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?
Tom Cruise is an American actor known for his roles in iconic films throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. He is also known for his high-profile marriages to actresses Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes. Cruise developed an interest in acting during high school. He rocketed to fame with his roles in “Risky Business” and “Top Gun.” He later earned acclaim for his work in “Jerry Maguire” and the “Mission: Impossible” franchise.
Tom Cruise Biography | Early Life
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, better known as Tom Cruise, was born on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, New York. His parents were Mary, an amateur actress and schoolteacher, and Thomas Mapother, an electrical engineer. Cruise’s family moved frequently due to his father’s career.
When Cruise was 11, his parents divorced. He and his siblings moved with their mother to Louisville, Kentucky, and later to Glen Ridge, New Jersey, after she remarried. Cruise, like his mother and three sisters, suffered from dyslexia, making academic success difficult. However, he excelled in athletics and considered a career in professional wrestling until a knee injury sidelined him in high school.
At age 14, Cruise enrolled in a Franciscan seminary with thoughts of becoming a priest but left after a year. At 16, a teacher encouraged him to participate in the school’s production of the musical “Guys and Dolls.” Winning the lead role of Nathan Detroit, Cruise discovered his passion for acting.
Movies
‘Taps,’ ‘The Outsiders’
Cruise set a 10-year deadline to build an acting career. He left school and moved to New York City, struggling through auditions before landing a role in 1981’s “Endless Love,” starring Brooke Shields. Around this time, he also 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. His performance caught the attention of critics and filmmakers. In 1983, Cruise appeared in Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Outsiders,” starring Emilio Estevez, Matt Dillon, and Rob Lowe. Although the film wasn’t well-received, 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 and made Cruise a highly recognizable actor, thanks in part to a memorable scene of him dancing in his underwear.
‘Top Gun’
In 1986, Cruise released the big-budget fantasy film “Legend,” which did poorly at the box office. That same year, his A-list status was confirmed with the release of “Top Gun,” co-starring Kelly McGillis, Anthony Edwards, and Meg Ryan. The action-romance set against 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 success of “Top Gun” with critically acclaimed and commercially successful films. He starred in “The Color of Money” (1986) with Paul Newman, and then in “Rain Man” (1988) with Dustin Hoffman. His 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 co-starred with Jack Nicholson in the military courtroom drama “A Few Good Men.” The film grossed more than $15 million in its first weekend and earned Cruise a Golden Globe nomination. He continued his success with “The Firm” (1993) and “Interview with a Vampire” (1994), co-starring Brad Pitt.
‘Mission: Impossible,’ ‘Jerry Maguire’
Next, Cruise hit the big screen with two huge hits: the $64 million blockbuster “Mission: Impossible” (1996), which he also produced, and the acclaimed “Jerry Maguire” (1996), directed by Cameron Crowe. For “Jerry Maguire,” Cruise earned a second Academy Award nomination and a 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 directed by Stanley Kubrick. The movie received mixed reviews upon its release in 1999, but Cruise enjoyed greater success with “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’
In 2000, Cruise starred in “Mission: Impossible 2,” alongside Anthony Hopkins, Thandie Newton, and Ving Rhames. In 2002, he starred in “Vanilla Sky,” his second collaboration with Crowe, and 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 remained a top draw with the Spielberg-directed remake of “War of the Worlds” (2005), grossing over $230 million. His next effort, “Mission: Impossible 3” (2006), also scored well with audiences. However, Cruise faced a professional setback when Paramount Pictures ended its 14-year relationship with him. Paramount’s chairman cited Cruise’s erratic behavior and controversial views as reasons for the split, but industry experts noted it was likely due to Cruise’s high earnings from the “Mission: Impossible” franchise.
Cruise rebounded quickly. On November 2, 2006, he announced a new partnership with film executive Paula Wagner and United Artists. Their first production, “Lions for Lambs” (2007), was a commercial disappointment despite a strong cast including 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 a small role in a movie featuring 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 “Valkyrie,” a World War II drama about a plot to assassinate Hitler. He starred as a German army officer involved in the conspiracy. Cruise returned to his popular franchise in 2011 with “Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol.” In 2012, he starred in the musical “Rock of Ages.” Although he received positive reviews as a rock star, the movie failed to attract much of an audience.
‘Jack Reacher,’ ‘Edge of Tomorrow’
Returning to his action roots, Cruise starred in the 2012 crime drama “Jack Reacher,” based on a book by Lee Child. He then headlined two science-fiction adventures, “Oblivion” (2013) and “Edge of Tomorrow” (2014). In 2015, he delivered a high-energy performance for the fifth installment of his blockbuster franchise, “Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation.”
Latest Movies and Familiar Franchises
In 2016, Cruise reprised his role in “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.” He headlined a reboot of “The Mummy” (2017), which performed well at the box office but was savaged by critics. Later that year, he earned better reviews for the crime thriller “American Made.”
In 2018, Cruise starred in “Mission: Impossible—Fallout.” Before its release, he tweeted a photo marking 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. Rogers introduced him to Scientology, the religion founded by L. Ron Hubbard. Cruise credited the church with curing his dyslexia and 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” with Kidman. Though the movie was unpopular, the two lead actors had real chemistry. On Christmas Eve 1990, Cruise and Kidman married in Telluride, Colorado.
Divorce from Kidman
Throughout the 1990s, Cruise and Kidman fiercely defended their marriage’s happiness and legitimacy. They filed lawsuits against tabloids for libelous stories, each resulting in retractions, apologies, and large monetary settlements donated to charity. The couple had two children, Isabella and Connor.
On February 5, 2001, Cruise and Kidman announced their separation after 11 years of marriage. They cited the difficulties of maintaining two acting careers and the time spent apart. After the divorce, Cruise briefly dated his “Vanilla Sky” co-star Penelope Cruz, followed by a highly publicized relationship with actress Katie Holmes. A month after their relationship became public, Cruise professed his love for Holmes in a now-famous appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” where he jumped on Winfrey’s sofa, shouting, “Yes!”
