tom cruise acting career

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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• Born July 3 , 1962 · Syracuse, New York, USA
• Birth name Thomas Cruise Mapother IV
• Height 5′ 7″ (1.70 m)
• In 1976, if you had told fourteen-year-old Franciscan seminary student Thomas Cruise Mapother IV that one day in the not too distant future he would be Tom Cruise, one of the top 100 movie stars of all time, he would have probably grinned and told you that his ambition was to join the priesthood. Nonetheless, this sensitive, deeply religious youngster who was born in 1962 in Syracuse, New York, was destined to become one of the highest paid and most sought after actors in screen history. Tom is the only son (among four children) of nomadic parents, Mary Lee (Pfeiffer), a special education teacher, and Thomas Cruise Mapother III, an electrical engineer. His parents were both from Louisville, Kentucky, and he has German, Irish, and English ancestry. Young Tom spent his boyhood always on the move, and by the time he was 14 he had attended 15 different schools in the U.S. and Canada. He finally settled in Glen Ridge, New Jersey with his mother and her new husband. While in high school, Tom wanted to become a priest but pretty soon he developed an interest in acting and abandoned his plans of becoming a priest, dropped out of school, and at age 18 headed for New York and a possible acting career. The next 15 years of his life are the stuff of legends. He made his film debut with a small part in Endless Love (1981) and from the outset exhibited an undeniable box office appeal to both male and female audiences. With handsome movie star looks and a charismatic smile, within 5 years Tom Cruise was starring in some of the top-grossing films of the 1980s including Top Gun (1986) ; The Color of Money (1986) , Rain Man (1988) and Born on the Fourth of July (1989) . By the 1990s he was one of the highest-paid actors in the world earning an average 15 million dollars a picture in such blockbuster hits as Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) , Mission: Impossible (1996) and Jerry Maguire (1996) , for which he received an Academy Award Nomination for best actor. Tom Cruise's biggest franchise, Mission Impossible, has also earned a total of 3 billion dollars worldwide. Tom Cruise has also shown lots of interest in producing, with his biggest producer credits being the Mission Impossible franchise. In 1990 he renounced his devout Catholic beliefs and embraced The Church of Scientology claiming that Scientology teachings had cured him of the dyslexia that had plagued him all of his life. A kind and thoughtful man well known for his compassion and generosity, Tom Cruise is one of the best liked members of the movie community. He was married to actress Nicole Kidman until 2001. Thomas Cruise Mapother IV has indeed come a long way from the lonely wanderings of his youth to become one of the biggest movie stars ever. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Tom McDonough, Grant failor
• Spouses Katie Holmes (November 18, 2006 - August 20, 2012) (divorced, 1 child) Nicole Kidman (December 24, 1990 - August 8, 2001) (divorced, 2 children) Mimi Rogers (May 9, 1987 - February 4, 1990) (divorced)
• Children Isabella Jane Cruise Suri Cruise Connor Cruise
• Parents Thomas Mapother III Mary Lee Pfeiffer
• Relatives William Mapother (Cousin) Amy Mapother (Cousin) Katherine Mapother (Cousin) Lee Anne De Vette (Sibling)
• Often plays romantic leading men with an edge
• Often plays characters caught up in extraordinary circumstances
• Frequently plays intelligent yet laidback and likeable characters
• Beaming smile and intense eye contact
• Boundless off-stage energy
• 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.
• Stopped to help a hit and run victim and paid her hospital bills. The victim was aspiring Brazilian actress Heloisa Vinhas (1996).
• Insists on performing many of his own stunts in his films, including climbing the exterior of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, during the filming of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) , and driving during the car chases in Jack Reacher (2012) .
• Cruise earned roughly $75 million for Mission: Impossible II (2000) . He did this by turning down any upfront salary, for instead taking a back-end deal that landed him 30% of the film's gross for both his producing and acting duties.
• He did not stay for the remainder of the 2002 Academy Awards after opening them because it was his turn to look after his and ex-wife Nicole Kidman 's children. He reportedly left the Kodak Theatre by a back door after opening proceedings and dashed home to watch the rest of the event on television with his kids Connor and Isabella.
• 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.
• [to Jay Leno regarding his topless Vanity Fair cover shoot] I don't drink but I had a beer that night and they only did one setup like that. I'm a cheap date. What can I say?
• [on Eyes Wide Shut (1999) ] We knew from the beginning the level of commitment needed. We felt honored to work with Stanley Kubrick . We were going to do what it took to do this picture, whatever time, because I felt - and Nic [ Nicole Kidman ] did, too - that this was going to be a really special time for us. We knew it would be difficult. But I would have absolutely kicked myself if I hadn't done this.
• I have cooked turkeys in my day but when Mom's around I let her do it.
• I was 18 when I saw Akira Kurosawa 's Seven Samurai (1954) . After about 30 seconds, I realized that this was not just a cultural thing, it was universal. Years later, I read Bushido. It talked about many things that I strive for in my own life: loyalty, compassion, responsibility, the idea of looking back on your life and taking responsibility for everything you've ever done. I'm fascinated by the samurai and the samurai code - it's one of the main reasons I wanted to make The Last Samurai (2003) .
• Mission: Impossible 8 (2025) - $13,000,000 + % of back end
• Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) - $13,000,000 + % of back end
• Top Gun: Maverick (2022) - $13,000,000 + % of back end
• The Mummy (2017) - $13,000,000 + % of gross
• Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) - $12,500,000 + % of back end

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Tom Cruise Becomes Major The Flash Villain In Stunningly Realistic DC Universe Art

Jason statham's $7.3 billion franchise role proves how much he needs to revive his 21-year-old hit, why disney has recast moana for the live-action movie.

• Risky Business launched Tom Cruise's career at just 20, showcasing his charisma and acting chops in a darkly comedic film.
• Top Gun solidified Cruise's superstar status, showcasing his aerial skills and magnetic personality in a high-flying action movie.
• Rain Man displayed Cruise's range as an actor, earning him accolades and proving he could excel in drama as well as comedy.

One of the premiere movie stars of the modern era, Tom Cruise has a career that can be traced along several distinct milestones as marked by some of his most significant films. Tom Cruise's famous love of stunt work , tenacious charisma, and sheer unbridled energy have helped him maintain a position as a versatile movie star in Hollywood. Though the actor has not been free from controversy over the course of his career, he has endeared himself as a staple of the film industry for nearly forty years.

From his early films of the mid-80s to his breakout hits of the present day, Tom Cruise's best movies each mark an important chapter in the legendary performer's lauded career. The most iconic films attached to Cruise's name typically mark a new milestone, be it a high point or a low point, or introduce Cruise's acting capabilities to a new genre or tone. Whether he's dangling from a ceiling, flying a cutting-edge jet, or fostering a tender emotional connection, Tom Cruise's varied performances tell the story of his stardom just as much as the story of the film they're within.

Tom Cruise has been rumored for both Marvel and DC heroes; however, new DC Universe art makes the case for the actor to play a terrifying villain.

10 Risky Business

Risky business.

A generation X classic, Risky Business was a strong catalyst for Tom Cruise's rise to stardom. The film set the precedent for the great films of John Cusack, following the romance a high school senior, played by a young, hungry Cruise, and a lady of the night. From the iconic dance scene set to Old Time Rock and Roll to the film's ability to balance comedy with darker themes, Risky Business was an instant success.

Essentially Cruise's breakout role, Risky Business put the actor on the map at the tender age of 20. Perhaps the single most important film of Cruise's career, without Risky Business , the short-statured movie star wouldn't have gotten the chance to head major action franchises. While The Outsiders of the same year also placed Cruise in an impressive ensemble cast managed by Francis Ford Coppola, Risky Business put him front and center, giving him room to flex his dazzling performance.

In this classic action flick, Tom Cruise stars as daring young pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. Among the other students at the United States Navy's elite fighter weapons school, he competes to be best in the class, and learns a few things from a civilian instructor that are not taught in the classroom.

Top Gun strapped a freshly-famous Cruise into the cockpit of an F-14 as the hot-blooded Maverick.

If Risky Business proposed Tom Cruise's superstar status as a thesis statement, Top Gun confirmed it, officially cementing him in place as one of the premiere forces of personality Hollywood could rally around. To this day the single most influential dogfighting movie of all time, Top Gun strapped a freshly-famous Cruise into the cockpit of an F-14 as the hot-blooded Maverick. Fueled by a glam-infused 80s soundtrack, earnest patriotism and a palpable chemistry between Maverick and the rest of the Top Gun Academy pilots, the film was a near-instant success.

Top Gun went a long way in earning Cruise even more trust in Hollywood, proving he could pilot a blockbuster that left a massive cultural impact. The many planes of the Top Gun franchise also helped inspire Cruise's own love of aviation, later using much of his wealth to buy planes of his own, including a genuine P-51 Mustang from World War II. The choice of Cruise for the responsibility of putting a face to the absurdly expensive film paid off in a big way, with the U.S. Navy seeing record recruitment numbers after the film's release.

Cruise may have proven himself as a scenery-chewing action hero in Top Gun , but Rain Man presented him an opportunity to re-ignite his comedy chops while showing off a new, more tender side to his performances. Starring opposite the great Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise starred in the film as a hustler who learns of his estranged brother, an autistic savant with a knack for numbers. The road trip buddy comedy excelled in both comedic pacing and genuine drama, thoughtfully promoting awareness of autism even if it did leave many audiences with an unrealistic view of the condition.

Few films were as rewarding for Cruise's resume as Rain Man , which went on to earn an astounding eight nominations at the 1989 Academy Awards and take home four wins, including the coveted Academy Award for Best Picture. Cruise in particular also didn't go unrecognized, gaining accolades as the year's Best Supporting Actor courtesy of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle. Rain Man widened the public's perception of Cruise's range going forward, awarding him a reputation as a genuinely great actor rather than just an entertaining action star.

7 Mission Impossible

Mission impossible.

Of course, Cruise's days as an action star were far from over, and the thunderous applause of the first Mission Impossible would see to it that he would remain a contender for a lead role in many blockbusters for years to come. Putting Cruise in the role of Ethan Hunt, the reboot of the classic heist film allowed him to flex his physicality, dangling from ceilings and holding on to moving trains for dear life. From the iconic theme song to the death-defying action scenes, Mission Impossible put Cruise on a whole new level.

Beyond spawning the critically acclaimed Mission Impossible franchise , which Cruise has continued to carry as a leading man, the film was among the first to give Cruise a reputation as a daredevil. Considering he was also a producer on Mission Impossible , it quickly became evident that Cruise was willing to go out of his way to put his safety on the line for some breathtaking practical action sequences. From proving Cruise's ability to drive a long-running franchise to honing his stunt skills and sharpening his producing acumen, MIssion Impossible was an incredibly important feather in Cruise's cap.

