the same year, Cruise achieved considerable success with his role as a confident sex coach in the ensemble movie “ Magnolia ,” which earned him another Golden Globe Award and a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards.

Tom Cruise and Mimi Rogers

In 1987, Tom Cruise married Mimi Rogers , who is also an American actress and producer. Rogers was born on January 27, 1956, in Coral Gables, Florida. She started her acting career in the late 1970s with small roles in TV shows such as “Hill Street Blues” and “Magnum, P.I.”

Rogers played a significant role in Tom Cruise’s life as she introduced him to the Church of Scientology. The couple met in the mid-1980s when Cruise was just starting out in the industry. At the time, Rogers was already an established actress and had been a member of Scientology for several years.

Their marriage was short-lived, lasting only three years, from 1987 to 1990. Despite the brief union, their relationship had a profound impact on Cruise’s life. It was during this time that he became deeply involved in the Church of Scientology, which has been a central aspect of his personal and professional life ever since.

After the divorce, both Tom Cruise and Mimi Rogers continued their respective careers in the entertainment industry. Cruise went on to become one of the most successful actors in Hollywood, starring in blockbuster films such as “Top Gun,” “Mission: Impossible,” and “Jerry Maguire.”

Mimi Rogers, on the other hand, continued to act in smaller roles in films and TV shows. She also produced some independent films and worked as an executive producer on the TV series “The Loop.”

In conclusion, Tom Cruise and Mimi Rogers are two well-known figures in the entertainment industry who were briefly married in the late 1980s. Their relationship introduced Cruise to the Church of Scientology, which has been a significant influence on his life ever since. Despite their divorce, both have continued to have successful careers in Hollywood.

Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman

Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman were a Hollywood power couple who were married from 1990 to 2001. They first met on the set of the movie “Days of Thunder” in 1989, and soon after began dating.

Their marriage was highly publicized and often portrayed as a fairytale romance. They adopted two children together, Isabella and Connor, and appeared in several films together, including “Eyes Wide Shut”, directed by Stanley Kubrick.

However, despite their seemingly idyllic life together, rumors began to circulate that their marriage was on the rocks. In 2001, they announced their separation, with Cruise filing for divorce.

Since their split, both Cruise and Kidman have gone on to successful careers in Hollywood. Cruise has continued to star in blockbuster films such as the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, while Kidman has won critical acclaim for her roles in movies like “Moulin Rouge!” and “The Hours”.

Although they have both moved on and remarried, their relationship continues to be a topic of fascination for many fans and tabloids alike. Some speculate that their involvement in the Church of Scientology may have contributed to their split, while others simply lament the end of one of Hollywood’s most iconic couples.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were a Hollywood power couple who were married from 2006 to 2012. Cruise, born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV on July 3, 1962, is an American actor and producer who has appeared in numerous blockbuster films such as Top Gun, Jerry Maguire, and the Mission: Impossible series. Holmes, born Kate Noelle Holmes on December 18, 1978, is also an American actress who gained fame for her role in the TV series Dawson’s Creek.

Cruise and Holmes met in 2005 and began dating in April of that year. Their relationship attracted intense media coverage due to their high-profile careers, and they were often referred to as “TomKat” by the press. On June 17, 2005, Cruise famously declared his love for Holmes during an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, jumping up and down on the host’s couch in a display of exuberance.

The couple got engaged in June 2005, and their daughter Suri was born on April 18, 2006. Cruise and Holmes were married in a lavish ceremony at the Castello Odescalchi in Bracciano, Italy, on November 18, 2006, attended by many A-list celebrities.

However, their marriage was not without controversy. One of the main points of contention was Cruise’s affiliation with the Church of Scientology, which Holmes reportedly found to be disturbing. In June 2012, after five and a half years of marriage, Holmes filed for divorce from Cruise. The divorce was finalized on August 21, 2012, with Holmes being awarded primary custody of Suri.

Despite the end of their marriage, Cruise and Holmes have both continued to have successful careers in the entertainment industry. Cruise has continued his work as an actor, producer, and philanthropist, while Holmes has appeared in numerous films and TV shows, including Logan Lucky and Ray Donovan.

Tom Cruise’s Net Worth and Assets

Tom Cruise is a renowned Hollywood actor, producer, and filmmaker who has been active in the entertainment industry for several decades. As of 2023, his net worth is estimated to be around $600 million, making him one of the wealthiest actors in the world.

Cruise’s wealth can be attributed to his successful career as an actor, as well as his roles as a producer and director. He has starred in numerous blockbuster films.

In addition to his film work, Cruise has also produced and directed several movies. Through his production company, Cruise/Wagner Productions, he has also developed various TV shows and films.

Aside from his professional endeavors, Cruise’s personal life has also contributed to his net worth. He owns several luxurious properties, including a mansion in Beverly Hills, which he purchased for $35 million in 2007, as well as a penthouse in New York City that he bought for $30 million in 2019. He also owns a 320-acre estate in Telluride, Colorado, where he often spends his time skiing and relaxing.

Cruise is known for his love of fast cars and motorcycles, and he owns several high-end vehicles, including a Bugatti Veyron , a Porsche 911 GT3 RS , and a Ducati Desmosedici RR motorbike.

Despite his immense wealth, Cruise is also known for his philanthropic efforts. He has donated millions of dollars to various charities over the years, including the Church of Scientology , which he is a prominent member of.

Overall, Tom Cruise’s net worth and assets are a reflection of his successful career as an actor, producer, and director, as well as his personal interests and philanthropic endeavors.

Tom Cruise’s Scientology Beliefs and Controversies

Tom Cruise is a well-known actor and producer in Hollywood, who has been associated with the Church of Scientology for several years. The Church of Scientology is a religious movement that was founded by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s and claims to offer spiritual guidance and enlightenment to its followers.

Cruise has been a vocal supporter of Scientology and has credited his success and personal growth to the teachings and practices of the religion. He has even said that he would not be where he is today without Scientology.

However, Cruise’s association with Scientology has been controversial over the years. The Church of Scientology has been accused of being a cult that manipulates and controls its followers, using tactics such as brainwashing and isolation from the outside world. Several former members of the church have come forward with allegations of abuse and mistreatment.

One particularly controversial aspect of Scientology is its belief in “auditing”, a process in which a person is asked personal questions about their experiences and feelings while holding onto electrodes. The information gathered during the auditing process is used to help individuals overcome negative emotions and memories, but critics argue that it can be used to manipulate and control members.

Cruise has also been criticized for his involvement in Scientology’s anti-psychiatry stance, which has led some to accuse him of discouraging people from seeking medical treatment for mental health issues. In a now-infamous interview with Matt Lauer on “Today,” Cruise dismissed psychiatry as a “pseudoscience” and criticized Brooke Shields for taking medication to treat her postpartum depression.

Furthermore, there have been reports of Cruise using his celebrity status to promote Scientology and recruit new members. According to some reports, he has personally intervened in the lives of friends and colleagues who were considering leaving the church.

In conclusion, Tom Cruise’s association with Scientology has been both a source of personal growth and controversy. While he credits the religion with helping him achieve success in his career, critics have accused Scientology of being a cult that manipulates and controls its followers. Additionally, Cruise’s involvement in anti-psychiatry stances and alleged attempts to promote the religion to others have also drawn criticism.

Tom Cruise’s Awards and Achievements

Tom Cruise is a highly acclaimed Hollywood actor, having earned multiple awards and recognition throughout his career. He has received numerous accolades for his performances in various films, as well as for his contribution to the film industry as a producer.

Some of Tom Cruise’s most notable awards and achievements include:

• Golden Globe Awards : Tom Cruise has won three Golden Globe Awards in his career. He won his first award in 1990 for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama for his role in “Born on the Fourth of July”. He then won his second award in 1997 for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical for his role in “Jerry Maguire”. His third Golden Globe win came in 2000 for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for his performance in “Magnolia”.
• Academy Award nominations : Despite his critically acclaimed performances, Tom Cruise has yet to win an Academy Award. However, he has been nominated for three Academy Awards over the course of his career. His first nomination came in 1989 for Best Actor for his role in “Born on the Fourth of July”. He was next nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 1997 for his performance in “Jerry Maguire”. His most recent nomination was for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in 2000 for his work in “Magnolia”.
• Box office success : Tom Cruise is one of the highest-grossing actors in the history of cinema. He has appeared in many blockbuster films that have grossed hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide, including “Top Gun”, “Mission: Impossible” franchise, and “War of the Worlds”.
• Producer credit : In addition to acting, Tom Cruise has also produced several films throughout his career. His producing credits include “The Last Samurai”, “Valkyrie”, and the “Mission: Impossible” franchise.
• Honorary doctorate : In 2003, Tom Cruise was awarded an honorary doctorate in Fine Arts by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) for his contribution to the film industry.
• Hollywood Walk of Fame star : In 1986, Tom Cruise was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in recognition of his contributions to the entertainment industry.

Tom Cruise is undoubtedly one of the most successful actors in Hollywood history. He has received numerous awards and accolades throughout his career and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. His dedication to his craft and passion for film have earned him a special place in the hearts of audiences around the world.

Tom Cruise’s Philanthropic Contributions

One of the most significant charitable contributions that Cruise has made is through his involvement in the Church of Scientology. Although the church has been criticized by some for its controversial practices, Cruise has been an active member for many years and has donated millions of dollars to its various causes.

For example, Cruise has contributed heavily to the church’s efforts to promote literacy worldwide through its “Study Technology” program. He has also been involved in the church’s anti-drug campaign, which seeks to combat drug abuse among young people.

In addition to his work with the Church of Scientology, Cruise has also supported numerous other charitable causes over the years. In 2009, he donated $2 million to help build a new hospital wing at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Cruise has also been involved in efforts to provide relief and aid to victims of natural disasters. In 2010, following the devastating earthquake in Haiti, Cruise teamed up with director Paul Haggis to charter a plane to deliver supplies to the country. The two men also visited the country to assess the situation firsthand and lend their support.

Other causes that Cruise has supported include environmental conservation, cancer research, and veterans’ organizations. In 2015, he was honored with the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Humanitarian Award in recognition of his philanthropic work.

Despite his busy schedule as one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Cruise has remained committed to using his wealth and influence to make a positive impact on the world. His contributions to various charitable causes have helped to improve the lives of countless people, and his dedication to these causes serves as an inspiration to others who may be looking for ways to give back to their communities.

Tom Cruise is a Hollywood legend with a career spanning over three decades. He has starred in several blockbuster movies and has won numerous awards. Despite controversies surrounding his personal beliefs and relationships, he remains one of the most successful and respected actors in the industry.His dedication to his craft, work ethic, and philanthropy have earned him a special place in the hearts of his fans. Tom Cruise’s impact on Hollywood is immeasurable, and his contributions to the industry will be remembered for years to come.

In conclusion, Tom Cruise’s life and career are an inspiration to many aspiring actors and moviegoers around the world. His talent, hard work, and commitment to excellence have made him an iconic figure in Hollywood history. While controversies may surround some aspects of his beliefs and personal life, there is no denying the significant contributions he has made to the film industry and the world at large.

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The Tragic Real-Life Story Of Tom Cruise

Fame and fortune bring with them many perks: freedom from want, tickets to anywhere in the world, the adoration of millions, and immense power in one's chosen field. Tom Cruise has enjoyed his fair share of them all. Described by France24 as the last survivor of the age of the movie star, Cruise has retained his status as an internationally beloved actor for decades, and per the Hollywood Reporter , that has translated into a great deal of authority over the movies he stars in. Couple that kind of success with genuine acting talent and endearing good looks even as he enters his 60s, and it's easy to think that Cruise hasn't a care in the world.

