Tom Cruise (born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV on July 3, 1962) is an A-list, Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe Award-winning American actor and film producer. He has starred in a number of top-grossing movies and remains one of the most successful movie stars in Hollywood. His first leading role in a blockbuster movie was in 1983's Risky Business. In recent years, he has received additional media coverage regarding his support of Scientology (and his related criticism of psychiatry), and his relationship with Katie Holmes.
Cruise had a transient existence as a child with his family residing in near-poverty throughout various locations in the United States and Canada because Cruise's father refused to pay child support after his estrangement from the family when his son was eleven. Cities where he lived included Ottawa, Ontario, Louisville, Kentucky, Winnetka, Illinois and Wayne, New Jersey. In all, Cruise attended eight elementary schools and three high schools. He briefly attended a Franciscan seminary in Cincinnati and aspired to become a Catholic priest. He eventually graduated from Glen Ridge High School in New Jersey.
It was recently discovered that Cruise had suffered from child abuse when he was younger. He stated that when something went wrong, his father came down hard on him. He told Parade Magazine that his father was "a bully and a coward" and "a merchant of chaos". Cruise said he learned early on that his father was - and, by extension, some people were - not to be trusted: "I knew from being around my father that not everyone means me well"CNN report about Parade Magazine article. Having gone through fifteen schools in twelve years, Cruise, who dropped his father's name at age twelve, was also subject to bullying at school.
Cruise started acting after being sidelined from his high school's wrestling team due to a knee injury. While injured, he successfully auditioned for a lead role in his high school's production of Guys and Dolls and decided to become an actor after his success in the role . Cruise graduated from high school in 1980.
Cruise was welcomed with similar success the following year when he received Academy Award nominations for Born on the Fourth of July. In 1990, Cruise starred as hot-shot Cole Trickle as a race car driver in Days of Thunder. Days of Thunder is where Cruise first met American born and Australian raised actress Nicole Kidman, who was his co-star. Cruises' next film was Far and Away where he again was starring with Nicole Kidman. Cruise starred in A Few Good Men with Jack Nicholson and Demi Moore, the well received military thriller earned Cruise Golden Globe and MTV nominations. The following year he starred in The Firm which won Favorite Dramatic Motion Picture at the People's Choice Awards.
In 1994, Cruise starred in Interview with the Vampire, a drama/horror film that was also very well received. In 1996, Cruise starred in (as well as produced) Impossible (film). The film grossed $456,494,803 worldwide, and was the third highest grossing film that year. In 1996 he starred in Jerry Maguire. The film earned him an Academy Award Best Actor nomination as well as winning co-star Cuba Gooding Jr. an Academy Award; the film was in total, nominated for five Academy Awards. The film also included the line "Show me the Money!" which became part of popular culture. Jerry Maguire saw Tom Cruise become the first actor in history to star in five consecutive films that grossed at least $100 million in domestic release. Eyes Wide Shut (1999) which took two years to finish as director Stanley Kubrick's last film, alongside then spouse Nicole Kidman. Cruise also performed as a misogynistic male guru in Magnolia (1999), which netted him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination.
In 2000, Cruise returned as Ethan Hunt in the Mission Impossible films, releasing Impossible II, the film continued the series' blockbuster success at the box office, taking in $545,902,562 Dollars or 3,958,876,456 Yen in worldwide figures, like its predecessor, being the third highest grossing film of the year. The following year Cruise starred in the erotic thriller remake of 1997's Abre Los Ojos, Vanilla Sky. In 2002, Cruise starred in the dystopian thriller, Minority Report as well as The Last Samurai, which saw Cruise perform some of his own stunts, as he did in M:I-III.
In 2005, Cruise starred in Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds. The events leading up to the release of the film, notably, Cruise's very public advocation of Scientology and anti-psychiatry statements, coupled with the criticism of his relationship with actress Katie Holmes, many expected the film to be a bomb at the box office. However, the film earned $234,280,354 becoming his most successful film in domestic figures (not taking deflation into account), and ultimately earning $591,416,316 in worldwide figures. He was however, the loser of three Razzie nominations at the end of the year.