6 Jerry Maguire

Within the same year as the bombastic action of Mission Impossible , Tom Cruise released a more down-to-earth sports comedy that often gets unfairly shadowed by the other giants of his filmography. Playing the titular sports manager, Cruise demonstrates a more poignant acting talent beyond high-flying planes and death defying stunts, simmering in the simple story of a professional wishing to deepen his personal relationships. Though technically a sports film, it's the human drama that drove Jerry Maguire into success.

Jerry Maguire was the peak of Cruise's broad audience appeal in the 90s.

Jerry Maguire was the peak of Cruise's broad audience appeal in the 90s. Not the most narratively complex film, Jerry Maguire relied heavily on its talent to carry the weighty character drama to the end zone. Luckily, Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Renée Zellweger were more than up to the task, and Cruise provided proof of yet another expansion of his versatile acting capabilities.

5 Eyes Wide Shut

Eyes wide shut.

Eyes Wide Shut is a 1999 drama mystery directed by Stanley Kubrick centering on a Manhattan doctor who goes to unexpected lengths to please his wife after she admits she was unsatisfied and almost had an affair a year earlier. Eyes Wide Shut stars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman as husband and wife.

No film was a greater testament to the trust Cruise earned from Hollywood by the end of the 90s than his status as the lead role in the last entry in the great Stanley Kubrick's filmography . In Eyes Wide Shut , Tom Cruise plays a medical doctor that gets sucked into the scandalous world of a high-society cabal of sexual fantasies. The mystery, psycho-sexual themes and weighty personal tension of the film divided critics, becoming one of the most infamously polarizing films of all time.

If Jerry Maguire was a testament to Cruise's widespread appeal, Eyes Wide Shut proved he was capable of committing to off-beat stories that wouldn't necessarily go down easily for every viewer. Even many of the negative reviews of Kubrick's last film offered at least some amount of praise to Cruise's fierce, if eccentric, performance, usually not citing his leading role as a problem. In Eyes Wide Shut , Tom Cruise's willingness to take risks beyond committing to dizzying stunts truly shone through for the first time.

4 Minority Report

Minority report.

In Minority Report's utopian future, where murders can be predicted and prevented, police chief John Anderton (Tom Cruise) is accused of a crime he hasn't committed and goes on the run to prove his innocence. Directed by Steven Spielberg and based on a Philip K. Dick short story, the 2002 sci-fi film was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $350 million worldwide.

Tom Cruise entered the new millennium strong with Minority Report , an adrenaline-fueled science fiction film that proved to be more heady and existential than his other action films. Cruise lent his talent as John Anderton, a "pre-crime chief" in the near-future that specialized in apprehending criminals before they had a chance to even commit their crimes in the first place. Exploring themes of determinism, free will, and complicity in a broken system, Minority Report was able to balance its philosophy with some visceral action.

Minority Report was another successful high-profile collaboration between Tom Cruise and a famous director, this time Steven Spielberg. Whereas Cruise's thoughtful and action-oriented sides were previously separated by an invisible line, Minority Report proved that he could juggle both within the context of a single film. Earning a litany of awards, Minority Report was a critically and financially successful stop along Tom Cruise's impressive development as an actor.

3 The Last Samurai

The last samurai.

At first, The Last Samurai may seem like just another successful action film in Tom Cruise's endlessly impressive filmography. However, other than being one of the actor's more popular films, it also finally granted him a proper tangible recognition as a leading actor. Cruise's first period film, The Last Samurai posited the superstar as an American cavalryman in the 1870s who finds himself stranded in Japan, adapting to the warrior culture of the samurai while leading them in battle against the modernizing Imperial Army.

The Last Samurai finally gave Tom Cruise his long-deserved dues as an impressive lead performer, earning him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor. While Western reviews of the film were merely average, describing it as a stock standard period epic, the film did surprisingly well in Japan, being one of the better Western depictions of the setting according to Japanese critics. It doesn't hurt that Cruise's training scene as Algren is one of the best movie sword fights around, maintaining a lasting impression for the entry in Cruise's catalog.

2 Edge Of Tomorrow

Edge of tomorrow.

Based on Hiroshi Sakurazaka's novel All You Need is Kill, Edge of Tomorrow follows Major William Cage (Tom Cruise), who finds himself drafted into humanity's ongoing war against a seemingly unstoppable race of hostile aliens called Mimics. Cage is killed in combat, but wakes in a time loop, reliving the same battle day after day. Gradually, he realizes that if he teams up with the decorated war hero Sergeant Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt), he can exploit the time loop to defeat the Mimic army and save the human race. 

Returning to the science fiction realm, Edge of Tomorrow holds a fascinating spot in Tom Cruise's career. Loosely based on the amazingly-titled Japanese light novel All You Need Is Kill , the film put Tom Cruise in one of his most fantastic worlds yet, starring him as a hapless conscript in an alien war strapped into a suit of power armor with little choice. In a daring twist, the film was also a Groundhog's Day -style time loop movie , complimenting the straightforward science fiction action with a puzzling mystery.

Despite critical praise, Edge of Tomorrow had a lukewarm domestic box office reception, making most of its money overseas. While the film has gone on to amass something of a cult following, it was far from the success a well-written science fiction action thriller with Cruise headlining should've been. Edge of Tomorrow made the interesting point that Cruise's involvement in even a big-budget project isn't an instant herald of success, even if the film in question does nothing overtly wrong. As powerful as Cruise's star power is, it can't win every battle.

1 Top Gun: Maverick

Top gun: maverick.

Top Gun: Maverick is the sequel to the 1986 original film starring Tom Cruise as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a top-tier pilot in the Navy. Thirty years after the original film's events, Maverick is asked to head up a section of the TOP GUN program to embark on a dangerous mission. Things become personal when the program includes the son of Maverick's late friend, forcing him to confront his past.

Returning to the role of Captain Peter "Maverick" Mitchell after a whopping 36 years, there were some understandable doubts in Cruise's ability to ignite the same amount of passion the first Top Gun had so long after what may have been considered the peak of his career. Luckily, Cruise swiftly disproved the notion of the first film's fading legacy by releasing a smash hit with Top Gun: Maverick. One of the most successful 80s revivals of recent years, the film saw Maverick take a mentor position with a new class of Top Gun cadets.

Earning over one billion dollars, Top Gun: Maverick became Tom Cruise's single most financially successful film, and for good reason. Critics and casual audiences alike heaped praise on Cruise's steady returning performance as the loose cannon Maverick, somehow outdoing the first film in both of jaw-dropping visuals and palpable emotional drama. Earning Cruise an honorary Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, it's safe to say that Top Gun: Maverick reigns supreme as the current peak of Tom Cruise 's hall-of-fame career.

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Top Gun : Maverick ’s Cannes Film Festival premiere marks another high point in the movie star career of Tom Cruise . The actor turns 60 on July 3, and unlike most leading men of that age who become quicker to call for the stunt double, Cruise shows little evidence of slowing down after 43 films. If anything, his Mission: Impossible stunts seem to grow more ambitiously dangerous, not to mention the fact that he and director Doug Liman will become the first to actually shoot a space film in space for real—aboard one of Elon Musk’s SpaceX crafts with the cooperation of NASA.

So how does Cruise continue to carve such a path?

“I’ve gotten to work with a number of actors who’ve had great success and long careers, Tom being at the top of the heap,” says Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski. “He approaches every day with the enthusiasm that it’s his first movie, and at the same time puts the effort into it like it’s his last movie. That’s a good attitude to have; never take it for granted, give 110 percent every single day. Constantly push the crew and yourself to achieve excellence. I’m amazed by that, that he’s 40 years in and still loves what he does and isn’t slowing down at all. It seems like he’s accelerating, which is pretty amazing.”

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Here, a group of directors, producers and actors look back on their Cruise experience and why Hollywood won’t see another global superstar quite like this one.

Top Gun & Top Gun: Maverick

“Tom was our first and only choice for Top Gun , that’s who Tony Scott liked, and Don and I really pursued him,” recalls Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced the original hit with late partner Don Simpson. “I don’t think he was a pilot back then, but he just had the charisma and we loved what we saw in his film career. You could tell he was a terrific actor and that is so much of what it is all about.”

It was to become Cruise’s signature immersion into the process of preparation. “He went down to Miramar in advance and hung out with a lot of the pilots, found out what they liked and why they did what they did. He just cares so much, and not only about his character but the whole movie. A lot of actors walk into a role and just worry about themselves and how they’re perceived. Never Tom. That was the way he was back in ’85 when we made the first one, and he showed it again this time.”

On the first film, Cruise was the only cast member who didn’t lose his lunch while filming dialogue scenes inside those roaring jets. Mindful of that unpleasant experience, he made it his mission to make sure the new crop of actors playing Top Gun pilots in the sequel fared better.

“We learned on the first one,” Bruckheimer says. “He was the only one we got good footage on; we couldn’t use the footage on the other actors because he was the only one who didn’t throw up. So, Tom designed a flying program for all the actors this time. It took months to do this. First, they went up in a single engine prop plane, just to get a feel for flying. Then, an aerobatic prop plane, and then a jet, and once they were comfortable in that jet, he put them in the F-18. Tom designed [the process] himself to acclimate the actors to the G forces they would experience.”

Kosinski previously directed Cruise in the 2013 sci-fi film Oblivion . In the Top Gun sequel, the director says Cruise put so much into mentoring the young actors on set who were in awe of him. “Tom is an actor that, if you can get him interested in your project, then you can do almost anything,” Kosinski says. “When you combine that with something beloved like Top Gun , it becomes an unstoppable force when you go to make it. We needed that on this movie because what we were doing was very intense and there were a lot of things that hadn’t been done before. Having Tom there to push through the ideas and techniques we were going to use was really helpful. Tom knew just how difficult capturing those images would be, just how physically grueling it would be for the actors.

“I remember one day on the carrier, when Tom was sitting with these young actors, most of them just starting their careers,” Kosinski adds. “Miles Teller has a lot under his belt, but the rest were new. For them, every day was like a master class, and he would make time for them every day. He would sit down and have these impromptu sessions with the actors, either to talk about the scenes we were shooting that day, the technical aspects of shooting an aerial sequence, or broader advice, like how to build a career. I remember Tom asked Glen (Powell), what kind of career do you want? Glen said, ‘I want your career, Tom.’ So, Tom said, ‘How do you think I got that?’ Glen said, ‘By choosing great roles.’ And Tom said, ‘No. That’s not how I did it. I did it by choosing great films. Then, I took the roles and made them the best I could.’ That advice blew Glen’s mind. If you look at Tom’s career, that’s exactly what he did. He chose great films and directors he admired. Regardless of the size of the role, especially on a movie like Taps . And then he created something with it, made the role his own. That’s something these younger actors hadn’t thought about and can only get from someone who spent 30 years as a movie star. I thought it was really interesting to watch.”

Jerry Maguire

Cruise’s turn as the star sports agent who loses his throne after an existential crisis would mark his second Oscar nomination and one of his best-remembered performances.

Cruise shows a different side in the romantic comedy. Writer-director Cameron Crowe wrote many lines that were execution-dependent, that would be the difference between heartwarming and cringe-worthy, and Cruise embraced all of them. That includes the climactic scene, when Maguire pleads with his estranged wife (Renée Zellweger) to give him another chance, a plea delivered in a crowd of pessimistic women who’ve all had their hearts broken by cads.