But fame and fortune aren't a cure-all. They can't blot out humble beginnings or past tragedies. They aren't a safeguard against heartbreak and loss. In the publicity-mad world of Hollywood, particularly in the age of the internet, fame and fortune can buy some privacy and security, but not enough to blot out controversy. For all that a four-decade career as an actor has brought him, a closer look reveals that Cruise hasn't always lived such a charmed existence.

He grew up poor, nomadic, and abused

During perhaps the most controversial period of his career, in the early 2000s, Tom Cruise gave a lengthy interview to Parade about his upbringing. He was born on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, New York, with the birth name of Thomas Cruise Mapother IV. His father held the same name, one generation back, and his mother was Mary Lee. With three sisters to care for along with their son, the Mapothers struggled to make ends meet. Mapother III had no luck keeping down a job as an electrical engineer, and the family was often on the move as he sought work. Mary Lee became the primary breadwinner, working up to three jobs at a time to keep the family going.

But if Mapother III didn't provide, he exercised control over his family in other ways. In " Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography ," Andrew Morton suggests that the father's handling of his son crossed the line from tough love into physical abuse more than once. And apart from any life lessons, the actor recalled that when life didn't go his father's way, he took it out on those around him. "[My father] was the kind of person where, if something goes wrong, they kick you," he told Parade. "He was a bully and a coward."

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services .

He was bullied for his dyslexia

Bullies can latch onto anything to use as an attack, and the young Tom Cruise gave them plenty of ammunition, according to his 2006 Parade interview. He was often the new kid; being part of a family that was always moving, Cruise claimed he went to 15 schools in 12 years (Andrew Morton gives the number as five in " Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography "). Coming from a poor family, he wore the "wrong" clothes. He was on the short side even then – a fact that didn't deter Cruise from fighting back against the bullies who came for him. "I never liked hitting someone, but I know if I don't hit that guy hard he's going to pick on me all year," he recalled.

One of the biggest targets on Cruise's back was his struggles in the classroom. From an early age, he found it impossible to read and ended up in remedial classes, attracting more attention from bullies. He was 7 years old by the time a school-referred psychiatrist diagnosed him with dyslexia. Having a name for the problem didn't immediately solve it, however. Cruise found the experience of being "labeled" upsetting, and he later traced his rejection of psychiatry as a science to this early diagnosis.

He's had to work since he was 8

Lots of kids pick up odd jobs around the neighborhood. Maybe they take them on for a lark, or maybe they aim to pick up a little spending money for candy, games, or outings. For a young Tom Cruise, odd jobs were how he paid for movie tickets, which were a passion of his from age 4 on, according to People (via CNBC ). In the days before home video, YouTube, and streaming, the only way to take in the movies was at the theater, so a portion of Cruise's income from mowing lawns, delivering papers, and other bits of work went to the box office.

Circumstances wouldn't allow him to sink all his earnings into movie tickets, however. Money was so tight for Cruise's household that, on one occasion, they forwent Christmas presents and gave each other poems instead. Cruise's mother attempted to keep up with multiple jobs, but any contribution her children could make was welcome and often needed. So a portion of Cruise's income from his neighborhood tasks went toward the necessities of life.

His dreams of priesthood were undone by vice

These days, Tom Cruise can hardly be mentioned without some reference to the Church of Scientology, of which he is so prominently – and so controversially – a part. But Cruise grew up in a traditional Catholic household, and well into his college years, Catholicism is where he sought spirituality. For a time, according to Andrew Morton's " Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography ," Cruise entertained the idea of becoming a Franciscan priest. To that end, he enrolled in the St. Francis Seminary of Cincinnati, though the appeal wasn't entirely a matter of faith. "We didn't have the money back then, and I went for the education for a year, and it was free," Cruise later explained.

The experience of seminary was apparently a happy one for Cruise. Sports, hobby shops, and even the discipline of boarding school life appealed to him. Maintaining that discipline proved a challenge, however, when there was no shortage of local girls. Cruise, even then, possessed the gift of charm. He would later say that women were too appealing to sacrifice even to the Franciscan order, and he and the seminary have claimed that he left voluntarily. 

But a friend from St. Francis, Shane Dempler, insisted to the Cincinnati Seminal that Cruise's priestly ambitions were genuine. The real end to that dream, said Dempler, came when he and Cruise were caught robbing the Franciscans of their booze.

His father's unhappy end

The abuse that Thomas Cruise Mapother III inflicted on his family came to a head in 1974. This, writes Andrew Morton in " Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography ," is when Mapother's verbal attacks, secret drinking, and instability became too much for his wife Mary Lee. In a momentous decision for a devout Catholic woman of her generation, she took the children, left Mapother, and filed for divorce. It was a significant financial gamble as well as a personal upheaval; Mapother was not prepared to provide child support.

Tom Cruise, 12 at the time, did not mourn his father's absence from home. When Mapother followed his family to Kentucky and attempted to reach out to his son, Cruise firmly rejected him. Morton writes that, when Mapother remarried, Cruise put in a dutiful appearance at the ceremony. Once it was over, he abstained from all contact with his father, his new stepmother, and his stepsiblings.

Some effort at reconciliation was made in the 1980s, after Cruise's acting career had begun. By then, Mapother was gravely ill, wasting away from cancer in his late 40s. He imposed a condition on the reunion: no questions about the past. Cruise accepted his father's terms and met with him in the hospital. Later, he could only describe the final encounter as "sad."

His first marriage was brief but consequential

Tom Cruise hasn't hesitated to defend Scientology , as in an infamous " 60 Minutes Australia " interview. He credits it with helping him overcome his learning disabilities. But as more details of the organization's unsavory practices have emerged over the years, Cruise's membership in Scientology and the role it plays in his life have been fodder for rumor, tabloid gossip, and investigative books and documentaries.

According to The Hollywood Reporter , Cruise joined Scientology during his first marriage, to Mimi Rogers. While he maintains that he didn't join because of Rogers, she did bring him into a family with longstanding ties. Rogers' parents had connections to L. Ron Hubbard himself. As a means to grow his following (per Andrew Morton in " Tom Cruise ") Hubbard developed "Project Celebrity," a targeted recruitment of the famous, once-famous, or soon-to-be-famous. Cruise's star was on the rise when he and Rogers got together in the 1980s, and church head David Miscavige saw the acquisition of such a hot up-and-comer as a coup at a precarious time in Scientology's history (per Morton ).

According to Lawrence Wright's " Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief ," Rogers became a hindrance to Scientology's ambitions for Cruise. While she helped to bring him in, her family was no longer in good standing with the church – not the sort of people to help its profile. The marriage was already troubled, but church "mediators" helped to push Cruise and Rogers apart in 1990.

He almost left the Church Of Scientology

From its very beginning, Scientology has attracted chilling accusations. Ex-member Leah Remini's A&E series "Scientology and the Aftermath" was an often damning insight into many of the charges, including fraud, extortion, obstruction of justice, intimidation of critics, and brainwashing. Remini described Tom Cruise as brainwashed when promoting her series through Variety , though she also stated to The Daily Beast that Cruise is well aware of the truth of the organization.

Cruise has never claimed to be brainwashed and never acknowledged any uncouth practices by his religion. He hasn't spoken of any issues he has with the church either. But according to The Daily Beast , after his first marriage to Mimi Rogers ended and he became romantically involved with Nicole Kidman in the 1990s, Cruise's attachment to Scientology wavered. In part, this was due to his infatuation with Kidman; the attraction had already led him away from his first marriage. Kidman became a Scientologist for Cruise, but when she reached her limit with the church and its leader, David Miscavige, Cruise appeared to follow her lead.

Another factor keeping Cruise away from Scientology was Stanley Kubrick – or rather, the filming of Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut" in England. The record-breaking 46-week shoot meant that Cruise and Kidman were out of easy reach of Miscavige, and away from the household staff who spied on them on his behalf. But Miscavige, who coveted Cruise as a tempting lure for recruits, was unwilling to let him go.

Scientology brought down his second marriage

Tom Cruise was deeply in love with Nicole Kidman when they first met and worked together (per The Daily Beast ) and the Church of Scientology was there to fan the flames. Journalist Tony Ortega is quoted by the Beast as saying that the organization's leaders felt their romance would be a passing fancy, a way to separate Cruise from his then-wife Mimi Rogers and her family of disreputable church members. Cruise becoming so committed to Kidman that he eventually married her was unexpected – and unwelcome.

Like Cruise, Kidman came from a Catholic background and once entertained a lifetime of service within a Catholic order. But Kidman's father was also a prominent psychologist, a profession that is among the great evils inflicting humanity according to Scientology's teachings. Even worse was her stepping into Scientology, leaving, and taking Cruise with her. Sources have claimed that church head David Miscavige personally ordered an operation to sink Cruise and Kidman's marriage and get the star back in the church.

The lengths Scientology went to break up the couple included sending private investigators after Kidman, tapping her phones (allegedly on Cruise's wish), and subjecting Cruise himself to relentless "auditing." This practice, a thorough drilling of a subject on intimate details about their lives, is among Scientology's most powerful tools for retaining control over its members according to HuffPost . The church's efforts came together just as they had in Cruise's relationship with Rogers; he filed for divorce in 2001.

He and Nicole Kidman lost a child

After filing for divorce from Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise insisted to Vanity Fair (via E! News ), "She knows why, and I know why." But according to Andrew Morton's " Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography ," Cruise's request – delivered by a third party – was a shocking turn for his wife. She tried to enter marriage counseling, as offered by the Church of Scientology according to Lawrence Wright's " Going Clear, " but Cruise was not receptive. Complicating matters for Kidman was her learning that she was pregnant with the child of the man so coldly leaving her.

Early on in their marriage, according to Kidman in a Marie Claire interview, she and Cruise were expecting. But it was an ectopic pregnancy, a condition where the fertilized egg attaches outside the uterus. It was a devastating experience for Kidman, and per Morton , doctors suggested that the couple should avoid trying for another baby. Years later, at the end of her relationship with Cruise, Kidman miscarried. Cruise, writes Morton , "sent flowers but did not visit her at the hospital."

Anger and trauma have disrupted his relationships

Divorce and childhood trauma can breed deep unhappiness in people, affecting their ability to emote and connect. Eileen Berlin, Tom Cruise's first personal manager from 1980 to 1983, suspects that to be true of her former client. In an interview with the Daily Mail in 2012, she remembered the Cruise she first met as an explosive young man. Though he could be, in her words, "sweet, respectful, and mannerly to a fault," Cruise was also prone to flying off the handle. As innocuous a gift as a photo album with clippings from fan magazines could set him off.

Cruise's anger didn't always come out fast and hot. Sometimes he made constructive use of it, as in his early role in "Taps." At other times, it manifested as a wall of resistance. "He was so private," said Berlin. "He couldn't show his true feelings. You would get so far and he would close down." For Berlin, who put Cruise up in her apartment for several months in 1980, the most obvious source of this reserve and her client's mood swings was lingering resentment toward his father. It was the same issue, says Berlin, that opened Cruise up to the overtures of Scientology.

His estrangement from his youngest daughter

During their 10-year marriage, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman adopted two children, according to The Daily Beast : Isabella and Connor. After Cruise's divorce from her, Kidman was marked by the Church of Scientology as a "Suppressive Person," those the church regards as antisocial personalities standing in the way of members' spiritual development. Such persons are to be avoided, or "disconnected" from. Not only did Cruise disconnect from his former wife, but his children (who have since been raised as Scientologists) were subjected to "reeducation" to see their mother in that light. For her part, Kidman told the Sun in 2019 that she and her children with Cruise were re-connecting.