His next project as a producer was the 1998 film, Without Limits, a film about famous runner Steve Prefontaine. Cruise returned to work as a producer in 2000, continuing work on the Mission Impossible sequel. He then served as an executive producer for The Others which starred Nicole Kidman, also that year, he again worked as actor/producer in Vanilla Sky. He subsequently worked on (but did not star in) Narc, Hitting It Hard and Shattered Glass, with Shattered Glass being particularly successful. His next project, which he also starred in, was The Last Samurai, he was jointly nominated for the Motion Picture Producer of the Year Award at the 2004 PGA Golden Laurel Awards. He then worked on Suspect Zero, Elizabethtown and Ask the Dust. he reprised his role as actor/producer in the third 'Mission Impossible'' film.
Tom Cruise is noted as having negotiated some of the most lucrative movie 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 movie franchise. Epstein also contends that the public obsession with Cruise's tabloid controversies obscures full appreciation of Cruise's exceptional commercial prowess in the industry *.
Cruise-Wagner Productions, Tom Cruise's film production company, is said to be developing a screenplay based on Erik Larson's New York Times bestseller, "The Devil in the White City" about a real life serial killer at the Chicago World's Fair. Kathryn Bigelow is attached to the project to produce and helm. Meanwhile, Leonardo DiCaprio's production company, Appian Way, is also developing a film about Holmes and the World's Fair, in which DiCaprio will star. *
In 2006, Premiere magazine established Cruise as Hollywood's most powerful actor, as Cruise came in at number 13 on the magazines 2006 Power List, being the highest ranked actor.
On 16 June, 2006, Forbes magazine published 'The Celebrity 100', a list of the most powerful celebrities, in which Cruise came top. The list was generated using a combination of income (between June 2005 and June 2006), web references by Google, press clips compiled by LexisNexis, television and radio mentions (by Factiva), and the number of times a celebrity appeared on the cover of 26 major consumer magazines.
In April 2005, Cruise began dating Katie Holmes, before announcing on 17 June 2005 that he had proposed to her at the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. * She accepted his proposal, and the couple were expected to be married in the summer or autumn of 2006. On April 18, 2006 Katie gave birth to a baby girl named Suri, whose name was chosen with its relation to Scientology, the Persian Rose, the birthplace and the "Hebrew word" (which Cruise had erroneously believed to mean princess). She is the first child for Holmes and third for Cruise, who (as previously mentioned) has two adopted children with Nicole Kidman. [http://people.aol.com/people/articles/0,19736,1170244,00.html Katie Holmes & Tom Cruise Have a Girl! People.com. April 18, 2006. Coincidentally, Suri was born on the same day that Brooke Shields, whom Cruise had criticized less than a year earlier for treating her postpartum depression with antidepressants, gave birth to her second child.
A controversy erupted in 2005 after he openly criticized actress Brooke Shields for using the drug Paxil, an anti-depressant, of which Shields attributes her recovery from postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter in 2003. Cruise asserted that there is no such thing as a chemical imbalance, and that psychiatry is a form of pseudoscience. This led to a heated argument with Matt Lauer on The Today Show on June 24, 2005."In tense moment, Cruise calls Lauer 'glib'" MSNBC.COM. (June 28, 2005) Brooke Shields responded to Cruise's comments as "irresponsible and dangerous"Brooke & Tom's War of the Words E online.