“Oh, Tom couldn’t wait for that scene,” Crowe says. “I was a little nervous about some of the lines, like, ‘You complete me.’ It’s a slippery slope; if you lean wrong into a line like that, it’d probably be the first thing you cut. But he said, ‘I want to say I love you in this movie, and I want to say it with that line.’ And by the time he got to it, it was two in the morning, at the end of a long week.

“Tom surprised the women because we didn’t tell them that he would be there to do the scene with them that day. In he comes, and in the most loving way, this heavyweight was ready for the knockout. He gently crushed it. The ladies were crying. The crew members were crying. And Renée was a mess. He just took great pleasure in being able to deliver a line that he knew I was on the fence about. He’d said, ‘Just give me a shot, man. You’ll see if I got it, or if I didn’t.’ And, you know, I’m still just so proud of it.”

Crowe recalls other ways that Cruise endeared himself to those around him, from one late night when an In-N-Out Burger truck showed up, courtesy of the actor, or the way he handled the first young actor who pulled out of the precocious child part that eventually went to Jonathan Lipnicki.

“Tom stayed in touch with the mother of the kid who had asked to be replaced,” Crowe says. “Tom wrote him and called and sent him stuff. I only knew this because his mother called to say, ‘Thank you for everything Tom Cruise has done to make my son feel good about even being in the movie and working with him as much as he did.’ I went to Tom on the set and said I couldn’t believe what he’d done, spending the last few weeks making sure his spirits were high. Tom just said, ‘Well, I just don’t want that guy growing up, looking at movies and feeling disappointed about what happened. I want him to love movies.’ Wow.”

When Russell Crowe changed his plan from playing the assassin who conscripts a cab driver to drive him to a series of murders in Collateral , director Michael Mann went right to the doorstep of Cruise, even though it would be a decided departure from the actor’s résumé of hero roles.

“In Tom, I saw Lee Marvin,” Mann says. “When Tom zeroes into a certain kind of person, if they are far enough away from him so that it’s a turn-on for a man of adventure, to be on some kind of a frontier with a character he can get to know but is very different from him, I could tell that within him it becomes a real adventure. To play Vincent, this solipsistic sociopath, who has all the f*cking answers and is so methodical and good at what he does, it felt like Tom was a perfect fit. He’s a perfectionist about knowing how to do the things he is supposed to do, which is why he does his own stunts in Mission: Impossible . The sociopathy of this guy was so unique, in his cosmic indifference and outrageous statements that still crack me up when I see some of the scenes with Jamie Foxx in the taxi cab. ‘You ever hear of Rwanda? So, what do you care about one fat guy who gets thrown out the window?’ Or answering Jamie’s accusation of ‘you killed him’ with, ‘I didn’t kill him. The bullets killed him and then he fell out the window.’ The flat irony of Tom’s delivery on those lines is so perfect. It was a very different character for him, and I knew Tom would throw himself into whatever I needed to take him through to become that assassin.”

When I mention the memorable shootout scene in the nightclub and that Cruise’s proficiency with weaponry is reminiscent of the acumen shown by Keanu Reeves in the John Wick films, Mann is quick to correct the record.

“ John Wick’ s are not real techniques,” he says. “What Tom did, those are real techniques and there was a lot of training with my friend Mick Gould, who was the head of close-quarter combat training for the British SAS. The scene in the alley, there’s no cut in that scene… It came down to doing the work. There was nothing he was doing that wasn’t established close-quarter combat moves that came from months of training. That included blending in. Obviously, people know Tom, but I wanted him to feel what it would be like to blend in, to mix with people and have conversations. He went to Central Market and trained to be a FedEx delivery guy. He said to me, ‘They’re gonna know it’s me.’ I said, ‘No, they’ll see the sign that says FedEx, and you’ll wear sunglasses and a cap and carry that portable computer that drivers used to have when they made deliveries.’ Tom went in and delivered something to a liquor stand and sat down and struck up a conversation with a couple people and insinuated himself into the lives of others. There was a lot of psychological training he did. Tom is a dream. He sees the adventure in what we do, just the way I do, and I imagine other directors do. He just goes for it.”

Mission: Impossible

After scripting the Cruise World War II thriller Valkyrie , Christopher McQuarrie became the actor-producer’s creative partner on the Mission: Impossible franchise with 2015’s Rogue Nation , 2018’s Fallout , the recently completed Mission: Impossible –  Dead Reckoning Part One and the eighth installment currently in production. Cruise had stepped up his commitment to outrageously ambitious stunts right before McQuarrie got there, when Brad Bird directed Ghost Protocol , and Cruise scaled the glassy exterior of the world’s largest skyscraper in Dubai, 123 floors up. But it was on McQuarrie’s watch that Cruise hung from the exterior of a flying Airbus A400M in midair for Rogue Nation , and when Cruise broke his ankle after a leap during a chase in which he crashed into a wall. It was a rare mishap, and McQuarrie feels that Cruise is so meticulous in his stunt prep and so confident in his ability to walk away unscathed, that the director swallows hard and says yes.

“I was asked once by a film student: ‘How do you know when you’ve made it?’” McQuarrie says. “I said, ‘You don’t make it. You’re making it. Actively. All the time. May you never make it. May you always be making it. May you look back one day on all you’ve made and go right on making more.’ Tom embodies that. There is no finish line, no pinnacle, no summit. He applies all he’s learned to something new, then studies it with brutal honesty: Where did we go wrong? Where did we go right? How do we apply it to the next thing? How do we push the limits of what is possible? How do we create the most immersive, engaging experience for the widest possible audience? How do we do all that with an emphasis on character and story first? Tom’s not still here by accident.”

McQuarrie could not recall a stunt Cruise insisted on doing that the filmmaker tried to talk him out of. “I get asked that a lot,” he says. “Honestly, no. Is there anything I wish I hadn’t suggested? Absolutely. When I’m sitting in an A400M with the engines running and my friend is strapped to the fuselage, I’m thinking, Maybe I should have kept this one to myself. The truth is, that stunt seems tame now. What we’ve done since, I still can’t believe. If my hair could get any whiter, it would… Tom understands how all of the individual parts function. His level of preparation is exceedingly present and aware. The bigger the stakes, the higher the awareness. That awareness is contagious and enormously clarifying.”

J.J. Abrams made his feature directorial debut on Mission: Impossible III , the one in which Phillip Seymour Hoffman went mano a mano with Cruise after kidnapping the agent’s wife (Michelle Monaghan). Abrams says the stunts weren’t as eye popping as the ones in the films directed by McQuarrie and Bird (Abrams is a producer of all of those films). While Abrams was a hotshot TV director and showrunner with Alias , Cruise pushed for him to direct, despite his being untested on the big screen.

“I blame Tom Cruise entirely on my having a career,” Abrams says. “He did all the impossible heavy lifting I don’t think anyone could have done to give me a shot. I will be forever grateful for everything he did.”

They met when Cruise and Steven Spielberg wanted Abrams to script War of the Worlds (scheduling didn’t work) and they cooked up a Mission: Impossible movie different from the one Paramount thought it was going to make. “While I was shooting the Lost pilot, Tom watched Alias and asked if I would be interested in Mission: Impossible . They were meant to shoot that other version of Mission . Steven was meant to shoot Munich and then War of the Worlds , and somehow Tom convinced both Steven and the studio, and it seemed like a herculean task only Tom could do, but he managed to reorder the films. Steven agreed to do War of the Worlds first, and Mission: Impossible got moved to after. What I remember is that I had a meeting with Tom and Sherry Lansing, who was high on this other version of the movie. I remember Tom basically saying, that he and I were going to do Mission: Impossible together. I remember Sherry saying she liked the other script and Tom saying, ‘This is the one we’re going to do.’ And she said, ‘OK.’ I’m sitting there, watching him take a wild chance on someone who had never directed a feature before, and I couldn’t believe it was me. I came to learn that kind of thing is a normal Tuesday for Tom.”

Any fear Abrams had that the film’s star and producer would impose himself on a young director was quickly allayed. Abrams says Cruise had a clear understanding of the lanes each occupied, and that he relied on good directors to push him to do his best work.

“Any first film is a surreal experience,” Abrams says. “To have it be something where the first day you are filming in Rome with Tom Cruise on a Mission: Impossible set, now that is incredibly surreal. On the second film I directed, which was Star Trek in 2009, I remember getting to the set the first day and feeling the palpable sense of the absence of Tom Cruise. Which is to say, I had only known shooting a movie with Tom, which was a kind of gift you can’t find anywhere else. You have someone who you always know is working as hard — if not harder — trying to make something work, and he is number one on the call sheet. It’s an incredible rarity.”

American Made

Doug Liman, who directed Cruise in the fact-based American Made , the sci-fi Edge of Tomorrow and the upcoming film they’ll shoot in outer space, got to see more than most filmmakers what it is that makes Cruise tick.

“I lived with Tom when we made American Made ,” Liman says. “When you work with Tom, it’s a seven-days-a-week job. No matter how hard a worker you are, and I consider myself that, it’s nothing compared to Tom. After 40 or 50 straight days, we were coming up on July 4 weekend. It happens his birthday is July 3 and I’m thinking that since his birthday happened to fall on a holiday, maybe Tom will want to have a long weekend off to celebrate his birthday somewhere. I mention to Tom, ‘Are you thinking of going away for your birthday?’ Tom says, ‘No. I was thinking since we have the day off on July 3, we can use that time to have the eight-hour aviation meeting that we’ve been having trouble scheduling.’ I am beyond tired and I’m like, ‘You want to have an eight-hour meeting on your birthday?’ He said, ‘Yes, that’s what I want for my birthday. I want to be making a movie. That’s the best birthday present.’ There was no blowing out candles, either.”

“Cake? No, Tom doesn’t eat cake. You don’t get to look the way he looks, by eating birthday cake. You have to make a life choice there. You know the suit of armor, the exoskeletons he wore on Edge of Tomorrow ? They were extremely heavy, cumbersome, took 10 minutes to get on and off and was too heavy for him to sit in between takes. He would get out of the armor and go, we’re wasting all this time, me getting in and out of this suit. So, Tom gets this idea that, between setups, it would save time if, instead of getting in and out of his suit, we converted a child’s swing set into something with hooks that he could hang from, in between setups.”

For the result, picture the gangster Carbone, hanging from a meat hook in the freezer truck in Goodfellas .

“Yeah, that is the visual,” Liman says.

“Living with Tom on American Made , I came to the conclusion that it would be like if you imagined a premise for a high concept movie, where you got to wake up and be Tom Cruise for the day. He gets up with so much energy. He was a real taskmaster when it came to chores in the house. We didn’t have a housekeeper, for security reasons, and we had to clean the house. He would constantly pull out a pot that I had already cleaned and put back, and say, ‘This is not clean.’”