Years later, after Cruise's brief and well-publicized marriage to Katie Holmes ended in a filing for divorce by Holmes that caught her husband off-guard, the shoe was on the other foot. In another article for The Daily Beast , Amy Zimmerman reports it was fear of Scientology's potential influence over their daughter, Suri , that helped motivate Holmes to leave Cruise. It was a fact he was reluctant to say aloud during legal proceedings, but he eventually had to concede the point. And despite his claims to the contrary, entertainment reporters suggest that Cruise has often been absent from Suri's life since the divorce.

Everything you need to know about Tom Cruise: Net worth, love life and more

Get to know the mission impossible star here.

There's no doubt that Tom Cruise is one of the hardest-working actors in Hollywood.

The 61-year-old star has appeared in over 50 movies since he first rose to fame in the eighties and the actor shows no signs of slowing down. He recently wrapped up filming for both the 7th Mission Impossible instalment and the hotly-anticipated Top Gun  sequel .

But what do you know about Tom's life away from the cameras? From his net worth to his love life, keep reading for everything you need to know about the star...

What is Tom Cruise's net worth?

Thanks to his decades of work both in front of and behind the camera, Tom has amassed quite the personal fortune. He landed his breakout role in the coming-of-age comedy Risky Business in 1983 and worked non-stop throughout the eighties and nineties before turning his hand to producing. 

These days, he's known for both starring in and producing the blockbuster Mission Impossible  franchise.

His current net worth is estimated to be $600 million , making him one of the richest actors in the world. It is believed that he makes around $50 million a year.

How tall is Tom Cruise?

Tom is 1.7m tall – or 5" 7 in feet and inches. I n 2011, the actor revealed that he is "very sensitive" about his height  after it was announced he would be bringing the character of Jack Reacher from page to screen. 

At the time, fans pointed out that he was a whole ten inches shorter than the towering hero of Lee Child's thriller series and caused him to speak out about his insecurities.

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Is tom cruise married.

The actor has been married and divorced three times. He first tied the knot in 1987 when he was just 24 years old to actress Mimi Rogers. 

It is believed that Mimi, who starred in the likes of The X-Files  and Ginger Snaps , introduced Tom to Scientology. In 1990, after three years together, the pair went their separate ways.

The same year, Tom began a romance with his Days of Thunder  co-star Nicole Kidman and after just a few months of dating the two married in a Christmas Eve ceremony. Tom and Nicole were together for over a decade but called it quits in 2001.

The star found love again four years later with Dawson's Creek star Katie Holmes . As with Tom's other marriages, they enjoyed a relatively short period of dating before he popped the question.

Their nuptials, which were held in Italy in 2006, were attended by many Hollywood stars and covered exclusively by HELLO!  Sadly for Tom, it wasn't meant to be and they split in 2012.

Does Tom Cruise have children?

Tom Cruise is a proud father of three. With his second wife, Nicole, Tom is the adoptive father of Bella, 30, and Connor, 28. Like their father, they are both members of the Church of Scientology.

MORE: Nicole Kidman's son Connor Cruise welcomes new 'family member'

Tom also welcomed a daughter Suri, 17, during his six-year marriage to Katie Holmes.

Has Tom Cruise ever won an Oscar?

Despite being in so many iconic and memorable films, Tom has never won himself an Academy Award. During his 40-year screen career, he has earned himself two Best Actor nominations - the first being for Born on the Fourth of July  in 1990  and the second for  Jerry Maguire in 1997. 

He also received a Supporting Actor nod for his part in Magnolia .

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26 Untold Tom Cruise Facts that No One Knows

Little fact lovers, let me introduce you to Thomas Cruise Mapother IV or Tom Cruise.

He is an American actor and producer😲!! 

Famous as one of the world’s highest-paid actors, Cruise has received many accolades, including three Golden Globe Awards and an Honorary Palme d’Or. 

He has even got four Academy Awards nominations.

So, let us discuss some interesting facts regarding the life and works of this amazing actor!

Interesting Tom Cruise Facts

Tom cruise was born in syracuse, n. y..

Hey there, little fact-lovers, did you know that Tom Cruise was born in Syracuse, N. Y., on July 3, 1962?

His dad, Thomas Cruise Mapother III, was an electrical engineer, and his mom was Mary Lee Pfeiffer👩‍👦. Both of his parents were from Louisville, Ky. 

Another interesting thing is that both Tom’s grandfather and great-grandfather were Thomas Cruise Mapother, as well.

Tom has two older sisters, Lee Anne and Marrian, and one younger sister called Catherine or Cass.

In 1975, Tom’s parents divorced

In 1974, When Tom’s family was residing in Ottawa, his mother packed up and took the children back to Louisville!

Later in August 1975, Mary officially divorced Tom’s father! Six weeks later, Tom’s father remarried Joan Lebendiger, a widow with four kids!

Later, one of those kids told biographer Andrew Morton that they never saw Tom, their stepbrother, again after the wedding.

In 1994, Cruise recalled to Vanity Fair , saying, “As a kid, I had a lot of hidden anger about that. I’d get hit, and I didn’t understand it.”

Cruise wanted to act from a very young age

I am really surprised to learn this interesting fact about Tom Cruise!! What about you, my friends??

This top actor wanted to act from around the time he was just 4! 🧒! Amazing, right?

Hence, he started making impressions of everyone, including Donald Duck, Humphrey Bogart, and even Elvis Presley!!

Tom’s mother got remarried to Jack South

In the year 1978, when Tom was 16, his mother got remarried to Jack South. Hence, the entire family moved to New Jersey!

He said to Rolling Stone, “In the beginning, I felt threatened by my stepfather.” 

He also added, “There’s a part of you that’s in love with your mother. But he is such a wise, smart man. He loved my mother so much that he took us all in, four young people.”

Cruise was raised Catholic

Tom Cruise was raised Catholic⛪. He spent his freshman year of high school at St. Francis Seminary, Cincinnati. 

It happened after a priest named Ric Schneider gave a talk at his school in Louisville!

In 2013, Schneider told the New York Daily News, “He was a typical teenager, trying to find his way in life.”

He further added, “We would give them an IQ test, and he just about made the cut.”

According to him, Tom scored exactly 110 when the cutoff was also 110!!

There was a time when Tom even wanted to become a priest!

Tom got kicked off the football team in high school

Have you heard this interesting secret about this famous heartthrob of Hollywood??

Tom got kicked off the football⚽ team during his senior year of high school!!

It happened after he was caught drinking!

However, according to Morton, that left Tom enough time to audition for the school musical Guys and Dolls!

Tom portrayed the role of Nathan Detroit, and a commercial director happened to see his performance!

The director told him to pursue acting professionally!

Hence, later Tom started going to New York on weekends to audition for musicals. He even missed his graduation ceremony👨‍🎓 while performing!

Tom Cruise suffered from dyslexia

This world-famous actor could not read until he was an adult! 

On several occasions, Cruise revealed that he could not read due to a debilitating case of dyslexia.

He even said that “All through school and well into my career, I felt like I had a secret.”

 He also said that “When I’d go to a new school, I wouldn’t want the other kids to know about my learning disability.” 

He even called himself “a functional illiterate” in school, though he liked learning.

Cruise was always a daredevil

If you are a fan of Cruise, like me, then you will definitely enjoy this interesting fact about this handsome actor!

Tom was always a daredevil! He loved riding his bike really fast, and sometimes even broke his bones! 

In high school, he joined the glee club, and dd plays! 

Also, Tom was an athlete. Over the years, he played baseball, soccer⚽, basketball🏀, and ice hockey! He even wrestled!

Acting and sports were the two fields where he really stood out!

Cruise and his acting debut

Tom Cruise made his acting debut in films in the 1981 drama Taps! He had done a role that was bigger than the one he was initially cast in.

According to the former Paramount head Sherry Lansing, it happened because “you could see right away that he had a giant talent.: 

Lansing even said in Stephen Galloway’s 2017 biography Leading Lady that “He was always extremely focused and exceptionally polite.”

Cruise dated his co-star Rebecca De Mornay

Cruise dated his co-star in Risky Business, Rebecca De Mornay. According to Rebecca, Tom was a ‘pure person.’

In 1986, She even told Rolling Stone , “There’s something earnest and virtuous about his that’s quite rare.”

In the summer of 1983, Tom and Rebecca started dating💞 and maintained a long-distance relationship while, in London, he shot Ridley Scott’s Legend!

However, these two broke up when Tom returned to the United States to start making Top Gun.

Tom married Mimi Rogers in 1987

Little friends, did you know this surprising fact about Cruise? No?? Let me tell you.

Although in 1986, Cruise told Rolling Stone that he wasn’t sure if he would be able to get married in his present “state of mind,” he did marry Mimi Rogers on May 9, 1987. 

It happened just two years after he met her at a dinner party! At the wedding💒, Emilio Estevez was Tom’s best man!

Tom Cruise was the one and only Maverick

Producers of Top Gun, Don Simpson, and Jerry Bruckheimer envisioned no one other than Tom portraying the role of Maverick✈️!

This happened after they saw a magazine story about the elite flying school at San Diego’s Miramar Naval Air Station.

Bruckheimer told Rolling Stone, “From the first time we went down to Miramar-even before the script was written-we said,” “These guys are Tom Cruises.”

Tom Cruise loves speed

In 1987’s movie The Color of Money, Cruise’s co-star Paul Newman turned Cruise on to race car driving and after that, Cruise has ben feeling the need for speed both in the air and on land. 

Years later, in 2010, Cruise even taught Zac Efron about motorcycles 🚴‍♂️. When Details asked why Cruise did that, Efron answered, “I don’t know.” 

He even added, “I don’t even want to know. It’s just so cool that he gave a s—t, the fact that he cared at all.”

Cruise and the Church of Scientology

Mimi Rogers and her first husband were both members of the Church of Scientology. 

Later, Mimi introduced Cruise to the organization. She even gave Tom L. Ron Hubbard’s Dianetics and other literature.

Tom’s immersion in Scientology coincide with the release of Top Gun; hence, the actor became one of the biggest stars in the world. 

Still to this day, Tom Cruise remains the most famous member of the church!

Tom Cruise, the Sexiest Man Alive

Did you know this amazing fact about Cruise, my friends? No? Let me explain.

In the year 1990, People named Tom Cruise its “Sexiest Man Alive.” 😲

At that time, he and Rogers divorced!

In 1994, when Vanity Fair asked Cruise about his first marriage, he replied, “It was a long time ago. I really don’t think about it.”

Director Oliver Stone wanted to paralyze Tom

As per Morton’s biography of Tom Cruise in 2008, director Oliver Stone wanted to inject Tom with a chemical! 

That would have rendered Tom temporarily paralyzed so that he (Tom) could better identify with the role of Ron Kovic!

Kovic was a real-life Vietnam War veteran and activist, Born on the Fourth of July in 1989.

However, the idea was actually shut down by the insurance company!

Still, the movie won two Oscars for best director and best editing. So, all things worked out perfectly!

Cruise married Nicole Kidman

During the days of casting for the racing movie Days of Thunder! Later, they tied the knot on December 24, 1990.

They adopted two kids, Isabella and Connor.

Cruise and Kidman starred in two more films together Far and Away and Eyes Wide Shut.

Cruise married Kidman to protect his reputation

I am really surprised to learn this unique fact about Cruise!!

According to several reports, Cruise married Kidman to protect his reputation at the time. Because that time, several tabloids claimed that Cruise was gay😲!

Actually, these rumors started when gay porn star Chad Slater stated that he and Cruise had a relationship!

However, later, it was proven that these rumors were false😲!

In 2001, Tom filed for divorce from Kidman

Tom Cruise filed for divorce from Nicole Kidman in February 2001. 

At that time, Kidman was unknowingly pregnant 🤰; however, unfortunately, the pregnancy ended in a miscarriage!