Cruise also claimed in an Entertainment Weekly interview that psychiatry "is a Nazi science" and that methadone was actually originally called Adolophine after Adolf Hitler, a myth well-known as an urban legend. CRUISE TRIPPED UP BY MAGAZINE OVER SCIENTOLOGY CLAIMS contactmusic.com In an interview with Der Spiegel magazine, Cruise claimed that "In Scientology, we have the only successful drug rehabilitation program in the world. It's called Narconon... It's a statistically proven fact that there is only one successful drug rehabilitation program in the world. Period". While Narconon claims to have a success rate over 70% NARCONON: A NEW LIFE FOR DRUG ADDICTS Scientology web site, the accuracy of this figure has been widely disputed. Narconon's success rates Operation Clambake It has been reported that Cruise adopted his anti-psychiatry philosophies from Dr. Thomas Szasz, a leading critic of the moral and scientific foundations of psychiatry. American University Mental Health Expert Can Discuss Tom Cruise and “War of the Words” American University News
As of 2005, Tom Cruise has begun campaigning on behalf of the Church of Scientology before politicians and government officials around the world. Such advocacy does not go well in several European countries where this organization is considered to be a cult. As an example, on July 13th, 2005, after it was learned that he lobbied Nicolas Sarkozy and Jean-Claude Gaudin (the mayor of Marseille), the city council of Paris vowed "never to receive the council or the mayor the actor Tom Cruise, spokesman for Scientology and self-declared militant for this organisation" Paris snubs Scientology 'militant' Cruise Irish ExaminerTom Cruise ne sera pas citoyen d'honneur de Paris (In French)
He has also campaigned and raised donations for Downtown Medical, which he co-founded, to offer New York 9/11 rescue workers detoxification therapy based on the works of L. Ron Hubbard. This has drawn criticism from the medical professionScientologist's Treatments Lure Firefighters, Michelle O'Donnell, NY Times, 4 October, 2003, as well as firefighters.Cruise Blasted by 9/11 Firefighters, World Entertainment News Network, 14 December, 2005
On March 13, 2006 (L. Ron Hubbard's birthday), Scientologist Isaac Hayes quit the television show South Park, reportedly because of a controversial episode that satirized Scientology. Dubbed "Closetgate" by the Los Angeles Times, the controversy continued as Comedy Central, the channel that broadcasts South Park in the U.S., pulled the "Trapped in the Closet" episode at the last minute from a scheduled repeat on March 15 2006. It was alleged that Cruise threatened Paramount with withdrawal from promotion of his latest film Impossible III if the episode was broadcast. Viacom owns both Paramount and Comedy Central. Paramount and Cruise's representatives denied any threats. Trey Parker and Matt Stone, in a typically satirical response, claimed to be "servants of Xenu" and declared that the "million-year war for Earth" had only just begun. The LA Times reported that, "For Stone and Parker, Closetgate will be the gift that keeps on giving." South Park declares war on Tom Cruise The Independent
Concern has also been voiced about Holmes and her relationship to Scientology. Roger Friedman of the Fox News Channel claimed that Katie Holmes disappeared for sixteen days in April 2005 when even her own family did not know her whereabouts. Allegedly, the last time she had been seen, Holmes had flown to meet with Tom Cruise for a possible role in Mission Impossible 3. When she re-appeared, Holmes stated she was in love with Tom Cruise and studying Scientology. The actress then fired her long-time manager and agent and acquired Jessica Rodriguez, a prominent member of the Church of Scientology. [http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/07/10/wkatie10.xml
Cruise's behavior in recent interviews and his very public romance with Katie Holmes led him to become the butt of numerous jokes on late night television shows such as Late Night with Conan O'Brien. * The jokes commonly referred to Cruise being insane or parody the Lauer interview. However, recent talk has centered on the legitimacy of Cruise's child's birth, with some (such as Michael Musto) suggesting that the baby was actually a pillow underneath Holmes' dress. (This has become a running gag on Keith Olbermann's show Countdown.)
In February 2006 an article in Life & Style magazine reported that Cruise and Holmes were splitting up, but keeping up a public pretense until the Spring (when the birth of their child will roughly coincide with the release of Mission Impossible 3, Cruise's next film). Arnold Robinson, a publicist for the couple, denied the story. A representative for Life & Style magazine responded, "We stand 100 percent behind our story", and claimed it had been verified by two anonymous friends of Cruise. *
In an April 2006 interview with GQ magazine taken while Holmes was pregnant, Cruise jokingly suggested that he might eat her placenta after birth - a health practice known as placentophagy. He was quoted as saying "I'm gonna eat the placenta. I thought that would be good. Very nutritious. I'm gonna eat the cord and the placenta right there." But when the interviewer said it would be a big meal, Cruise replied: "OK, maybe I won't." In a later interview with Diane Sawyer, Cruise joked about the comments and said he wasn't really going to eat it. ***
During the London premiere of War of the Worlds, Cruise was on one of his familiar walkabouts when much to his surprise he was squirted with a water pistol (disguised as a microphone) by a performer working on a TV program for the Channel Four Station in the UK, in which various famous people were targeted for practical jokes. While nearly losing his composure, the actor called the perpetrator a "jerk" and said he was "incredibly rude". Police later made arrests after the incident, but no charges were later brought.* The program in question was entitled Balls Of Steel.
Tom Cruise's height has also been a subject of much speculation. IMDB.com previously listed it at 5'11', but has revised it to 5'7". The Web site bigheadedpygmies.com * suggests that figure is also inflated by wearing boots and potentially shoe lifts, which are common among many celebrities. While making Mission Impossible II it was noted by some that he had to wear shoe lifts while making scenes with co star Thandie Newton because she was in fact taller than him.