Liman is circumspect about timing and the story he and Cruise will film in space, but not the intent. “The thing both of us have in common is, we’re not interested in the gimmick of shooting a movie in outer space,” he says. “For Tom and me, it’s a challenge to make sure we make a movie that is so frigging good it can survive the inevitable criticism, ‘Did they really have to go into space to shoot that?’”

Barry Levinson, who directed Rain Man with Cruise, saw the film win Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor for Dustin Hoffman’s turn as the autistic savant. Cruise wasn’t nominated for playing Charlie Babbitt, the hustler who kidnaps his brother Raymond and drives him to L.A. to claim an inheritance, but in Levinson’s mind, “Tom had the harder job,” he says. “It was a difficult role because he basically had to drive the movie. Otherwise, Raymond would just be content to sit in a motel. His obligation is to continually drive it and push him, and at the same time not exhaust the audience with a one-beat, ‘C’mon, we’re going.’ It was a very hard role, and he never got the credit he deserved for that film.”

Levinson got the job after Martin Brest, Spielberg and then Sydney Pollack were in and then out because of the tricky nature of the material. Levinson says they found the movie while shooting on the road trip, and what surprised him was Cruise’s skill in improv, and willingness to try most anything they could think of.

“When Sydney dropped out, we were seven weeks out from shooting and we hit the road and kept working on dealing with the relationship between the two of them as we went along,” Levinson says. “We did an extensive amount of ad-libbing and improv work for that film, and Tom jumped in there and ran with it. It was at that point very different for him, not only to be that type of character, but also because the movie was a two-hander. It’s just these two guys basically, and they’ve got to carry the movie. Tom was never resistant to the idea of, well let’s just see what happens if we do this. I said to him once, ‘Let’s get in a car, I wonder if the audience is thinking, the brother hasn’t done anything for Raymond. I think he needs to do something so at least he has made an attempt to deal with him.’ He said, ‘Well, what about if I gave him fresh underwear? That will lead to an argument. Raymond can’t wear that because he gets his underwear in Cincinnati.’ That was the basis of the idea to just have a little something, riding in the car. The two worked really well with each other. I know it sounds like it can’t be true, but it was as good a relationship between the two guys and in terms of what we were trying to accomplish. They were both contributing, and Tom was the one who had to push this movie all the time and I think Dustin would acknowledge that. You keep slowly seeing the changes, as he becomes more emotionally attached to his brother.”

A Few Good Men

To A Few Good Men director Rob Reiner, there is just about nothing Tom Cruise can’t do as an actor, and so he was not at all surprised by the way he went toe-to-toe with Jack Nicholson in his prime during that electric courtroom scene.

“I’ll tell you something. He’s a great actor,” Reiner says. “I know in the last many years he has been doing his Mission: Impossible movies and different things. It seems every really good actor, whether it’s Chris Evans or Mark Ruffalo, they are all in these big action pictures. The thing Tom used to do is, he used to balance that out. I would love to see him do some things that aren’t the franchise films. I’d seen him do things like Taps , Risky Business , and I never worried about him going up against Nicholson because Tom has an incredible work ethic. At that time, I’d never met a young actor with as much dedication as he had to the process. He worked his ass off in rehearsals. He was not only on time, but early every day, and always had his lines nailed. Never had I seen a young actor with a work ethic like this guy. He may tell you behind the scenes that he was intimidated by Jack, but I never saw it.

“When Jack came and we had the first reading of the script, he came fully loaded to work, with a performance at the table. In a table read, you’re usually just kind of marking it. And when Jack got into his performance, it just sent a message to every other young actor. Kiefer Sutherland, Tom, Demi (Moore) and Kevin Bacon and Kevin Pollack, everybody involved knew, you better step up here. We’re not messing around. Tom was always right there with it. I would love to see him play more complex characters than the ones he’s doing now because people don’t realize how great an actor this guy is.”

The Outsiders

When Francis Ford Coppola adapted the S.E. Hinton novel The Outsiders , he wound up with a cast filled with the most promising young actors in the business, from Patrick Swayze to Rob Lowe, Matt Dillon, Emilio Estevez, Ralph Macchio and C. Thomas Howell. Cruise’s role was smaller by comparison, but Coppola had an inkling he might be special based on how the rest of the cast buzzed about how it was Cruise who got the starring role in Risky Business , while the rest of them were confined to ensemble work.

“It’s hard for me to remember that time since I was so focused on casting all of the boys’ roles, of which there were many,” Coppola says. “In those days, I was very experimental about the way I handled auditions. I felt strongly that everyone who showed up be given a chance to show their strengths, so we held them in an open arena where everyone was able to watch the other actors’ auditions for the same roles. The method was as new to them as it was for me. Through that process, I discovered a wealth of talent from which to choose. It’s the luck of the draw I guess, but certainly Tom more than justified his promise. Risky Business was a great showcase for him, and as I recall, he left our set a few days early in order to begin production on that film.”

What stood out to Coppola was the young actor’s openness to messing with what would become his signature thousand-watt smile, to fit the character.

“I was impressed by his willingness to go to extremes in creating a character,” Coppola says. “If the role called for a chipped tooth, he would willingly chip his tooth. He is also very athletic, which you can clearly see in the scene where he backflips off a car. He did not go light or easy in his commitment. I liked his look, and I liked his performance in Taps . He might have been suitable for the older brother role, except he was a little young compared to Patrick Swayze.

“I can’t say that I would have predicted [what was to come for Cruise] at the time, but back when we worked together, he did impress me as a very committed actor with many gifts. Certainly, the incident of the self-inflicted chip in his tooth is an example of his whole-hearted commitment to character.”

Born on the Fourth of July

Oliver Stone badly wanted to tell the story of wounded Vietnam vet Ron Kovic’s transformation from gung-ho soldier to anti-war protester, and each time the film faltered, he could feel it crush the film’s subject. “I had written it with Al Pacino in mind,” Stone says. The movie fell apart when Pacino dropped out, and the project languished for years. Until Cruise sparked to it. The actor was coming off a string of hits that included Risky Business , Cocktail , Top Gun and Rain Man . He was the brightest young superstar in the business and used that clout to empower a picture that allowed him to test his acting mettle in a new way.

“I was broken hearted, and Ron was a basket case,” Stone says. “I said to Ron, ‘If I ever get the chance, I’ll come back and do it.’ Platoon opened up the world for me, and it was either Charlie Sheen or Paula Wagner who suggested Tom Cruise, who was her client. I had met with Tom, and he liked Platoon so much. Maybe no one was going to give the performance as Kovic that I’d seen Al Pacino do in rehearsals, but Tom had other qualities. He was the right age, he looked far younger [than Pacino] and he worked his ass off prior to rehearsal. He hung out with Ron Kovic for a few weeks, going around L.A. in a wheelchair and getting the moves down, getting the mentality down. Ron was such an enthusiastic teacher and Tom took everything he could and kind of fell in love with Ron in a way that he absorbed him into his performance. And they stayed in touch for many, many years.”

Stone says the shoot was grueling, but Cruise was game. “We started the film overseas in the Philippines, where Platoon was made, and for Tom and everyone else, it was a very tough shoot because of the subject matter. I remember the scenes in the hospital being especially difficult, but Tom stuck through it. I was not surprised because I saw his dedication. Tom is a person with a tremendous willpower and once he committed to the role, he really committed.”

Stone says he wondered if Cruise was saying yes to anything the director asked. “In the early scenes, I was worried because I hadn’t seen him wrestle,” Stone says. “He tells me, ‘I can wrestle.’ Well, I’ve been told that kind of thing by a lot of actors, and when you get there on the day of the shoot, when you have no f*cking time to adjust, you find out they can’t wrestle. So, I’m worried. He said, ‘Just trust me. Don’t put pressure on me, I put pressure enough on myself.’ And sure enough, he actually wrestled very well. So never doubt Tom Cruise, I suppose is the lesson.”

Minority Report

For a young actress playing a difficult role as a precognitive woman in the Spielberg-directed Minority Report , measuring up in a blockbuster can be a daunting task. For that reason, Samantha Morton says she often thinks of how much easier a difficult shoot became because of the film’s star.

“I suppose I didn’t fully appreciate how rare Tom was, but now having been in the industry so long, he’s incredibly rare,” Morton says. “Not only is he unbelievably professional, and at a time when a lot of very famous men around me were not being very professional, he was unbelievably generous to me as an actor and as a creative person in that space. And it wasn’t fake or false in a kind of job way. He is genuinely one of the nicest, kindest people I’ve ever worked with, and I cherish those memories of that experience because the job itself was very tough.”

“Mr. Spielberg was incredibly kind and supportive and they made me raise my game because they believed in me. When an actor of his caliber is on set, oftentimes those individuals can be all about the self, and here’s the opposite of that. Because of (Tom), it was, ‘What do we need to make us better?’

“I was 22 when I worked with him, and I didn’t have a huge wealth of knowledge in regards to his cinema history at the time, and I was just there to get my job done. I’ve since seen how exceptional his body of work is. He’s insanely talented and continues to be so, and I have more praise for him as the years go by. He wasn’t being like that because he had to, back then, it was just how he is.”

Morton mentions Cruise sending a coffee truck on a particularly trying day. “People do that now, but nobody did that stuff back then,” she says. “My character was always very emotional and vulnerable. And maybe I was being a bit too method for my own good at the time. But there were scenes where the character couldn’t walk, and he physically carried me all through this shopping mall because I wasn’t taking my own weight. I said, ‘Oh God, I’m so sorry,’ after I don’t know how many takes of the scene. He just smiled. A lot of other actors would have moaned, said something to the director who would have come back and said, ‘Is there any way Sam can just walk on this take?’ Not Tom. And I can tell you, his generosity and exuberance were contagious.”

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Biography: Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise has achieved extraordinary success as an actor, producer, and philanthropist in a career spanning over three decades.

Tom Cruise has achieved extraordinary success as an actor, producer, and philanthropist in a career spanning over three decades.  He is a three-time Academy Award ® nominee and three-time Golden Globe Award winner whose films have earned in excess of eight   billion dollars worldwide—an incomparable accomplishment.  Seventeen of Cruise’s films have grossed more than 100 million dollars in the United States alone, and 18 have grossed over 200 million dollars globally.

Since he first appeared on screen in the 1981 films Endless Love and Taps , Cruise’s versatility has been evidenced by the varied films and roles he chooses.  He has made 34 films, had a producing role on 17, and worked with a remarkable list of acclaimed film directors, including Harold Becker, Francis Ford Coppola, Paul Brickman, Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, Martin Scorsese, Barry Levinson, Oliver Stone, Ron Howard, Rob Reiner, Sydney Pollack, Neil Jordan, Brian de Palma, Cameron Crowe, Stanley Kubrick, Paul Thomas Anderson, John Woo, Steven Spielberg, Michael Mann, J.J. Abrams, Robert Redford, Ben Stiller, Bryan Singer, James Mangold, Brad Bird and Adam Shankman .