Later the year, Cruise cryptically told Vanity Fair, “She knows why, and I know why.” He even added, “She’s the mother of my children, and I wish her well.”

Tom Cruise saved Ray-Ban

Love Ray Ban sunglasses!!? Then you will surely love this fact!

In 1981, the company Ray-Ban was in the grip of financial turmoil, as it could only sell 18,000 units of its now popular wayfarers!

Tom Cruise donned these sunglasses in a few of his most famous movies 🎬 like ‘Top Gun,’ ‘Risky Business,’ and ‘Rain Man.’ 

Also, some of his smart product placements were funded by Ray-Ban; thus, Tom Cruise was solely responsible for saving the company!

Later, in the year 1986, Ray-Ban saw a 40% increase in sales when Top Gun was released!

The shooting of Eyes Wide Shut lasted for 18 months

Initially, the shoot 🎬 of Eyes Wide Shut was scheduled to last for just four months!

However, it ended up keeping Cruise and Kidman in London for around 18 months.

During their time in England, they attended Princess Diana’s funeral in September 1997. 

Also, Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks attended the funeral as well!

Tom Cruise and His Mission Impossible

If you are a fan of the movie Mission Impossible, then you will surely love this wonderful secret about Cruise!

Tom wanted Brian de Palma to direct Mission: Impossible .

In that case, it would mark his debut as a producer with his partner Paula Wagner!

Cruise even deferred his salary of 20 million dollars so that they could raise the budget for the film. 

Later, Mission Impossible made about 500 million dollars worldwide and even spawned a franchise!

Tom Cruise was supposed to play Iron Man

Little friends, have you heard this surprising fact about Cruise??

The character of Tony Shark, or our favorite Iron Man, was reportedly first offered to Tom Cruise prior to Robert Downy Jr. was being cast!! Really interesting, isn’t it??

However, Tom declined the offer!!

The YouTube video scandal

In 2008, the Church of Scientology produced a video that featured an interview with Tom! It was posted on YouTube by the Anonymous Group. 

However, the video was taken down on claims of being edited and prated.

Later, the video was reinstated as investigations revealed that it didn’t breach the copyright law!

As of June 2020, the video got more than 15 million views, and YouTube didn’t want to remove it again due to its incredible popularity!

Cruise and Katie Holmes and their daughter

In April 2005, Tom and Katie started dating!

On May 23, 2005, Cruise jumped up on Oprah Winfrey’s couch on a talk show and talked about his love for Katie Holmes!

At that time, media coverage implied that Oprah was actually taken aback by Tom’s outburst!

Later, Tom and Katie had a daughter, Suri, on April 2006, and they even got married! 

However, On July 9, Katie filed for divorce from Tom! 

Another interesting fact is that all three of Cruises’ ex-wives were 33 years of age at the time of divorce!! Interesting, isn’t it?

Cruise has never got an Oscar

I am really sad to learn this fact about Cruise!!

Surprisingly this amazingly talented and handsome actor has never won an Oscar, even after being nominated three times!

He got nominations for movies like ‘Magnolia;’, ‘Jerry Maguire,’ and ‘Born on the Fourth of July.’

So, little fact explorers, how are you feeling after knowing so many surprising facts about Tom Cruise?

We have tried to collect as much information about him as possible😲…and we are sure you are quite happy.

Looking forward to getting your answer! 😊!

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Tom Cruise facts for kids

Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise , is an American actor and producer. Regarded as a Hollywood icon , he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Golden Globe Awards , in addition to nominations for four Academy Awards . His films have grossed over $4 billion in North America and over $11.5 billion worldwide, making him one of the highest-grossing box-office stars of all time. He is consistently one of the world's highest-paid actors.

Cruise began acting in the early 1980s and made his breakthrough with leading roles in the comedy film Risky Business (1983) and action film Top Gun (1986). Critical acclaim came with his roles in the dramas The Color of Money (1986), Rain Man (1988), and Born on the Fourth of July (1989). For his portrayal of Ron Kovic in the latter, he won a Golden Globe Award and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor . As a leading Hollywood star in the 1990s, he starred in commercially successful films, including the drama A Few Good Men (1992), the thriller The Firm (1993), the horror film Interview with the Vampire (1994), and the romance Jerry Maguire (1996). For the latter, he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor and received a second Academy Award nomination. Cruise's performance as a motivational speaker in the drama Magnolia (1999) earned him another Golden Globe Award and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor .

Since then, Cruise has largely starred in science fiction and action films, establishing himself as an action star, often performing his own risky stunts. He has played Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible film series since 1996. His other notable roles in the genre include Vanilla Sky (2001), Minority Report (2002), The Last Samurai (2003), Collateral (2004), War of the Worlds (2005), Knight and Day (2010), Jack Reacher (2012), Oblivion (2013), Edge of Tomorrow (2014), Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016), The Mummy (2017), and Top Gun: Maverick (2022), with Maverick being his highest-grossing film.

Cruise has been married to actresses Mimi Rogers , Nicole Kidman , and Katie Holmes . He adopted two children during his marriage to Kidman, and a biological daughter conceived with Holmes. Cruise is an outspoken advocate for the Church of Scientology , which he credits with helping him overcome dyslexia . Cruise has been a close friend of Church of Scientology leader David Miscavige since the 1980s.

Early life and education

Break with paramount, management of united artists, return to paramount, marriages and relationships, scientology advocacy, filmography, awards and legacy.

Cruise was born on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, New York , to electrical engineer Thomas Cruise Mapother III (1934–1984) and special education teacher Mary Lee (née Pfeiffer; 1936–2017). His parents were both from Louisville, Kentucky , and had English, German, and Irish ancestry. Cruise has three sisters named Lee Anne, Marian, and Cass. One of his cousins, William Mapother , is also an actor who has appeared alongside Cruise in five films. Cruise grew up in near poverty and had a Catholic upbringing. He later described his father as "a merchant of chaos", a "bully", and a "coward" who beat his children. He elaborated, "[My father] was the kind of person where, if something goes wrong, they kick you. It was a great lesson in my life—how he'd lull you in, make you feel safe and then, bang! For me, it was like, 'There's something wrong with this guy. Don't trust him. Be careful around him.'"

In total, Cruise attended 15 schools in 14 years. Cruise spent part of his childhood in Canada; when his father took a job as a defense consultant with the Canadian Armed Forces , his family moved in late 1971 to Beacon Hill, Ottawa. He attended the new Robert Hopkins Public School for his fourth and fifth grade education. He first became involved in drama in fourth grade, under drama teacher George Steinburg. He and six other boys put on an improvised play to music called IT at the Carleton Elementary School drama festival. Drama organizer Val Wright was in the audience and later said that "the movement and improvisation were excellent ... a classic ensemble piece." In sixth grade, Cruise went to Henry Munro Middle School in Ottawa. That year, his mother left his father, taking Cruise and his sisters back to the United States. In 1978, she married Jack South. Cruise's biological father died of cancer in 1984. Cruise briefly took a Catholic Church scholarship and attended the St. Francis Seminary in Cincinnati , Ohio; he aspired to become a Franciscan priest before being expelled from the seminary. This led to his becoming interested in acting. In his senior year of high school, he played football for the varsity team as a linebacker , but was cut from the squad after getting caught drinking beer before a game. He went on to star in the school's production of Guys and Dolls . In 1980, he graduated from Glen Ridge High School in Glen Ridge, New Jersey .

Acting career

At age 18, with the blessing of his mother and stepfather, Cruise moved to New York City to pursue an acting career. After working as a busboy in New York, he went to Los Angeles to try out for television roles. He signed with CAA and began acting in films. He first appeared in a bit part in the 1981 film Endless Love , followed by a major supporting role as a crazed military academy student in Taps later that year. In 1983, Cruise was part of the ensemble cast of The Outsiders . That same year he appeared in All the Right Moves and Risky Business , which has been described as "A Generation X classic, and a career maker for Tom Cruise." He also played the male lead in the Ridley Scott film Legend , released in 1985. By 1986's Top Gun , his status as a superstar had been cemented.

Cruise followed up Top Gun with Martin Scorsese 's The Color of Money (1986), which came out the same year, and which paired him with Paul Newman . Their chemistry won praise among critics. In 1988, Cruise starred in Cocktail , a film that was a box office success but failed with critics. His performance earned him a nomination for the Razzie Award for Worst Actor. Later that year he starred with Dustin Hoffman in Barry Levinson 's Rain Man , which won the Academy Award for Best Film and Cruise the Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor.

In 1989, Cruise portrayed real-life paralyzed Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic in Oliver Stone 's war epic Born on the Fourth of July . Film critic Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote, "Nothing Cruise has done will prepare you for what he does in Born on the Fourth of July  ... His performance is so good that the movie lives through it. Stone is able to make his statement with Cruise's face and voice and doesn't need to put everything into the dialogue." The performance earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama, the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor, the People's Choice Award for Favorite Motion Picture Actor, a nomination for BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role , and Cruise's first Best Actor Academy Award nomination.

Cruise's next films were Days of Thunder (1990) and Far and Away (1992), both of which co-starred then-wife Nicole Kidman as his love interest, followed by the legal thriller The Firm , which was a critical and commercial success. In 1994, Cruise starred along with Brad Pitt , Antonio Banderas and Christian Slater in Neil Jordan 's Interview with the Vampire , a gothic drama/horror film that was based on Anne Rice's best-selling novel. The film was well-received, although Rice was initially quite outspoken in her criticism of Cruise having been cast in the film, as Julian Sands was her first choice. Upon seeing the film, however, she paid $7,740 for a two-page ad in Daily Variety praising his performance and apologizing for her previous doubts about him.

In 1996, Cruise appeared as superspy Ethan Hunt in the reboot of Mission: Impossible , which he produced. The film was directed by Brian De Palma and was a box office success, although it received criticism regarding the Jim Phelps character being a villain despite being a protagonist of the original television series. In the same year, Cruise took on the title role in Cameron Crowe's sports drama Jerry Maguire playing a sports agent in search of love. He stars opposite Renee Zellweger , and Cuba Gooding Jr. The film was a massive financial success with Cruise earning a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and his second nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actor .

In 1999, Cruise costarred with Kidman in Stanley Kubrick 's psychological drama film Eyes Wide Shut . Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian praised both Cruise and Kidman on their performances writing, "Cruise in particular lays himself open in that fiercely committed way that he tries everything as an actor". That same year he took a rare supporting role , as a motivational speaker, Frank T.J. Mackey, in Paul Thomas Anderson 's Magnolia (1999). Rolling Stone film critic Peter Travers heaped praise on Cruise writing, "Cruise is a revelation, fully deserving of the shower of superlatives coming his way ... Cruise seethes with the chaotic energy of a wounded animal – he’s devastating." For his performance he received another Golden Globe and nomination for an Academy Award .

In 2000, Cruise returned as Ethan Hunt in the second installment of the Mission Impossible films, Mission: Impossible 2 . The film was helmed by Hong Kong director John Woo and branded with his gun fu style; it continued the series' success at the box office, taking in $547 million worldwide. Like its predecessor, it was the highest-grossing film of the year and had a mixed critical reception. Cruise received an MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance for the film.

His next five films were major critical and commercial successes. The following year, Cruise starred in the romantic thriller Vanilla Sky (2001) with Cameron Diaz and Penélope Cruz . In 2002, Cruise starred in the dystopian science fiction action film Minority Report , which was directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the science fiction short story by Philip K. Dick .