All salaries are reported by IMDb source. They do not account for inflation.
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes | Salaries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Endless Love | Billy | ||
| 1981 | Taps | Cadet Captain David Shawn | ||
| 1983 | The Outsiders | Steve Randle | ||
| 1983 | Losin' It | Woody | ||
| 1983 | Risky Business | Joel Goodson | $75,000 | |
| 1983 | All the Right Moves | Stef | ||
| 1985 | Legend | Jack O' The Green | ||
| 1986 | Top Gun | Lt. Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell | $2,000,000 | |
| 1986 | The Color of Money | Vincent Lauria | ||
| 1988 | Cocktail | Brian Flanagan | ||
| 1988 | Young Guns | Cowboy | uncredited cameo | |
| 1988 | Rain Man | Charlie Babbitt | $3,000,000 + % of gross | |
| 1989 | Born on the Fourth of July | Ron Kovic | Academy Award Nomination - Best Actor | |
| 1990 | Days of Thunder | Cole Trickle | ||
| 1992 | Far and Away | Joseph Donnelly | $13,000,000 | |
| 1992 | A Few Good Men | Lt. Daniel Kaffee | ||
| 1993 | The Firm | Mitch McDeere | ||
| 1994 | Interview with the Vampire | Lestat de Lioncourt | $15,000,000 | |
| 1996 | Impossible (film) | Ethan Hunt | $70,000,000 (gross participation) | |
| 1996 | Jerry Maguire | Jerry Maguire | Academy Award Nomination - Best Actor | $20,000,000 against 15% |
| 1999 | Eyes Wide Shut | Bill Harford | $20,000,000 | |
| 1999 | Magnolia | Frank T.J. Mackey | Academy Award Nomination - Best Supporting Actor | |
| 2000 | Impossible II | Ethan Hunt | $75,000,000 (gross participation) | |
| 2001 | A Life in Pictures | Narrator | ||
| 2001 | Vanilla Sky | David Aames | also producer | $20,000,000 + 30% of profits |
| 2002 | Space Station 3D | Narrator | ||
| 2002 | Minority Report | John Anderton | $25,000,000+ | |
| 2002 | Austin Powers in Goldmember | Himself | cameo | |
| 2003 | The Last Samurai | Nathan Algren | also producer | $25,000,000 + % of profits |
| 2004 | Collateral | Vincent | ||
| 2005 | War of the Worlds | Ray Ferrier | Razzie Nomination - Worst Actor | 20% profit participation |
| 2006 | Impossible III | Ethan Hunt | also producer | $75,000,000 |
| 2008 | The Few | Billy Fiske | Scheduled release is June 2008 | |
| Year | Title | Gross |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | War of the Worlds | $591,416,316 |
| 2000 | Impossible II | $545,902,562 |
| 2003 | The Last Samurai | $456,758,981 |
| 1996 | Impossible (film) | $456,494,833 |
| 2002 | Minority Report | $358,372,926 |
| 1988 | Rain Man | $354,825,435 |
| 1986 | Top Gun | $353,816,701 |
| 1996 | Jerry Maguire | $273,552,592 |
| 1993 | The Firm | $270,248,367 |
| 1992 | A Few Good Men | $243,240,178 |
See boxofficemojo.com. Figures are subject to minor adjustments (usually upwards) when studios release revised official figures, which sometimes occurs years after first release.
Cruise is active with charity. Working with his industry, they raised over $150 million for 9/11, and works with an AIDS nonprofit organization.*
American film actors | American film producers | Best Actor Academy Award nominees | Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nominees | Kids' Choice Awards winners | High school dropouts | American Scientologists | Worst Actor Razzie nominees | Louisvillians | New Jersey actors | Ottawans | People from Syracuse, New York | German-Americans | Irish-American actors | Adoptive parents | People with dyslexia | American vegetarians | 1962 births | Living people
توم كروز | Том Круз | Tom Cruise | Tom Cruise | Tom Cruise | Tom Cruise | تام کروز | Tom Cruise | Tom Cruise | Tom Cruise | טום קרוז | Tom Cruise | トム・クルーズ | Tom Cruise | Tom Cruise | Tom Cruise | Круз, Том | Tom Cruise | Tom Cruise | Tom Cruise | Tom Cruise | Tom Cruise | Tom Cruise | 湯姆·克魯斯
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