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol opened to critical acclaim in December 2011 and went on to gross close to 700 million dollars, making it the biggest box office success of Cruise’s career.  Combined, the Mission: Impossible franchise has brought in more than two billion dollars worldwide since Cruise conceived the idea for the films and began producing them, also starring in all four films as the legendary spy Ethan Hunt.

Following Rock of Ages , Cruise stars this December in Christopher McQuarrie ’s suspense thriller based on the Lee Child book One Shot , from his hugely successful series about Jack Reacher , a former military policeman-turned-drifter.  Cruise is now filming Joseph Kosinski ’s Oblivion , to be released in April 2013.  Later this year, he will begin work on the sci-fi thriller All You Need is Kill , to be directed by Doug Liman .

In 2010, Cruise starred with Cameron Diaz in the romantic action-comedy Knight and Day .  Two years earlier, Cruise portrayed German officer Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg in the critically acclaimed worldwide hit Valkyrie , an historical thriller about the attempted assassination of Adolf Hitler during World War II, which grossed $200 million globally, making it one of the top five WWII-themed films of all time.  Cruise also appeared in Ben Stiller ’s comedy smash Tropic Thunder , as the hip hopping, foulmouthed Hollywood movie mogul Les Grossman .  This performance, based on a character he created, earned him praise from critics and audiences, as well as his seventh Golden Globe Award nomination.

Cruise received Academy Award ® nominations for Best Actor for Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire , in addition to a Best Supporting Actor Oscar ® nomination for Magnolia .  He also garnered three Golden Globe Awards, including Best Actor wins for Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire , and one for Best Supporting Actor for Magnolia , as well as nominations for his roles in Risky Business , A Few Good Men, and The Last Samurai .  In addition, Cruise has earned acting nominations and awards from BAFTA, the Screen Actors Guild ® , the Chicago Film Critics Association, and the National Board of Review.

His list of memorable credits also includes such diverse films as Collateral, Minority Report, Interview with the Vampire, The Firm, Rain Man, The Color of Money and Top Gun .

Cruise has also been honored with tributes ranging from Harvard’s Hasty Pudding Man of the Year Award, to the John Huston Award from the Artists Rights Foundation, and the American Cinematheque Award for Distinguished Achievement in Film.

While  continuing  to  explore  new  artistic  challenges,  Cruise  has  used  his professional success as a vehicle for positive change, becoming an international advocate, activist and philanthropist in the fields of health, education and human rights. He has been honored by the Mentor-LA organization for his work on behalf of the children of Los Angeles and around the world, and in May 2011, he received the Simon Wiesenthal Humanitarian Award.  This June, he will receive the Entertainment Icon Award from the Friars Club for his outstanding accomplishments in the entertainment industry and in the humanities.  He is the fourth person to receive this honor after Douglas Fairbanks, Cary Grant and Frank Sinatra.

This biography/filmography of Tom Cruise is courtesy of Warner Brothers and the film, Rock of Ages

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Tom Cruise: Biography, Success Story, American Actor

Tom Cruise is an American actor and producer. Tom Cruise’s biography reads like a blockbuster movie script, filled with critical acclaim, box-office triumphs, and a journey of relentless ambition and resilience. From his humble beginnings to becoming one of Hollywood’s most iconic figures, Cruise’s success story showcases his talent, hard work, and dedication to his craft. His roles in genre-defining films and commitment to performing his own stunts have cemented his place in cinema history.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Tom Cruise, an iconic Hollywood figure born on July 3, 1962, skyrocketed to fame in the 1980s with hits like Risky Business and Top Gun . His career, spanning action to drama, includes acclaimed roles in Rain Man , Born on the Fourth of July , and Jerry Maguire , earning him several Golden Globes and Academy Award nominations. Known for performing his own stunts, especially in the Mission: Impossible series, Cruise has become synonymous with action and sci-fi films. As one of the highest-grossing actors globally, his movies have earned over $11.5 billion. Cruise, also known for his advocacy for the Church of Scientology and overcoming dyslexia, has three children from his marriage to Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes.

Early Life and Education

Thomas Cruise Mapother IV was born on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, New York, into a family with roots in Louisville, Kentucky. His early life was marked by mobility and hardship, attending 15 schools in 14 years amidst a challenging family environment. Cruise’s father, an electrical engineer, and his mother, a special education teacher, provided a diverse English, German, and Irish ancestry. Despite the familial strife, including a complicated relationship with his father, Cruise found solace and passion in acting from a young age, initially getting involved in drama during fourth grade in Canada.

The family moved to Canada in 1971 due to his father’s job, where Cruise first discovered his interest in drama and performed in school productions. After his parents’ separation, Cruise returned to the U.S., where his continued interest in performing arts led him to participate in high school theater productions, laying the groundwork for his acting career. Despite a brief stint in a seminary with aspirations of priesthood, Cruise’s true calling was acting, which he pursued fervently after graduating in 1980 from Glen Ridge High School in New Jersey. This early experience in drama and the challenges of his upbringing shaped Cruise into the versatile and determined actor he is known today.

1980s: The Beginnings

Tom Cruise embarked on his acting journey at 18, moving to New York City with aspirations of carving out a career in acting and later transitioning to Los Angeles. He quickly made his mark, debuting in the 1981 film Endless Love , followed by a significant role in Taps the same year, expanding from a minor to a central role due to his impressive performance. By 1983, Cruise had already become a notable figure in Hollywood, featuring in The Outsiders , All the Right Moves , and Risky Business , the latter securing his status as an icon for Generation X and establishing him as a leading man in Hollywood. His role in Legend (1985) further showcased his acting versatility.

Cruise’s career skyrocketed with the release of Top Gun in 1986, solidifying his superstar status. He starred alongside Paul Newman in The Color of Money that same year , earning critical acclaim for their on-screen chemistry. Despite a setback with Cocktail in 1988, which critics panned, Cruise’s performance in Rain Man alongside Dustin Hoffman received widespread acclaim, contributing to the film’s Best Picture Oscar win. Cruise’s portrayal of Ron Kovic in Oliver Stone’s Born on the Fourth of July (1989) was a career-defining role, earning him a Golden Globe, the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor, and his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. His early career showcases his dynamic range and ability to captivate audiences, setting the stage for a legendary career in Hollywood.

1990s: Cruise’s Dramatic Ascendancy

Throughout the 1990s, Tom Cruise solidified his position in Hollywood through a series of dramatic roles that showcased his versatility as an actor. He opened the decade with Days of Thunder (1990) and Far and Away (1992), featuring Nicole Kidman as his love interest. He then captivated audiences with his role in the legal thriller The Firm (1993), a critical and commercial hit. In 1994, Cruise starred in Interview with the Vampire, alongside Brad Pitt and Antonio Banderas, a film adaptation of Anne Rice’s novel that received widespread acclaim despite initial controversy over Cruise’s casting.

Cruise then transitioned into the action genre with Mission: Impossible (1996), playing Ethan Hunt and serving as a producer. Despite mixed reviews for the film’s deviation from the original TV series, Cruise’s performance was highly praised. That same year, he starred in Jerry Maguire , a sports drama that was a box-office triumph. For his performance, Cruise won a Golden Globe Award and received his second Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.

Cruise ended the decade with two notable films in 1999: Eyes Wide Shut , directed by Stanley Kubrick, and Magnolia , directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. In Eyes Wide Shut , Cruise delivered a performance that was met with critical praise, especially for his dedication and vulnerability. His role in Magnolia as a motivational speaker earned him yet another Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination, with critics lauding his portrayal of a complex character. These roles highlighted Cruise’s acting range and his ability to delve into complex emotional territories, cementing his status as one of the leading actors of his generation.

2000s: Career Evolution

Tom Cruise’s career significantly developed in the 2000s, starting with his role as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible 2 (2000), directed by John Woo. Despite mixed reviews, the film grossed $547 million worldwide and was that year’s highest-grossing film. Cruise’s performance won him an MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance.

Cruise starred in a series of critical and commercial hits throughout the decade. In 2001, he appeared in the romantic thriller Vanilla Sky alongside Cameron Diaz and Penélope Cruz. The following year, he led the dystopian action film Minority Report , directed by Steven Spielberg . His portrayal in The Last Samurai (2003) earned him a Golden Globe nomination. Cruise’s role as Vincent in Collateral (2004) was widely praised, and in 2005, he reteamed with Spielberg for War of the Worlds , which became one of the year’s highest-grossing films. He was nominated for seven Saturn Awards from 2002 to 2009, winning one, and nearly all of his films during this period achieved significant box office success.

In 2006, Cruise reprised his role as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible III , which was well-received by critics. He then took on a supporting role in Lions for Lambs (2007), which did not do well commercially. However, his comedic turn as Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder (2008) was a hit, earning him a Golden Globe nomination. He ended the decade with a leading role in the historical thriller Valkyrie (2008), a box-office success.

2010s: Action Stardom and Versatile Roles

In the 2010s, Tom Cruise solidified his status as an action star while exploring various roles showcasing his versatility. The decade began with Cruise completing the action-comedy Knight and Day alongside Cameron Diaz, released in June 2010. He then confirmed his role in Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol (2011), which became a critical and commercial success and marked his biggest hit then.

Cruise was recognized for his philanthropic efforts in May 2011 with a humanitarian award from the Simon Wiesenthal Center. In 2012, he took a musical turn with Rock of Ages , portraying the rock star Stacee Jaxx, a role that received praise despite the film’s lukewarm box office performance. That same year, Cruise ventured into the thriller genre as Jack Reacher in the film adaptation of Lee Child’s novel One Shot , which was well-received and successful at the box office.

In the following years, Cruise appeared in the sci-fi films Oblivion (2013) and Edge of Tomorrow (2014), the latter of which earned critical acclaim and solid box office returns. He continued his Mission: Impossible saga with Rogue Nation in 2015, again to high praise and financial success. However, his 2017 reboot of The Mummy was met with negative reviews and disappointing box office results.

Cruise bounced back with Mission: Impossible – Fallout in 2018, which received positive feedback from critics and became his most commercially successful film unadjusted for ticket price inflation. This era underscored Cruise’s enduring appeal as a leading man in Hollywood, capable of drawing audiences worldwide to his high-octane performances.

2020s: A New Frontier

Entering the 2020s with a spirit of innovation, Tom Cruise announced in May 2020 an ambitious project to star in and produce a movie filmed in outer space under Doug Liman’s direction and co-production. The venture involves traveling to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Dragon 2 spacecraft, showcasing Cruise’s continual push for cinematic boundaries.

In a notable stand against the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in May 2021, Cruise returned his three Golden Globe Awards, criticizing the organization’s lack of diversity and ethical issues. Despite this, his career milestones continued to soar.

2022 marked a pinnacle with the release of Top Gun: Maverick , reprising his iconic role as Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. Premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, where Cruise was honored with an Honorary Palme d’Or, the film eclipsed his previous box office records by grossing over $1 billion worldwide, asserting Top Gun: Maverick as his highest-grossing film to date. His earnings from the film, including salary and revenue shares, topped $100 million.