In 2003, he starred in Edward Zwick 's period action drama The Last Samurai , for which he received a Golden Globe nomination for best actor. In 2004, Cruise received critical acclaim for his performance as Vincent in Collateral . The critical consensus states that "Driven by director Michael Mann 's trademark visuals and a lean, villainous performance from Tom Cruise, Collateral is a stylish and compelling noir thriller." In 2005, Cruise worked again with Steven Spielberg in War of the Worlds , a loose adaptation of the H. G. Wells novel of the same name , which became the fourth highest-grossing film of the year with US$591.4 million worldwide. Also in 2005, he was a nominee for the People's Choice Award for Favorite Male Movie Star and the winner of the MTV Generation Award. Cruise was nominated for seven Saturn Awards between 2002 and 2009, winning once. Nine of the ten films he starred in during the decade made over $100 million at the box office.

In 2006, he returned to his role as Ethan Hunt in the third installment of the Mission Impossible film series, Mission: Impossible III . The film was more positively received by critics than the previous films in the series, and grossed nearly $400 million at the box office. In 2007, Cruise took a rare supporting role for the second time in Lions for Lambs , which was a commercial disappointment. This was followed by an unrecognizable appearance as "Les Grossman" in the 2008 comedy Tropic Thunder with Ben Stiller , Jack Black , and Robert Downey Jr. This performance earned Cruise a Golden Globe nomination. Cruise played the central role in the historical thriller Valkyrie released on December 25, 2008, to box office success.

In March 2010, Cruise completed filming the action-comedy Knight and Day , in which he re-teamed with former costar Cameron Diaz; the film was released on June 23, 2010. On February 9, 2010, Cruise confirmed that he would star in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol , the fourth installment in the Mission: Impossible series. The film was released in December 2011 to high critical acclaim and box office success. Unadjusted for ticket price inflation, it was Cruise's biggest commercial success to that date.

On May 6, 2011, Cruise was awarded a humanitarian award from the Simon Wiesenthal Center and its Museum of Tolerance for his work as a dedicated philanthropist. In mid-2011, Cruise started shooting the movie Rock of Ages (2012), in which he played the fictional character Stacee Jaxx. The film was released in June 2012 and was a rare box-office misstep for Cruise. Cruise however received positive reviews for his performance with Variety ' s film critic Justin Chang writing, "Channeling the likes of Axl Rose and Keith Richards with his tattoos, heavy furs and even heavier eyeshadow, Cruise clearly relishes the opportunity to play against type even as he sends up his world’s-biggest-movie-star identity, displaying a cock-of-the-rock strut that viewers haven’t seen since his turn in Magnolia ."

Cruise starred as Jack Reacher in the film adaptation of British author Lee Child's 2005 novel One Shot. The film was released on December 21, 2012. It met with positive reviews from critics and was a box office success grossing $217 million worldwide. In 2013, he starred in the science fiction film Oblivion based on director Joseph Kosinski's graphic novel of the same name. The film met with mixed reviews and grossed $286 million worldwide. It also starred Morgan Freeman and Olga Kurylenko . In 2014, Cruise starred in the science fiction-action film Edge of Tomorrow , which received positive reviews and grossed over $370 million.

In 2015, Cruise returned as Ethan Hunt in the fifth installment of the Mission: Impossible series, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation , which he also produced. Returning cast members included Simon Pegg as Benji and Jeremy Renner as William Brandt, with Christopher McQuarrie as director. The film earned high critical acclaim and was a commercial success. Cruise starred in the 2017 reboot of Boris Karloff 's 1932 horror movie The Mummy . The new film, also titled The Mummy received negative reviews and flopped at the box office. In 2018, Cruise again reprised Ethan Hunt, in the sixth film in his franchise, Mission: Impossible – Fallout . The film was more positively received by critics than the previous films in the series, and grossed over $791 million at the box office. Unadjusted for ticket price inflation, it was Cruise's biggest commercial success to date.

In May 2020, it was reported that Cruise would be starring in and producing a movie shot in outer space . Doug Liman would be directing, writing, and co-producing. Both will fly to the International Space Station as part of a future Axiom Space mission in a SpaceX Dragon 2 spacecraft. In May 2021, Cruise protested against the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) by returning all three of his Golden Globe Awards in light of controversy surrounding the HFPA, particularly its lack of diversity, specifically no black members, and ethical questions related to financial benefits to some of its members.

In 2022, Cruise reprised his role as Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in Top Gun: Maverick , a film which he also produced. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival where Cruise earned an Honorary Palme d'Or . The film was released to widespread critical praise, with many reviewers deeming it superior to its predecessor. The film broke several box office records upon its release; earning over $1 billion, becoming the highest-grossing film of his career. Cruise earned $100 million for the film, when combining ticket sales, his salary, and his cut of home entertainment rentals and streaming revenues.

Cruise reprised his role as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One which was released in theaters on July 12, 2023. The film received critical acclaim, and while being a financial success, was a box office disappointment due to the then box-office and cultural phenomenon dubbed as Barbenheimer, which was the same-day release of Christopher Nolan 's historical epic film Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwig 's fantasy comedy Barbie . Peter Debruge of Variety praised Dead Reckoning for its performances, action sequences and a satisfying ending, writing, "This outing may be one-half of a two-part finale, but it gives audiences enough closure to stand on its own".

Cruise partnered with his former talent agent Paula Wagner to form Cruise/Wagner Productions in 1993, and the company has since co-produced several of Cruise's films, the first being Mission: Impossible in 1996 which was also Cruise's first project as a producer.

Cruise is noted as having negotiated some of the most lucrative film deals in Hollywood and was described in 2005 by Hollywood economist Edward Jay Epstein as "one of the most powerful – and richest – forces in Hollywood." Epstein argues that Cruise is one of the few producers (the others being George Lucas , Steven Spielberg and Jerry Bruckheimer ) who are regarded as able to guarantee the success of a billion-dollar film franchise.

Cruise has produced many films in which he appeared, including Mission: Impossible , Without Limits , Mission: Impossible 2 , The Others and Vanilla Sky .

On August 22, 2006, Paramount Pictures announced it was ending its 14-year relationship with Cruise. In The Wall Street Journal , chairman of Viacom (Paramount's parent company) Sumner Redstone cited the economic damage to Cruise's value as an actor and producer from his controversial public behavior and views. Cruise/Wagner Productions responded that Paramount's announcement was a face-saving move after the production company had successfully sought alternative financing from private equity firms.

Industry analysts such as Edward Jay Epstein commented that the real reason for the split was most likely Paramount's discontent over Cruise/Wagner's exceptionally large share of DVD sales from the Mission: Impossible franchise.

In November 2006, Cruise and Paula Wagner announced that they had taken over the film studio United Artists . Cruise acts as a producer and star in films for United Artists, while Wagner serves as UA's chief executive.

Production began in 2007 of Valkyrie , a thriller based on the July 20, 1944, assassination attempt against Adolf Hitler . The film was acquired in March 2007 by United Artists. On March 21, 2007, Cruise signed to play Claus von Stauffenberg , the protagonist . This project marked the second production to be greenlighted since Cruise and Wagner took control of United Artists. The first was its inaugural film, Lions for Lambs , directed by Robert Redford and starring Redford, Meryl Streep and Cruise. Lambs was released on November 9, 2007, opening to unimpressive box office revenue and critical reception.

In August 2008, Wagner stepped down from her position at United Artists; she retained her stake in UA, which combined with Cruise's share amounted to 30 percent of the studio.

Cruise began working with Paramount again as a producer and star with Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol , without Wagner, which was a critical and commercial success. He and Wagner would collaborate again on the modestly successful Jack Reacher series, also for Paramount.

Personal life

Cruise splits his time between homes in Beverly Hills, California ; Clearwater, Florida ; and the South of England, where Cruise has lived in various places such as Central London , Dulwich , East Grinstead , and Biggin Hill .

In the early-to-mid-1980s, Cruise had relationships with Melissa Gilbert , Rebecca De Mornay , Patti Scialfa, and Cher .

Cruise married actress Mimi Rogers on May 9, 1987. They divorced on February 4, 1990. Rogers had grown up in Scientology and was one of its 'auditors'; they met when Cruise became one of her clients. In a 1993 interview, Rogers discussed her split from Cruise. She received a $4 million divorce settlement.

Cruise met his second wife, actress Nicole Kidman , on the set of their film Days of Thunder (1990). The couple married on December 24, 1990. They adopted two children: Isabella Jane (born 1992) and Connor Antony (born 1995). In February 2001, Cruise filed for divorce from Kidman while she was unknowingly pregnant. The pregnancy seemingly ended in a miscarriage, but in 2007 Kidman clarified the rumors by explaining that she had actually had an ectopic pregnancy.

Cruise was next romantically linked with Penélope Cruz , his co-star in Vanilla Sky (2001). Their three-year relationship ended in 2004. An article in the October 2012 issue of Vanity Fair stated that several sources have said that after the breakup with Cruz, Scientologist leaders launched a secret project to find Cruise a new girlfriend. According to those sources, a series of "auditions" of Scientologist actresses resulted in a short-lived relationship with Iranian-British actress Nazanin Boniadi , who subsequently left Scientology. Scientology and Cruise's lawyers issued strongly worded denials and threatened to sue, accusing Vanity Fair of "shoddy journalism" and "religious bigotry". Journalist Roger Friedman later reported that he received an email from director and ex-Scientologist Paul Haggis confirming the story.

In April 2005, Cruise began dating actress Katie Holmes . On April 27 that year, Cruise and Holmes—dubbed TomKat by the media—made their first public appearance together in Rome . A month later, Cruise publicly declared his love for Holmes on The Oprah Winfrey Show ; he jumped on Winfrey's yellow couch and stood there to make the announcement. Media coverage at the time implied that Oprah was somewhat taken aback by Cruise's outburst, which distracted from the intended promotion of Cruise's current film, War of the Worlds . On October 6, 2005, Cruise and Holmes announced they were expecting a child. In April 2006, their daughter Suri was born. On November 18, Holmes and Cruise were married at the 15th-century Odescalchi Castle in Bracciano, in a Scientologist ceremony attended by many Hollywood stars. Their publicists said the couple had "officialized" their marriage in Los Angeles the day before the Italian ceremony. There has been widespread speculation that their marriage was arranged by the Church of Scientology. David Miscavige , the head of Scientology, served as Cruise's best man. On June 29, 2012, Holmes filed for divorce from Cruise. On July 9, the couple signed a divorce settlement worked out by their lawyers. New York law requires all divorce documents remain sealed, so the exact terms of the settlement are not publicly available. Cruise stated that ex-wife Katie Holmes divorced him in part to protect the couple's daughter Suri from Scientology and that Suri is no longer a practicing member of the organization.

Cruise was converted to Scientology by his first wife Mimi Rogers in 1986, becoming an outspoken advocate for the Church of Scientology in the 2000s. His involvement in the organization was leaked by the tabloid Star in 1990, and he publicly admitted to following Scientology in a 1992 interview with Barbara Walters . According to the book Inside Scientology: The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion by Janet Reitman, seven years after Cruise started studying Scientology, the organization's leaders promised to share Scientology secrets, such as the prophet Xenu . According to Reitman's book, Cruise "freaked out" and took a step back. He removed himself from the Church and worked on the film Eyes Wide Shut until 1999 when David Miscavige sent Marty Rathbun to successfully "retrieve" Cruise and convince him to continue training. Cruise had become a zealot after a couple of years. Cruise is friends with the Scientology organization's chairman David Miscavige. Cruise struggled with dyslexia at an early age and has said that Scientology, specifically the L. Ron Hubbard Study Tech, helped him overcome dyslexia.

In addition to promoting various programs that introduce people to Scientology, Cruise has campaigned for Scientology to be afforded the status of a religion in Europe. In 2005, the Council of Paris revealed that Cruise had lobbied French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy and Senate President Jean-Claude Gaudin. They described him as a militant spokesman for Scientology, and barred any further dealings with him. He lobbied British Prime Minister Tony Blair to recognize the Scientology organization as a tax-exempt nonprofit organization in the United Kingdom. In the United States, he convinced Bush administration officials Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and Vice Presidential Chief of Staff Scooter Libby to oppose the non-recognition of Scientology in Germany in 2003. In 2004, he met Secretary of Education Rod Paige about endorsing Scientologist education methods as part of No Child Left Behind .

Cruise co-founded and raised donations for Downtown Medical to offer New York City 9/11 rescue workers detoxification therapy based on the works of L. Ron Hubbard. This drew criticism from medical professionals and firefighters. For such activities, Scientology leader David Miscavige created the Scientology Freedom Medal of Valor and awarded it to Cruise in late 2004. Former Scientologist Paul Haggis also claimed that Cruise attempted to convert celebrities such as James Packer , Victoria and David Beckham , Jada Pinkett and Will Smith , and Steven Spielberg to Scientology.

Since 2008, Tom Cruise has restricted interviewers from asking him about Scientology.

In 2006, Premiere ranked Cruise as Hollywood's most powerful actor, as Cruise came in at number 13 on the magazine's 2006 Power List, being the highest ranked actor. The same year, Forbes magazine ranked him as the world's most powerful celebrity. The founder of CinemaScore in 2016 cited Cruise and Leonardo DiCaprio as the "two stars, it doesn't matter how bad the film is, they can pull [the box office] up."

October 10, 2006, was declared "Tom Cruise Day" in Japan; the Japan Memorial Day Association said that he was awarded with a special day because of "his love for and close association with Japan."

While reviewing Days of Thunder , film critic Roger Ebert noted the similarities between several of Cruise's 1980s films and nicknamed the formula the Tom Cruise Picture. Ebert listed nine key ingredients that make up the Tom Cruise Picture: the Cruise character, the mentor, the superior woman, the craft he must hone, the arena it takes place in, the arcana or knowledge he must learn, the trail or journey, the proto enemy, and the eventual enemy of the character. Some of Cruise's later films like A Few Good Men and The Last Samurai can also be considered to be part of this formula.

Widescreenings compares two of these Cruise characters in an article on the film A Few Good Men ,

[screenwriter] Aaron Sorkin interestingly takes the opposite approach of Top Gun , where Cruise also starred as the protagonist. In Top Gun , Cruise plays Mitchell who is a 'hot shot' military underachiever who makes mistakes because he is trying to outperform his late father. Where Maverick Mitchell needs to rein in the discipline, Daniel Kaffee needs to let it go, finally see what he can do.

Cruise is an aerobatic pilot, and was inducted as part of the Living Legends of Aviation in 2010, receiving the Aviation Inspiration and Patriotism Award from the Kiddie Hawk Air Academy. In addition to other aircraft, Cruise owns a P-51 Mustang .

• Miles Fisher, American actor and notable Cruise impersonator
• Supercouple
• Tom Cruise: Unauthorized (1998)
• Tom Cruise: All the World's a Stage (2006)
• Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography (2008)
• Tom Cruise Purple
• This page was last modified on 12 March 2024, at 07:22. Suggest an edit .

Tom Cruise – Biography, Facts & Life Story

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Height, weight & physical stats.

Tom Cruise is a renowned American film producer as well as an actor. He has received numerous accolades for his remarkable acting, comprising off nominations for three Academy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. Tom Cruise is one of the top-paid actors across the world, and his movies have earned around $3.9 billion within America. Tom Cruise is listed amongst the top-grossing actors of all the time.

Tom Cruise started acting in early 1980s and made his revolutionary role with leading characters in comedy Risky Business and an action series Top Gun. Critical acclamation came with his characters in television serials Rain Man, The Color of Money and Born on Fourth of July. For depicting the role of Ron Kovic in the latter, he earned a Golden Globe Award and also earned a nominee for Academy Award for the Best Actor. As a prominent Hollywood superstar in 1990s, Tom Cruise appeared in a number of commercially and critically megahit movies, including the thriller The Firm, drama A Few Good Men, the horror movie Interview with Vampire, as well as the romance Jerry Maguire, for which he received another Golden Globe award and received his 2nd Oscar nominee.

Tom Cruise enactment as a motivational speaker in 1999’s drama titled Magnolia bestowed him with a 3rd Golden Globe award as well as a nominee for Academy Award for the Best Supporting Actor. As an action hero, Tom Cruise has portrayed Ethan Hunt in 6th movie of the Mission: Impossible series. Cruise also persisted to appear in numerous action and science fiction and action movies, comprising off Minority Report, Vanilla Sky, Collateral, The Last Samurai, Knight and Day, War of the Worlds, Oblivion, Edge of Tomorrow and Jack Reacher.

Tom Cruise was married to renowned actresses Nicole Kidman , Mimi Rogers and Katie Holmes . He has three kids in total, two of whom were espoused all through his marriage to Nicole and the other of whom is a genetic daughter he had with Katie. Tom Cruise is an outspoken activist for Church of Scientology and its allied social packages, and credits it with supporting him to overcome dyslexia. In the year 2000, Cruise sparked disagreement with his Church-associated censures of anti-depressant and psychiatry drugs, his exertions to support Scientology as a conviction in Europe, and a trickled video interview of him endorsing Scientology.

Check out exclusive ➡ facts about Tom Cruise .

Tom Cruise Education

Qualification: High School (Drop Out)

School: Robert Hopkins Public School, Ottawa, Ontario Canada, Henry Munro Middle School, Ottawa, Canada, Franciscan seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio

Tom Cruise Career

Profession: Actor and Filmmaker

Film Debut – Endless Love (1981)

Net Worth: $570 million

Family & Relatives

Father: Thomas Mapother III (Electrical engineer)

Mother: Mary Lee Pfeiffer (Educator)

Sister: Lee Ann Mapother, Cass Mapother, Marian Mapother

Marital Status: Divorced

Ex Spouse: Katie Holmes (m. 2006–2012), Nicole Kidman (m. 1990–2001), Mimi Rogers (m. 1987–1990)

Son: Connor Cruise, Actor (born 1995)

Daughter: Isabella Jane Cruise (born 1992), Suri Cruise (born 2006)

• Diane Cox (1980-1981)
• Melissa Gilbert , Actress (1982)
• Heather Locklear , Actress (1982)
• Rebecca De Mornay , Actress (1983-1985)
• Patti Scialfa , Singer (1985)
• Cher (1985-1986)
• Mimi Rogers, Actress (1986-1990)
• Nicole Kidman, Actress (1990-2001)
• Penelope Cruz , Actress (2001-2004)
• Nazanin Boniadi , Actress (2004-2005)
• Sofia Vergara , Actress (2005)
• Katie Holmes, Actress (2005-2012)
• Cynthia Jorge , Restaurant Owner (2012-present)

Facts You Never Knew About Tom Cruise

• Is Tom Cruise addicted to smoking?: Yes
• Is Tom Cruise alcoholic?: No
• He grew up in poverty.
• Cruise had an abusive dad to whom he has called a merchant of chaos.
• He always used to play Flooring Hockey in his school days.
• Tom Cruise attended around 15 schools within 14 years of time span.
• Tom Cruise performs all his things with the left hand except writing.
• In the year 1988, he was bestowed with a Razzie Award for The Worst Actor for the movie Cocktail.
• In the year 1989, he earned Golden Globe Award for the Best Actor for the movie Born on Fourth of July.
• Tom Cruise had never permitted his photos to be utilized in video-games and action figures.
• He has been elected three times for Oscar though has never won a single one.

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Who is Tom Cruise?

Tom Cruise is an American actor and filmmaker, born on 03 July, 1962 in Syracuse, New York.

How old is Tom Cruise?

Tom Cruise is 61 years old as of March 2024.

How tall is Tom Cruise?

Tom Cruise is 5 feet 6 inches (1.7 m).

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I don`t like this guy.

Tom Cruise is my best movie character. I honestly think he’s deeply connected and concerned about humanity.

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• Wild Facts All Fans Should Know
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13 Wild Facts We Never Knew About Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise has been one of the top movie stars in the world for decades. There is a lot that is known about the soon-to-be 60-year-old actor, such as his three marriages and divorces to well-known actresses and his devotion to Scientology.

But there are a lot of facts and stories about Cruise that may not be as well known, such as the fact that he was a real-life hero not once but twice in 1996, coming to the aid of a woman who was hit by a car and a group of people stuck on a burning yacht. Or that his iconic dance scene in Risky Business helped to boost the sales of Ray-Bans. Or that a talk-show appearance by Cruise was the model for Christian Bale's performance in American Psycho .

Hopefully, these stories will give readers more insight into Tom Cruise.

The Church Of Scientology Allegedly Picked Out A Girlfriend For Him

It has been widely reported that Tom Cruise is a member of the Church of Scientology. In Going Clear , the 2015 HBO documentary about Scientology, former church executive Mike Rinder claimed, “In the eyes of [Scientology leader] David Miscavige, Tom Cruise is the perfect Scientology celebrity,” and that the church would do favors for Cruise, such as tricking out his cars and motorcycles, in order to keep him happy.

The documentary also reveals that the church handpicked and groomed a young woman to become the movie star's new girlfriend. According to Lawrence Wright , author of the book Going Clear , on which the HBO documentary was based:

Tom was in Spain. They were opening a new Scientology church in Madrid, and he was overheard complaining that he needed a new girlfriend. Soon after that… a young Scientologist pre-med student named Nazanin Boniadi was told she was going to get a special assignment.

Alex Gibney, the director of the HBO documentary, claimed he learned the details of her experience through FBI testimony:

David Miscavige assigned Nazanin's case to a key church official, Greg Wilhere. He put her through a one-month program of on-camera interviews, intensive auditing, and some security checks.

Wright added that Boniadi was separated from her family and moved to the church's Celebrity Center. At the time, she had a boyfriend but broke up with him after the church gave her evidence that he'd had an affair. According to Wright, once she was officially single, Boniadi was given a makeover so she would appear more attractive to Cruise:

Nazanin was told that her makeover was part of the church's humanitarian mission because she had to look her best for conferences with world leaders. Only after she was flown first class to New York, did she discover the actual role that the church wanted her to play - she was to be the girlfriend of Scientology's biggest star. Within a month, Nazanin was living with Cruise. While at his house in Telluride, Miscavige came to visit. Overcome by a severe headache, Nazanin had a hard time understanding Miscavige, which infuriated him. The next day, Cruise - inches from her face - pounded on the table and screamed at her for insulting the head of the church.

Two weeks after Miscavige's visit, Boniadi learned that her relationship with Cruise was over. But Cruise wasn't the one who informed her of the breakup; instead, a church executive named Tommy Davis allegedly did the dirty work. Film director Paul Haggis, a former Scientologist, said Boniadi told him that after she was informed that her relationship was over, people from the church came to her apartment and removed any evidence (photos, letters, etc.) of her involvement with the movie star.

In her memoir Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology, actor Leah Remini, a former Scientologist, claimed that the church punished Boniadi because she had confided in another church member about the end of the relationship:

[She was] subjected to doing four months of menial labor, including tasks such as digging ditches and cleaning public toilets with a toothbrush. Eventually she was promoted to selling Dianetics books on the streets of Tampa… She wasn’t allowed to talk to anyone, particularly her Scientology friends, since she was considered a traitor. She was not allowed to go anywhere alone unless escorted by either church security, ethics staff, or a representative of Flag’s President’s Office.

Boniadi eventually left the church and has since become a successful actress. Although neither she nor Cruise have ever spoken publicly about their alleged relationship, the Church of Scientology has denied having any involvement in Cruise's romantic life.