2023 saw Cruise returning as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning , met with critical praise but overshadowed in box office returns by the concurrent release of Oppenheimer and Barbie , in a cultural clash referred to as “Barbenheimer.” Despite this, Dead Reckoning was lauded for its action sequences and narrative satisfaction.

Looking ahead, February 2024 brought news of Cruise’s next venture, a collaboration with acclaimed director Alejandro G. Iñárritu in a Warner Bros. Pictures project, marking his return to the studio after a decade. This new chapter signifies Cruise’s unwavering influence and innovation in Hollywood.

Hollywood Producer and Powerhouse

Tom Cruise is also a powerhouse behind the scenes. Co-founding Cruise/Wagner Productions in 1993, he has produced a series of successful films, including the Mission: Impossible series, which debuted his producer role. His skill securing blockbuster deals has cemented him as one of Hollywood’s most influential figures.

Despite facing challenges, such as the 2006 split with Paramount over controversies that questioned his market value, Cruise showcased resilience by finding alternative funding and taking bold steps like taking over United Artists in 2006. His return to Paramount with Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol proved successful, and he continued to produce hits, including the Jack Reacher series.

In 2024, Cruise embarked on a new chapter with Warner Bros. Discovery, developing original and franchise films, underscoring his enduring impact and adaptability in Hollywood’s dynamic industry.

Personal Life

Marriages and relationships.

Tom Cruise leads a life filled with notable relationships and residences across Beverly Hills, Clearwater, and England. In the ’80s, he was linked with Melissa Gilbert, Rebecca De Mornay, Patti Scialfa, and Cher. His first marriage was to Mimi Rogers on May 9, 1987, ending in divorce on February 4, 1990, with Rogers introducing him to Scientology. Cruise’s second marriage to Nicole Kidman on December 24, 1990, followed their meeting on Days of Thunder . They adopted two children before their 2001 separation.

Afterward, Cruise dated Penélope Cruz and was rumored to have undergone a Scientology-arranged “audition” process for a new partner, briefly dating Nazanin Boniadi. His relationship with Katie Holmes began in April 2005, leading to a highly publicized marriage in November 2006 at Italy’s Odescalchi Castle. The marriage, speculated by some as arranged by Scientology, ended in Holmes filing for divorce in 2012 to reportedly protect their daughter Suri from the organization, highlighting Cruise’s intertwined personal and public life.

Legal Battles

Tom Cruise has been involved in multiple legal disputes, notably defending his reputation and privacy. In 1998, he won a case against the Daily Express for falsely claiming his marriage was a sham. In 2001, Cruise sued Chad Slater and Bold Magazine for alleging an affair and questioning his sexuality; both claims were retracted, with Slater ordered to pay $10 million in damages. Cruise also successfully reclaimed the TomCruise.com domain from a cybersquatter in 2006 and had a wiretapping allegation dismissed in 2009. His 2012 defamation lawsuit against In Touch and Life & Style magazines for reporting he “abandoned” his daughter Suri was settled out of court. These legal actions underscore Cruise’s efforts to protect his personal and professional image.

Scientology

Tom Cruise, introduced to Scientology by Mimi Rogers in 1986, has been a prominent supporter, especially from the 2000s onwards. His public acknowledgment came after a 1990 leak by Star tabloid, followed by a 1992 interview with Barbara Walters. Cruise credits Scientology, notably Study Tech, with overcoming dyslexia. He developed a close relationship with Scientology leader David Miscavige in the ’80s. Despite initially stepping back after learning about Scientology’s secretive aspects while filming Eyes Wide Shut , Marty Rathbun persuaded him to deepen his involvement on Miscavige’s request.

Cruise’s advocacy has stirred controversy , notably for promoting Scientology’s detoxification therapy for 9/11 rescue workers, criticized by medical experts and firefighters. In 2004, Miscavige awarded him the Scientology Freedom Medal of Valor for his efforts. Allegations have surfaced from ex-Scientologist Paul Haggis about Cruise’s attempts to convert celebrities like James Packer and Will Smith to Scientology. Since 2008, Cruise has limited discussions regarding Scientology in interviews.

Personality Traits

Tom Cruise is a figure who exemplifies a blend of talent, tenacity, and a tireless work ethic, making him one of Hollywood’s most enduring stars. His career, spanning over four decades, showcases his longevity, versatility, and dedication to his craft.

• Resilience is a hallmark of Cruise’s career. Despite the ups and downs typical of the entertainment industry, he has remained a bankable star, constantly reinventing himself and choosing projects that challenge him and excite audiences.
• His adventurousness is legendary, particularly his willingness to perform daring stunts himself, from hanging off the side of a plane in “Mission: Impossible” to scaling the Burj Khalifa. This risk-taking spirit translates into powerful, memorable performances that have become a signature aspect of his films.
• Cruise’s charisma is undeniable. His magnetic screen presence and ability to connect with audiences have made his films must-watch events. Whether he’s playing a charming rogue, a determined action hero, or a complex character grappling with inner turmoil, Cruise brings a compelling depth that captivates viewers.
• His dedication to his roles is evident in his meticulous preparation, whether learning to fly a fighter jet for Top Gun: Maverick or mastering samurai sword fighting for The Last Samurai . This commitment extends beyond his acting roles to his personal beliefs and practices, underlining his integrity and depth of character.
• Professionalism is a trait consistently attributed to Cruise by his co-stars and directors. Known for his punctuality, respect for crew members, and collaborative spirit, Cruise’s professional demeanor sets a standard in the industry.
• Beyond the screen, Cruise’s philanthropy reflects his commitment to making a positive impact. His involvement in various humanitarian causes, from disaster relief to advocating for health and education, demonstrates a generous spirit that complements his on-screen persona.

In conclusion, Tom Cruise embodies a rare combination of traits that have cemented his status as an iconic figure in cinema and endeared him to fans and colleagues alike. His resilience, adventurous spirit, charisma, dedication, professionalism, and philanthropy are the threads that weave together the tapestry of his distinguished career and personal life, making him a multifaceted individual whose impact extends far beyond the silver screen.

Awards and Legacy

Tom Cruise, recognized for his unmatched influence in Hollywood, has received numerous accolades and is prominent in entertainment history. In 2006, Premiere magazine named him Hollywood’s most powerful actor, and Forbes echoed this sentiment, declaring him the world’s most powerful celebrity the same year. The founder of CinemaScore in 2016 highlighted Cruise and Leonardo DiCaprio as exceptional talents capable of uplifting the box office performance of films regardless of their quality.

Japan celebrated “Tom Cruise Day” on October 10, 2006, honoring him for his affection and strong connections with the country. Film critic Roger Ebert identified a distinct “Tom Cruise Picture” formula in Cruise’s filmography, characterized by consistent elements such as a mentor figure, a craft to master, and a journey of self-discovery, present in movies from Days of Thunder to The Last Samurai .

Cruise’s passion extends beyond acting to aviation, where he is an accomplished aerobatic pilot. His contributions to aviation earned him recognition as a Living Legend of Aviation in 2010, along with the Aviation Inspiration and Patriotism Award. Among his prized possessions is a P-51 Mustang, showcasing his deep enthusiasm for flying.

In conclusion, Tom Cruise’s biography is not just a chronicle of personal and professional milestones; it’s a narrative of a man who defied the odds to become a symbol of enduring success in the competitive world of cinema. His journey from an aspiring actor to a global superstar underscores the power of perseverance, making his biography an inspiring success story for generations to come.

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How the First ‘Mission: Impossible’ Changed Tom Cruise’s Career Forever — For Better and Worse

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Mission: Impossible was not only a great film that spawned an incredible franchise, but was a turning point in the career of Tom Cruise . The actor is now known as one of the biggest movie stars in the world, and while he burst onto the scene in the '80s with performances in films like Risky Business , Top Gun , and Rain Man , by the time the 90s hit the Hollywood landscape was changing, and Cruise was in danger of being usurped by Hollywood’s hot new star: CG visual effects. But by making his producing debut on Mission: Impossible and taking a stronger hand in the creative side of filmmaking, Cruise ensured his own success for years to come – in ways both for good and for ill.

Paramount Pictures began developing a big-screen adaptation of Mission: Impossible as early as 1991, and Cruise’s involvement first bubbled up in 1993 when Paramount was courting the A Few Good Men actor for a new project. It was at that point that Cruise sparked to the Mission: Impossible property, not only as a performer but also as a producer. It was also at that point that Hollywood was in the middle of a massive evolution. 1991’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day introduced the world to the first fully CG character, and 1993’s Jurassic Park perfected this new technology by bringing dinosaurs to life. Suddenly Hollywood was all about CG-driven blockbusters, and over the next few years the box office would be overrun by films like Independence Day , Twister , and Armageddon – where the spectacle was just as big (or bigger) as the movie stars.

RELATED: Maverick and Iceman Have the Best Relationship in the 'Top Gun' Films

Cruise was certainly no stranger to box office or commercial success, but by the late 80s and early 90s he was branching out into challenging dramatic territory in films like Rain Man , Born on the Fourth of July , and The Firm . As he looked towards the future of his career, he decided to take matters into his own hands by producing a film that would be a blockbuster, yes, but would also have a strong cinematic bent. And that’s where Brian De Palma comes in.

Cruise recalled that he was inspired to hire De Palma for Mission: Impossible after spending an evening with the director over at Steven Spielberg ’s house one night (as one does). De Palma –an auteur known for bold films like Blow Out and Carrie – accepted Cruise’s mission, but it’s no secret that the development and production of Mission: Impossible was intense. So intense that at one point, De Palma had two separate screenwriters ( Robert Towne and David Koepp ) working on separate drafts of the script in separate hotel rooms at the same time.

By all accounts, Cruise was always interested in moviemaking. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer recalled that Cruise was even involved in the scripting phase of Top Gun , and Cruise is the one who pushed to get Days of Thunder off the ground. He was always eager to take a strong creative role in a majority of his films, and with Mission: Impossible he would finally make it official by becoming a producer.

But while De Palma was the director, Cruise was the captain of the ship, and De Palma makes clear in the documentary De Palma that Cruise was ultimately calling the shots on Mission: Impossible . It was a creative partnership to be sure, but when disagreements occurred, it was ultimately Cruise’s call. One thing the two agreed wholeheartedly on was embracing practical effects and stunts, as the first Mission: Impossible eschewed Hollywood’s newest trend in favor of nail-biting sequences that could largely be completed practically.

Cruise certainly charted his own career path before Mission: Impossible , but it was during and after this film that he became even more pro-active not just in what kinds of films he would make, but how they would be made. His collaboration with Cameron Crowe on 1996’s Jerry Maguire was so fruitful that when they reteamed on 2001’s Vanilla Sky , Cruise produced the film and helped creatively shape it. Even on Stanley Kubrick ’s Eyes Wide Shut , the epically long production was very much a collaboration between Cruise, Kubrick, and Nicole Kidman .