Christian Bale's Performance As Patrick Bateman In 'American Psycho' Was Inspired By Tom Cruise

Christian Bale portrayed Patrick Bateman in the 2000 film adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis's novel, American Psycho . Bale replaced Leonardo DiCaprio in the role and physically transformed himself in order to play the stock market investor/serial killer. He also decided to try and model Bateman on a real person in order to make the portrayal more authentic. 

As American Psycho director told BlackBook magazine , she and Bale had several discussions about how Bateman should be portrayed: 

We talked a lot, but he was in L.A. and I was in New York. We didn’t actually meet in person a lot, just talked on the phone. We talked about how Martian-like Patrick Bateman was, how he was looking at the world like somebody from another planet, watching what people did and trying to work out the right way to behave.

Finally, Bale came up with his inspiration on how to play the character:

[Bale] called me and he had been watching Tom Cruise on David Letterman, and he [Cruise] just had this very intense friendliness with nothing behind the eyes, and he [Bale] was really taken with this energy.

Cruise Was One Of The Only People Working On ‘Interview with the Vampire’ To Actually Read The Book

In 1976, Anne Rice saw her debut novel, a gothic horror and vampire story called Interview with the Vampire , published. This first book was followed by a number of sequels, collectively known as The Vampire Chronicles . In 1994, Interview with the Vampire was adapted into a film, with Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in the lead roles.

Reportedly, while director Neil Jordan was too lazy to read all of the books, and Pitt didn't make it past the first chapter because he found it a waste of time, Cruise read the entire series of books in preparation for portraying the vampire Lestat.

Cruise Witnessed A Pedestrian Get Hit By Car, Followed Her To A Hospital, And Paid Her ER Bill

Cruise often plays a hero in his films, but in 1996, the actor was a real-life hero in two separate incidents.

In March 1996, Cruise saw a pedestrian named Heloísa Vinhas get struck by a car in a hit-and-run incident. The actor asked another pedestrian to call an ambulance, which he then followed to the UCLA Medical Center. Vinhas was treated for a broken leg and bruised ribs, and when Cruise learned she didn't have any insurance, he ended up paying her $7,000 hospital bill. A grateful Vinhas told People magazine:

If he's not Superman, he can be Batman - Batman doesn't have super powers.

A few months later, Cruise and then-wife Nicole Kidman were sailing off the island of Capri when they spotted a nearby yacht that had caught fire. Cruise sent over a skiff to rescue the five people on board. They were able to get to safety just before the yacht sank. The actor's publicist later told People magazine:

[Cruise] did what any decent person would do. If I ever get in trouble, I hope Tom Cruise is nearby.

He Basically Saved Ray-Bans From Extinction

In the years just before WWII, US fighter pilots were experiencing issues with major glare at high altitudes. So the US military approached optical company Bausch & Lomb to create anti-glare aviation glasses. General Douglas MacArthur was reportedly the first person to be photographed wearing the glasses.

The company decided to brand the glasses as Ray-Bans, because the anti-glare glasses blocked UV rays. In the 1950s they became popular with movie stars like Humphrey Bogart, Marlon Brando, and James Dean. 

But by the early 1980s, the sales of Ray-Bans were in a steep decline. That is, until a little-known actor named Tom Cruise wore nothing but a white button-down shirt, boxers, socks, and a pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarers in a famous scene in the 1983 film Risky Business . Not only did the film give Cruise a breakthrough role, but the scene also boosted the sales of Wayfarers - which Bausch & Lomb had planned to discontinue - by 50%. 

Three years later Bausch & Lomb saw a 40% boost in sales after Cruise wore Ray-Ban aviator glasses in the blockbuster film Top Gun .

Cruise Split From All Three Of His Wives When They Were 33

Cruise has been married and divorced three times, with all of his wives being actresses. He was married to Mimi Rogers from 1987 to 1990, to Nicole Kidman from 1990 to 2001, and to Katie Holmes from 2006 to 2012.

All three women turned 33 the year that they separated from Cruise (although Rogers and Kidman were 34 when their divorces were finalized). While this could be just a strange coincidence, the number 33 has special significance in Scientology. An unnamed former Scientologist explained the number's meaning to HuffPost:

The number 33 is known as the “Master Teacher.” It represents altruism and increasing your positive energy. It’s associated with healing powers through love.

Still, the source didn't believe that the number's significance in Scientology had anything to do with when the movie star's marriages fell apart:

Marriage problems come from what Scientologists call “withholds” or what the rest of us call “not communicating.” Tom's divorces have nothing to do with his wives turning 33. Plus, if Katie did blindside Tom with the divorce, unless she plans to continue to study [Scientology], then the number 33 significance has nothing to do with the split.

Another odd coincidence ? Each of Cruise's wives have been 11 years younger than his previous wife .

He Saved The American Release Of 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels'

The 1998 film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels brought director Guy Ritchie major attention and gave actor Jason Flemyng a breakthrough role. Made on a budget of just over $1 million, it has grossed more than $28 million worldwide.

But as the film's producer Matthew Vaughn admitted during a 2015 appearance on the Radio 4 program, The Business of Film , the movie struggled to find an American distributor. So Vaughn asked Trudi Styler, one of the film's investors, to reach out to her friend Cruise to ask if he might be interested in coming to a screening. Which he did:

It was hysterical. You had all these mid-level executives sitting there, and Cruise walked in. He saw them all sit up and pay attention, all getting on their phones, and suddenly all these senior executives joined the screening. At the end, Tom got up in front of everyone and said “This is the best movie I've seen in years, you guys would be fools not to buy it.”

Gramercy Films ended up winning the subsequent bidding war for the film's US distribution rights.

Cruise Almost Starred In ‘Edward Scissorhands’ But Asked Too Many Questions About The Character

Johnny Depp earned critical acclaim, including a Golden Globe nomination for best actor in a musical or comedy, for his portrayal of the young man with blades for hands in Tim Burton's 1990 film, Edward Scissorhands . But according to Caroline Thompson, the film's screenwriter, several other actors, including Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Cruise, were considered for the role.

In 2005, Thompson spoke to Dazed Digital about why Cruise was passed over for the part:

[Cruise] wanted to know how Edward went to the bathroom. He was asking the kind of questions about the character that can’t be asked for this character! Part of the delicacy of the story was not answering questions like, “How does he go to the bathroom? How did he live without eating all those years?” Tom Cruise was certainly unwilling to be in the movie without those questions being answered.

He Overcame Dyslexia As A Child

Tom Cruise has spoken about having a difficult childhood. His family moved a lot , leading the actor to attend 15 different schools over 12 years, and Cruise said his father was "a bully":

He was the kind of person where, if something goes wrong, they kick you. It was a great lesson in my life - how he’d lull you in, make you feel safe, and then, bang!… For me, it was like, “There’s something wrong with this guy. Don’t trust him. Be careful around him.”

While that alone would make anyone's childhood a struggle, Cruise had another issue - he had a reading disorder. In 2020, Cruise spoke to People magazine about how he struggled to cope with his disorder:

When I was about 7 years old, I had been labeled dyslexic. I'd try to concentrate on what I was reading, then I'd get to the end of the page and have very little memory of anything I'd read. I would go blank, feel anxious, nervous, bored, frustrated, dumb. I would get angry. My legs would actually hurt when I was studying. My head ached. All through school and well into my career, I felt like I had a secret. When I'd go to a new school, I wouldn't want the other kids to know about my learning disability, but then I'd be sent off to remedial reading…  I graduated high school in 1980 but didn’t even go to my graduation. I was a functional illiterate. I loved learning, I wanted to learn, but I knew I had failed in the system. Like a lot of people, though, I had figured out how to get through it. I did the same thing when I moved to New York City, and then Los Angeles, to become an actor. When I auditioned for parts and was given a script to read cold, I’d get the director and producer to talk about the characters and the film. I’d glean information from them and I’d use that. I got pretty good at ad-libbing.

In 1986, Cruise became a Scientologist and discovered a teaching method called Study Technology developed by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology. This method focused on three barriers to learning: lack of mass, skipped gradients, and misunderstood words:

Once I started focusing on those problems, everything fell into place. I had a lot of catching up to do, but that was it. I had run the gamut, hiring specialists for myself privately, bringing in tutors and hearing why I would just have to “learn to deal” with being dyslexic. Many people had tried to teach me, but no one had taught me how to learn or how to study; I had been told I had all the symptoms of dyslexia, but no one had given me a solution. [Through using Study Technology] I realized I could absolutely learn anything that I wanted to learn.

Cher Said Cruise Was One Of Her ‘Top Five’ Lovers

Cher has had a remarkable career. She has won an Academy Award for best actress ( Moonstruck ), been nominated for a Grammy Award seven times (winning once), won a Primetime Emmy Award, and was one of the recipients of the 2018 Kennedy Center Honors. 

But she is nearly as famous for her personal life as she is for her career spanning nearly 60 years. Although she's only been married twice, Cher has been romantically linked to many other famous individuals - including Tom Cruise.

Cher was 38 or 39 and Cruise was 22 or 23 when they began dating. They first met at Sean Penn and Madonna's wedding in 1985, but it wasn't until shortly after they both attended an event at the White House that they started dating. During a 2008 appearance on Oprah, Cher spoke about the relationship:

He was shy. He said he felt like such a boob in school and nobody talked to him. We went on a date once for dinner in a New York restaurant and the waitress was from his old school. He told me she never talked to him back in school, but now he was recognized, he got all her attention… It could have been a great big romance because I was crazy for him.

The couple, who had been together for a few months, broke up around the time Cruise began filming The Color of Money ; the reason for the breakup was given as conflicting schedules.

In 2013, Cher appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen . The host asked her about the best lovers she had ever had, and then specifically about where Cruise would rank. She replied:

A lot of them kind of came in first. I've had just the greatest lovers ever... He [Cruise] was in the top five.

He Sends Cakes To His Co-Stars

Tom Cruise has a major sweet tooth. But as he explained during a 2018 appearance on  The Late Late Show with James Corden with his Mission: Impossible - Fallout  co-star Angela Bassett, sugar is a no-no in his training routine when he's preparing for a film.

So instead of eating sweets himself, he sends the crew members and other actors desserts and lives vicariously through them: "I wait for the calls," Cruise told the talk show host. "Like, tell me about it [how the desserts tasted]."

Bassett admitted that she was more than happy to eat the cake Cruise sent her. Cruise also sent Corden a chocolate cake on the day of the 2018 Grammys (which Corden hosted) to wish him luck. As he recalled this incident during Cruise and Bassett's appearance, Corden jokingly told Cruise, “This is how you look so good. You make everyone around you fat.”

He Drew Graffiti On The Burj Khalifa In Dubai

The Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest building in the world. While spending time in the country filming scenes for Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Tom Cruise decided to write a message on the building's spire.

The message, which was reportedly jotted during a break in filming, was said to consist of the actor's signature along with a heart symbol and a message to his then-wife Katie Holmes and family. 

Gregg Smrz, the film's stunt coordinator, told the New York Post :

The only person who will ever see [his signature] is the guy who paints the building someday.

Stanley Kubrick Once Filmed 95 Takes Of Cruise Walking Through A Door

Acclaimed director Stanley Kubrick teamed up with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman for the film Eyes Wide Shut . Originally asked by the director to commit to a six-month shoot, the then-couple eventually spent 15 months working on the film. 

The shoot was shrouded in secrecy. Kubrick was known as a perfectionist, but when it came to Eyes Wide Shut , the director didn't seem to know what he wanted out of the characters. Instead, he relied on Cruise, Kidman, and the other actors to come to their own realization about how to approach their roles. Kubrick would film repeated takes of every scene in order to break down the idea of the performance; his theory was said to be that once the actors were so completely exhausted that they'd forgotten that they were being filmed, they could rebuild the performance and discover something about the character that neither they nor Kubrick expected. To this end, he insisted on doing 95 takes of Cruise walking through a door.

Known as a perfectionist himself, Cruise was quoted in a 2014 Vanity Fair piece saying that Kubrick's process sometimes got to him:

In times when we couldn’t get it, it was just like, “F***!” I’d bring it upon myself because I demand a lot of myself.

But even though he ended up developing an ulcer, Cruise claimed Kubrick knew what he was doing by insisting on the painstaking process:

He was not indulgent. You know you are not going to leave that shot until it’s right.

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Dailymotion

10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About Edward Scissorhands

Posted: April 3, 2024 | Last updated: April 3, 2024

At the insistence of 20th Century Fox, Tim Burton met with Tom Cruise to consider him for the titular lead role, but due to artistic differences, including the actor asking for a happier ending, they both agreed that he wasn’t the best choice to play Edward Scissorhands.

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Screen Rant

10 marvel characters tom cruise would be perfect for after losing iron man role 18 years ago.

After missing out on Iron Man and not appearing as his rumored Doctor Strange 2 cameo, there are still some MCU roles Tom Cruise would be perfect for.

• Tom Cruise could excel as Corsair in the MCU, a character tied to mutants and the cosmic side of Marvel.
• Cruise is the perfect for Superior Iron Man, an evil version of Tony Stark.
• Cruise could play a significant role as a hero or villain in the Multiverse Saga, showcasing his versatility.

Tom Cruise might not have played Iron Man; however, there are a few roles that could allow the actor to show the full scope of his talents in the Marvel Cinematic Universe . Cruise has a history with Marvel despite never having played one of its characters. The actor was considered to play Tony Stark before 2008's Iron Man , with Cruise not playing Iron Man because of a pay issue , as 20th Century Fox — the studio who held Iron Man's film rights in 1998 — was not willing to pay his hefty salary for " an untested superhero property ."

In 2006, Robert Downey Jr. was officially cast as Iron Man, ending Tom Cruise's chances of playing the hero in his solo movie.

Cruise was still among the actors who could have played the role in Marvel Studios' Iron Man , though the role ultimately went to Robert Downey Jr. , who was part of most of the best entries in the MCU as Tony Stark. Cruise was also heavily rumored to play an Iron Man variant thanks to the multiverse in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness , which did not end up happening. While the actor has yet to join the MCU, there are many different roles in Marvel's slate of projects that are perfectly suited for Cruise.

10 Best Tom Cruise Movies, Ranked

The character is the father of a major x-men member.

While Cruise is often mentioned for major MCU roles, there could be a lot of fun to be had through the actor playing a smaller character who could let him truly cut loose. Among some possible future additions to the franchise is Corsair. The character is the father to none other than one of the X-Men's most famous members — and the team's field leader — Cyclops .

Corsair would be a fantastic addition to the MCU because he could connect with both the introduction of mutants to the franchise and help expand the MCU's cosmic corner. The character is the leader of the Starjammers , a team of space pirates. Like Cruise's Top Gun character, Maverick, Corsair is an ace pilot. The character is also adept at hand-to-hand fights, something Cruise has excelled in within a wide array of his action movie roles.

9 Silver Surfer

Tom cruise could make the character compelling.

Silver Surfer is rumored to show up in the MCU soon . While there have been few details revealed about the plot of Marvel's The Fantastic Four , one of the main rumors surrounding the movie is that it will not feature Doctor Doom as its main villain, but rather Galactus. If that is true, then the Silver Surfer's appearance is a strong possibility, as he is the most famous herald of Galactus.

Norrin Radd, the Silver Surfer, is a character with an extremely tragic backstory . The character's story is one of loss, with both his mother and father having killed themselves for different reasons. In exchange for Galactus sparing his home world, Norrin Radd agreed to become his herald and was transformed into the Silver Surfer. Cruise has the dramatic chops to bring such a heartbreaking story to life on the big screen.

The Actor Might Have To Compete With Another Major Star

Different from most of the characters on the list, a Nova project is in development for the MCU . Nova will get to star in his own series if the project moves forward, though the slowdown of the MCU might mean that a definitive answer to that is still some time away. While confirming that Nova is in development, Marvel Studios' Head of Television, Streaming, and Animation, Brad Winderbaum teased which version of the hero will appear, saying, " I love Rich Rider, too ."

Ryan Gosling is heavily rumored to be the MCU's pick to play Nova.

Cruise would be a great pick for an older Richard Rider in the MCU . As there is a younger version of Nova in the comics — Sam Alexander — there is a chance that the MCU will move forward with both iterations of the hero at the same time. Cruise could then play the charming, confident leader that is Richard Rider, while a younger actor plays Sam.

We Already All Know The Perfect Casting For The MCU's Long-Awaited Nova

7 the beyonder, kang the conqueror could be replaced in the mcu.

With Jonathan Majors fired from the MCU as Kang the Conqueror , the Multiverse Saga does not currently have a main villain . Some options of characters who could replace Kang have been thrown around. Doctor Doom was even rumored to have been on Marvel's radar to replace Kang after Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania underperformed. However, another Marvel Comics villain could be perfect both as a replacement for Kang and as the ideal role for Cruise to join the MCU.

As one of the most popular movie stars ever, Cruise is likely to have a major role in the franchise if he ever joins the MCU . The Beyonder could be that part, as Cruise could become integral to the Multiverse Saga while not having to sign on for several projects. The character could be the main villain of Avengers: Secret Wars , with his unpredictable nature being something Cruise has shown in previous roles that he is able to bring to life perfectly.

6 Multiple Man

The actor would be perfect to play multiple versions of the same character.

Jamie Madrox, aka Multiple Man, would be one of the most exciting roles Cruise could play in the MCU. While the character is not one of the most popular mutants from Marvel Comics, Multiple Man has the potential to be a fan-favorite character in live-action. As his name states, Multiple Man can create several duplicates of himself .

While the duplicates look exactly like him, each version of Multiple Man is their own person in a way, having their individual thoughts, feelings, and more . Every new duplicate of Madrox also normally follows one aspect of the original character's personality, heightening different parts of Madrox. Cruise could have a great time in the role, which would allow him to play multiple MCU characters within just one mutant. This way, he could serve as a hero or a villain, depending on which version of Multiple Man is in play.

James Franco was once attached to star in a Multiple Man movie , though the project would be canceled.

The Actor Can Make The Villain A Sympathetic Foe

While Cruise is normally known to play heroic roles , such as Ethan Hunt in the Mission Impossible franchise or Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in the Top Gun movies, the actor has great potential for villain roles. Through projects like Interview with the Vampire and Collateral , Cruise showed that he has an intensity within him to play magnetic evil characters on the big screen.

That particular set of skills allied to Cruise's long career as a bona fide hero makes him a compelling choice to give life to Magneto in the MCU. Magneto comes from a tragic backstory that serves to inform how he will never let the mutants suffer from what he went through during the Holocaust. Cruise could excel at the tenuous line the character threads between a villain and an anti-hero at times, making Magneto one of the MCU's most complex characters.

4 Doctor Doom

Tom cruise is extremely skilled in a must-have aspect for the character.

Doctor Doom is one of the MCU's most anticipated characters . The villain could potentially even take Kang the Conqueror's place and become the main threat of the Multiverse Saga now that Jonathan Majors has been fired by Marvel. Given Doom's prominent role in different versions of the story that will be adapted in Avengers: Secret Wars , the character's MCU debut should be watched closely, as he could become a foe to all heroes sooner rather than later.

With Marvel's The Fantastic Four set to arrive in 2025, Doctor Doom should join the MCU next year. As the team's most famous villain and the one who has appeared in all movies for the Fantastic Four , it is hard to imagine Victor von Doom not having at least a cameo. Cruise's experience with intelligent, dark characters and ability to convey emotion with his body language is perfect for the masked villain.

3 Norman Osborn

The actor could play both sides of the character.

Norman Osborn is one of the most popular villains in Marvel Comics . Thanks to Willem Dafoe's genius performances as Norman and his Green Goblin side, the character has also become one of the best live-action villains Marvel has ever had, both in the MCU and not. While Dafoe appeared as his version of Osborn in a major way in Spider-Man: No Way Home, the character hailed from the universe of Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man.

The MCU has yet to cast actors for its versions of Harry and Norman Osborn. Cruise could excel in the role, with the actor being able to play both the suave businessman and his deranged alter ego with ease. If Marvel Studios ever uses Norman Osborn again, he could be turned into his Iron Patriot hero persona from the comics to differentiate the MCU's Osborn from Dafoe , and Cruise would also be a great fit for a heroic Norman Osborn, as his career shows.

2 Mister Sinister

The character is on marvel studios' radar.

Magneto, Apocalypse, and other recognizable X-Men villains have already appeared in the team's live-action movies. With the MCU set to debut its version of the beloved mutants from Marvel Comics in the future, it would make sense for the shared universe to focus on villains who have not yet had their time to shine in live-action. Based on that, Mister Terrific could have his time to shine in the MCU .

Cruise would excel as the character who is unabashedly evil and delights in his nefarious actions . The actor could really cut loose as Mister Sinister in a way that his heroic roles have not really let him. Marvel Studios has Mister Sinister on its radar, as the villain recently showed up in a major way in the first project for the X-Men produced by Marvel Studios — but not part of the MCU — the animated X-Men '97 .

Marvel Just Proved How Incredible An X-Men Villain Can Be In The MCU 38 Years After His Debut

1 superior iron man, tom cruise would still be great as tony stark.

Finally, the best character Cruise could play in the MCU is a variant of RDJ's Tony Stark , with Cruise being perfect for Superior Iron Man. The character would allow Cruise to come full circle after the actor almost played the MCU hero long ago. Superior Iron Man is also the specific variant of the character that Cruise was rumored to play in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness but never did. Cruise playing the Tony Stark variant would finally make good on the potential he has for Superior Iron Man.

In the comics, that version of Tony Stark is not a hero like the main version of the character. Superior Iron Man is a villain who was created during the "Axis" event in the comics, which switched the character's morality from good to evil, allowing him to pretend to be a hero before showing himself as a major villain. Tom Cruise 's Superior Iron Man would retain the best parts of RDJ's and add that intensity the actor is known for to become an MCU villain for the ages.

Marvel Cinematic Universe

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount's Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.

Key Release Dates

Deadpool & wolverine, marvel's thunderbolts, marvel's fantastic four, blade (2025), avengers: the kang dynasty, avengers: secret wars.

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By Armando Tinoco

Armando Tinoco

Night & Weekend Editor

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Lewis Hamilton is producing a Formula 1 movie with Joseph Kosinski starring Brad Pitt.

The British racing star could have worked with the filmmaker on Top Gun: Maverick had it not been for his conflicting work schedule.

In a new interview, Hamilton revealed he lobbied Tom Cruise to star in a possible Top Gun sequel before the 2022 film was made.

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“Firstly, I hadn’t even had, like, an acting lesson,” he said. “And I don’t want to be the one that lets this movie down. And then secondly, I just really didn’t have the time to dedicate to it. I remember having to tell Joe and Tom — and it broke my heart. And then I regretted it, naturally, when they show me the movie and it’s: It could’ve been me!”

Although he didn’t have the opportunity to work with Kosinski in Top Gun: Maverick , he will now work with him in the Formula 1 film.

“My point was: Guys, this movie needs to be so authentic,” Hamilton said. “There’s two different fan groups that we have — like, the old originals, who from the day they’re born hearing the Grand Prix music every weekend and watching with their families, to the new generation that just learned about it today through Netflix.”

He continued, “I felt my job really has been to try to call BS. ‘This would never happen.’ ‘This is how it would be.’ ‘This is how it could happen.’ Just giving them advice about what racing is really about and what, as a racing fan, would appeal and what would not.”

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