And of course when it came to the Mission: Impossible franchise – specifically when it was time to make a sequel – Cruise made a concerted effort to go a very different way for Mission: Impossible II , not only hiring John Woo to direct but encouraging him to make the film his own. To not try and fit De Palma’s style, but make a John Woo Mission: Impossible movie. This trend would continue on every Mission sequel, even when Christopher McQuarrie became the first director to helm more than one Mission movie – when McQ returned for Mission: Impossible – Fallout after crafting the classical, somewhat throwback Rogue Nation , he did so under the condition that he would change up his style and create a different kind of M:I movie. That mission was successful.

Indeed, Mission: Impossible 7 and Mission: Impossible 8 both on the horizon are said to include Cruise's most dangerous stunt of his career – 25 years after this franchise first began. Cruise has always steered Mission: Impossible towards success, empowering filmmakers like J.J. Abrams and Brad Bird to bring their own passions and points of view to the table, resulting in tonally diverse films. And to the most extreme, when Cruise’s career was spiraling downwards due to a couple of subpar films (looking at you Lions for Lambs ) and his personal life, 2011’s Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol brought him back to the top – literally. For the fourth Mission film, Cruise performed a jaw-dropping stunt in which he hung off the tallest building in the world.

But one could argue that Mission: Impossible also changed Cruise’s career for the worse, though not right away. The movie very much positioned Cruise as an action star, but in its immediate wake he continued working on more dramatic projects with interesting directors like Crowe, Kubrick, and Paul Thomas Anderson . But as the Hollywood marketplace became more and more saturated by blockbusters in the early 2000s – especially in the wake of the superhero boom of X-Men and Spider-Man – Cruise fell back on this “action star” moniker at the expense of more interesting dramatic work.

So as Cruise took a more commanding creative role in the films he chose, he also made the decision to turn his back on straight dramas after the disappointments of Lions for Lambs and Valkyrie . One could argue that films like Jack Reacher or American Made let Cruise flex his dramatic talent (which is immense), and one would be correct, but those films are still wrapped up in “entertaining action” packaging – punching people in Jack Reacher , and flying planes in American Made . I adore Christopher McQuarrie and his collaborations with Cruise, but the actor hasn’t come close to making anything as exciting or dangerous or emotionally vulnerable as Magnolia or Eyes Wide Shut or Collateral since those films came out.

And yet it’s an entirely conscious decision. Cruise has basically CG-proofed his career, continuing to push jaw-dropping practical effects in “audience-first” movies that succeed at the box office. In an age in which the term “movie star” appears to be fading quickly, Cruise is one of the few performers who is able to greenlight a massive movie all by himself – as long as it’s a blockbuster. Would he still be as successful or viable a star had he continued starring in boundary-pushing dramas from exciting filmmakers? Maybe not, and that’s probably why he went the other way.

As much as I love seeing Cruise dangle off a helicopter or jump across the roofs of buildings, a part of me longs for another Magnolia -like performance in which he really goes for it. Perhaps those days are gone, and to be honest the Mission: Impossible franchise isn’t a terrible trade-off. But we can chart Cruise’s current career path all the way back to that 1996 effort, which changed everything.

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• Mission: Impossible

Tom Cruise Profile

By Webmaster

Full Name: Thomas Cruise Mapother IV

Birthdate: July 3, 1962

Birthplace: Syracuse, New York, USA

Occupation: Actor, Producer

Tom Cruise, born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, New York, is one of the most iconic and enduring actors in Hollywood. Renowned for his intense dedication and charismatic on-screen presence, Cruise has been a leading figure in the entertainment industry for decades.

Cruise’s early life was marked by frequent moves due to his father’s occupation as an electrical engineer. Despite this, he developed a passion for acting and, after briefly attending college, he made the bold decision to pursue a career in Hollywood. His first film role came in 1981’s “Endless Love,” but it was his performance in “Risky Business” (1983) that catapulted him to stardom. This coming-of-age comedy-drama established Cruise as a charismatic leading man.

One of the defining moments in Cruise’s career came with the action-drama “Top Gun” (1986), in which he played the role of Maverick, a daring fighter pilot. The film was a major box office success and solidified Cruise’s status as a bona fide movie star.

Throughout his career, Cruise has shown a remarkable versatility, taking on roles in various genres, from the romantic drama “Jerry Maguire” (1996), for which he received an Academy Award nomination, to the high-octane action series “Mission: Impossible,” which has become one of the most successful franchises in the industry. Cruise’s willingness to perform many of his own stunts in the “Mission: Impossible” films showcases his commitment to delivering thrilling and authentic action sequences.

Cruise’s dedication to his craft has earned him critical acclaim and numerous awards, and he’s known for his professionalism and work ethic on set. His filmography includes a wide range of successful movies such as “Rain Man” (1988), “A Few Good Men” (1992), “The Last Samurai” (2003), and “Edge of Tomorrow” (2014).

Tom Cruise has also ventured into producing, co-producing many of his films, including the “Mission: Impossible” series. His influence and reputation extend beyond acting, as he’s been involved in various philanthropic efforts and charitable causes.

While he’s been a controversial figure at times due to his association with Scientology and his personal life being under scrutiny, there’s no denying Tom Cruise’s significant impact on the entertainment industry. His dedication to delivering thrilling performances and his commitment to pushing the boundaries of filmmaking continue to make him a compelling figure in Hollywood.

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• Casting Auditions

Tom Cruise Through the Years

By Apryl Lovera

4:48 PM PDT, July 2, 2022

Tom Cruise, one of the world's highest-paid actors, has a storied acting career that includes various accolades and iconic roles. Take a look back at the star's most memorable moments.

Tom Cruise poses for a portrait.

Tom Cruise stars as Cadet Captain David Shawn in the film  Taps .

Tom Cruise laughs in a scene from the film  Risky Business.

Tom Cruise as Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in Top Gun .

Tom Cruise married Mimi Rogers in May 1987. They divorced in February 1990.

Rain Man  producer Mark Johnson, Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise and director Barry Levinson at the 61 st  Annual Academy Awards Show on March 29 in Los Angeles, California. Johnson (Best Picture), Hoffman (Best Actor) and Levinson (Best Director) took home Oscars that year.

Tom Cruise in a scene from  Born on the Fourth of July .

Tom Cruise met Nicole Kidman on the set of Days of Thunder . The pair tied the knot in December 1990. He filed for divorce in February 2001.

Actor Tom Cruise attends the 47th Annual Golden Globe Awards on January 20 and takes home the Best Actor prize he won for   Born on the Fourth of July .

Tom Cruise's Hand and Footprint Ceremony at Mann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California on June 28.

Tom Cruise as Lestat in  The Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles .

Tom Cruise stars in his legendary role as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible .

Tom Cruise talks on a phone in a scene from the film  Jerry Maguire .

Actor Tom Cruise attends the 54th Annual Golden Globe Awards on January 19 and takes home the Best Actor award for  Jerry Maguire .

Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise hit the red carpet for the  Eyes Wide Shut  premiere on September 9 in Los Angeles, California.

Tom Cruise attends the 6th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on March 12 at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California.

Tom Cruise dated his  Vanilla Sky  co-star Penelope Cruz from 2001 to 2004.

Tom Cruise enters Dodgers Stadium with the Olympic torch during the torch relay on June 16 in Los Angeles, California.

Tom Cruise began dating Katie Holmes in April 2005.

Tom Cruise married Katie Holmes in Rome, Italy on November 18, 2006. The actress filed for divorce in June 2012.

Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz during the shooting of the film  Knight and Day  on December 9 in Seville, Spain.

Tom Cruise and Jennifer Lopez perform onstage at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards at Gibson Amphitheatre on June 6 in Universal City, California.

Tom Cruise stars in  Edge of Tomorrow  and the film premiered on March 14, 2014.

Tom Cruise speaks onstage at the Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures preview of  Edge of Tomorrow  film during Comic-Con International at San Diego Convention Center on July 20.

Tom Cruise signs autographs for fans as he arrives in South Korea to attend  Jack Reacher: Never Go Back  Seoul premiere on November 7.

Tom Cruise is seen on the set of  Mission: Impossible 6  on May 4 in Paris, France.

Tom Cruise poses at the global premiere of  Mission: Impossible - Fallout  at Palais de Chaillot on July 12 in Paris, France.

Tom Cruise wears a face mask during the filming of the movie  Mission: Impossible Lybra  on October 9.

Tom Cruise attends the men's final of Wimbledon in England on July 11.

Tom Cruise arrives in a helicopter to the world premiere of  Top Gun: Maverick  aboard the USS Midway in San Diego, California on May 4.

Tom Cruise (born July 3, 1962) is an American actor, producer and one of the highest-paid stars in Hollywood. His films, such as the popular "Mission: Impossible," "Top Gun" and Jack Reacher" action franchises, have grossed over $4 billion in North America and over $11.5 billion worldwide. Best known for performing his own death-defying stunts, Cruise has been nominated for four Academy Awards, eight Golden Globes (with two wins), an honorary Palme d'Or from the Cannes Film Festival and more. Cruise began his acting career in the 1980s, and his first major roles came in the 1983 comedy "Risky Business," Francis Ford Coppola's "The Outsiders" and the sports drama "All the Right Moves." His big breakout was the 1986 military drama "Top Gun," where he starred as U.S. pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. In 2022, 36 years after "Top Gun," he revisited the role with "Top Gun: Maverick." It picked up six Academy Award nominations, including best picture, adapted screenplay, original song, film editing, visual effects and won for best sound. In 1990, Cruise earned his first Academy Award nomination for best actor with "Born on the Fourth of July," followed by another in 1997 for "Jerry Maguire" and a supporting actor nod in 2000 for "Magnolia." In 1996, Cruise launched his most iconic franchise and debuted as special agent Ethan Hunt in the first "Mission: Impossible" film. The series wraps up with a two part finale, "Mission: Impossible -- Dead Reckoning" in 2023 and 2024. His other major films include "Rain Man" (1988), "A Few Good Men" (1992), "Interview With the Vampire" (1994), "Minority Report" (2002) and "War of the Worlds" (2005).

July 3, 1962

Syracuse, NY

• Mission: Impossible,
• Top Gun: Maverick,
• Jerry Maguire,
• War of the Worlds

Golden Globe, "Magnolia," Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (Won), Golden Globe, "Jerry Maguire," Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical (Won), Golden Globe, "Born on the Fourth of July," Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama (Won)

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Dakota fanning reveals the birthday gift tom cruise gives her every year since 2005’s ‘war of the worlds’: ‘he sends me shoes’, jeremy renner refused to star in his third ‘mission: impossible’ movie just so ‘they could kill my character’: ‘you don’t get to do that…get out of here’, glen powell spent 6 hours watching a tom cruise video ‘breaking down everything he’s learned about filmmaking,’ says chris pratt helped open the door for his success, tom cruise, pedro pascal, emma stone and ‘godzilla minus one’ among critics choice super awards winners, tom cruise is ‘so busy’ that ‘you never know’ when ‘top gun 3’ will get made, says franchise producer: he ‘really’ likes the ‘wonderful story idea’, tom cruise in talks to star in alejandro g. iñárritu’s film at warner bros. and legendary, warner bros. spends big: ‘joker 2’ budget hits $200 million, lady gaga’s $12 million payday, courting tom cruise’s new deal and more , tom cruise’s ‘jack reacher’ director reflects on box office bomb: ‘i certainly don’t blame tom for not being 6’2″‘, ‘mission: impossible – dead reckoning’ is now streaming on paramount+, ‘mission: impossible – dead reckoning’ gets paramount+ release date, drops ‘part one’ from title, ‘top gun 3’ in the works at paramount, tom cruise signs deal with warner bros. to develop and produce original and franchise films, hannah waddingham flew onto the ‘mission: impossible 8’ set where tom cruise and 4,500 active military members were waiting for her: ‘it was insane’, more from our brands, watch vampire weekend invite tim robinson onstage for ‘dangerous nights’ performance, this 220-footer could be the world’s first fuel-free, all-electric superyacht, congress to consider bill declaring college athletes are not employees, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, brats documentary review: andrew mccarthy is still st. elmo’s fired up about ‘brat pack’ label, verify it's you, please log in.

How Scientology almost ruined Tom Cruise's career and the 'Mission: Impossible' franchise saved it

• 2006 was the lowest point in Cruise's career.
• Audiences had enough of him talking about Scientology and his relationship with Katie Holmes.
• Here, we chronicle Cruise's downfall and his rise back to stardom thanks to "Mission: Impossible."

In August 2006, it seemed like Tom Cruise was finished.

In an announcement unprecedented by the head of a major conglomerate, Viacom's chairman at the time, Sumner Redstone, publicly ripped into the star — who for years was one of the most profitable actors and producers at Viacom's movie studio, Paramount Pictures.

"We don't think that someone who effectuates creative suicide and costs the company revenue should be on the lot," Redstone told The Wall Street Journal . "His recent conduct has not been acceptable to Paramount."

It was likely the toughest and strangest time of Cruise's career. The then-43-year-old actor had a lifetime box-office gross of over $1.5 billion , but his flawless transition from young heartthrob to respected dramatic actor to gargantuan action star seemed to self-destruct as quickly as one of the messages his character, Ethan Hunt, received in the "Mission: Impossible" movies.

The studio he'd called home for 14 years was parting ways with him following a string of bizarre outbursts.

Now, in 2023, that all seems hard to imagine.

Cruise is not only the face of one of the biggest action franchises ever, but film, "Top Gun: Maverick," might just have saved Hollywood following the pandemic.

This month, he's back with another "M:I," Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1," yet another must-see title from one of the last movie stars the industry has left.

But there was a time the veteran actor's career was at a low point.

The couch jump, 'TomKat,' and Scientology

Cruise's strange downfall and subsequent rebirth as one of the most bankable movie stars all began with a seemingly innocent act of love.

When Cruise agreed to go on " The Oprah Winfrey Show " in May 2005 to promote his film, "War of the Worlds," it was a big deal. Cruise rarely did interviews, especially on daytime TV.

As Cruise walked onto Oprah's stage, the crowd went wild. Oprah playfully tousled Cruise's hair, and the actor was clearly in a great mood.

During the interview, Oprah brought up Cruise's latest love interest, Katie Holmes, who was off-stage where no one, especially the cameras, could see her. The excitement of talking about his new girlfriend led him to leap up on Oprah's couch with joy (he did it a second time for good measure).

After the couch-jumping, Oprah even got Cruise to chase down Holmes and get her to come onstage.

It seemed harmless at the time, but thanks to a very young internet video-posting site called YouTube, the image of Cruise on top of Oprah's couch became a pop-culture phenomenon. To some, it felt off. 

A month later, Cruise agreed to go on the " Today " show to continue promoting "War of the Worlds" and also talk about his religion, Scientology. When now-disgraced interviewer Matt Lauer talked about Scientology, and specifically to Cruise not agreeing with psychiatry, the tone changed. Cruise offered his opinion on Brooke Shields' use of antidepressants for postpartum depression .

Here's an excerpt of Cruise and Lauer's uncomfortable exchange:

Cruise: "Do you know what Adderall is? Do you know Ritalin? Do you know Ritalin is a street drug? Do you understand that?" Lauer: "The difference is — " Cruise: "No, Matt, I'm asking you a question." Lauer: "I understand there's abuse of all of these things." Cruise: "No, you see here's the problem: You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do."

Later in the conversation:

Lauer: "Do you examine the possibility that these things do work for some people? That yes, there are abuses, and yes, maybe they've gone too far in certain areas, maybe there are too many kids on Ritalin, maybe electric shock — " Cruise: "Too many kids on Ritalin?" Lauer: "I'm just saying — but aren't there examples where it works?" Cruise: "Matt, Matt, Matt, you're glib. You don't even know what Ritalin is. If you start talking about chemical imbalance, you have to evaluate and read the research papers on how they came up with these theories, Matt. OK? That's what I've done. You go and you say, 'Where's the medical tests? Where's the blood test that says how much Ritalin you're supposed to get?'" Lauer: "It's very impressive to listen to you, because clearly you've done the homework and you know the subject." Cruise: "And you should. And you should do that also, because just knowing people who are on Ritalin isn't enough. You should be a little bit more responsible … "

Minutes later, the exchange was on loop all over the world.

Within a few weeks, Cruise had gone wild on Oprah and lashed out at Lauer, and by then, the tabloids had gone into overdrive with the Cruise-Holmes relationship, which they called "TomKat."

It was time for Cruise to get off the grid, but he couldn't.

Cruise's star power takes a hit

For most of his career, an experienced publicist named Pat Kingsley reportedly kept Cruise's private life out of the tabloids. According to a 2014 LA Weekly story, she even talked Cruise out of being more vocal about Scientology when he did press for his 2003 film "The Last Samurai."

A year later, according to the LA Weekly story, Cruise let Kingsley go after 14 years and formed a publicity team that included his sister, Lee Anne De Vette, and fellow Scientologists.

Now in a typhoon of backlash that Cruise had never experienced before, his team may have been too inexperienced to protect him.

Despite all the negative attention, "War of the Worlds" still went to No. 1 at the box office during its opening weekend ( $65 million ), and ended up with a worldwide take of $592 million.

Related stories

It would be the last time a film starring Cruise would make over $500 million worldwide for the next six years .

Following the "War of the Worlds" release, TomKat was still daily tabloid fodder, especially with the news that the two were expecting a child. And then, in March 2006, Cruise went global again with the controversial "South Park" episode "Trapped in the Closet."

The episode originally aired in November 2005 and revealed what Scientologists believe is the origin of life, but it also depicted Cruise as an insecure person and played on rumors of his sexuality .

In the episode, one of the main characters on the show, Stan, is thought by Scientology to be the second coming of its founder, L. Ron Hubbard . This leads Scientologists, including Cruise, to flock to Stan's house to pay their respects. But when Stan insults his acting ability, Cruise hides in Stan's closet, leading to Stan saying, "Dad, Tom Cruise won't come out of the closet."

Comedy Central delayed reairing the episode in March 2006 because allegedly Cruise declared he would not promote "Mission: Impossible 3" unless Viacom (which owns the film's studio, Paramount, and Comedy Central) canceled the rebroadcast.

Cruise's reps denied he ever threatened not to promote the film.

The controversy made headlines all over the world and led "South Park" fans to declare they would boycott "Mission: Impossible 3" until Comedy Central aired the episode.

The episode was finally reaired in July of that year.

"Closetgate," in what it would become known, was the last straw.

The constant tabloid coverage of TomKat, plus rumors that Cruise and Holmes' relationship was allegedly arranged by the church had turned people off. (Cruise and Holmes married in November 2006 and divorced six years later.)

The bad press soon began to affect Cruise's career. "Mission: Impossible 3" opened in theaters in May 2006 and Cruise's Q score — the appeal of a celebrity, brand, or company to the public — was down 40% .

Though the film was No. 1 in the US on its opening weekend ( $48 million ), it lost appeal as the weeks passed. Ticket sales dropped 47% during its second week in theaters and 53% in its third week.

"Mission: Impossible 3" is the lowest-grossing film in the franchise to date, with a $400 million worldwide gross.

It was at this point that Redstone gave Cruise his wake-up call: "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."

The long road back to superstardom

After being kicked off the Paramount lot, Cruise hired a publicist with more experience and buckled down for a comeback. He brought his production company over to MGM and took partial ownership of the iconic United Artists studio.

Cruise also became less vocal about Scientology in public, though he was apparently still very much involved privately. In 2008, a Scientology-produced video went viral on YouTube of the actor explaining what the religion meant to him.

Cruise hit the pause button on doing action movies, turning to dramas like "Lions for Lambs" and "Valkyrie."

In between those films, he agreed to star in pal Ben Stiller's 2008 comedy " Tropic Thunder " as the overweight, bigger-than-life movie exec Les Grossman. It was the best move Cruise had done in years. In doing something so out of character, he began to win back fans.

"Tropic Thunder" reunited Cruise with his former studio, Paramount. Although Cruise's production company was kicked off the lot, it didn't mean he couldn't still be cast in the studio's films. The wheels were now in motion for Cruise to get back on Paramount's good side so he could make more "Mission: Impossible" movies.

Being a hit in "Tropic Thunder," the biggest comedy of the year for Paramount, was a good starting point.

Director J.J. Abrams, who directed Cruise in "Mission: Impossible 3" and was in Paramount's good graces after directing the studio's hit "Star Trek Into Darkness," was also working to get Cruise back in the franchise.

In the summer of 2010, news broke that Cruise would be starring in "Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol," with Abrams as producer. But this installment in the franchise would not be titled "Mission: Impossible 4," because the idea was that the film would be a refresh on the franchise, with Cruise stepping aside as the lead and giving way to rising star Jeremy Renner.

Cruise didn't get the message.

Back in the Ethan Hunt role, Cruise cemented his place in the franchise by scaling the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, without a stunt double.

That, and the other insane stunts featured in the film, led to "Ghost Protocol" earning the biggest worldwide box office in the franchise's history — $695 million . It was also the second-highest earning film for Paramount in 2011, just behind "Transformers: Dark of the Moon."

Following "Ghost Protocol" it wasn't all box-office wins for Cruise. " Knight and Day " and the " Jack Reacher " franchise didn't do as well as expected. And he could not help Universal's Dark Universe get off the ground as 2017's "The Mummy" bombed at the box office.

However, he laid the seeds of what could be another profitable franchise with 2014's "Edge of Tomorrow, which — even with a slow start when it opened — ended up passing the domestic $100 million mark (the first time in nine years that a non-"Mission: Impossible" Cruise film hit that landmark number) and only grew in popularity when it got onto home video and streaming.

And then there are the "M: I" movies.

In 2015, "Rogue Nation," with its insane stunt of Cruise hanging from the side of a plane as it took off, earned over $682.7 million worldwide and was the top-grossing film for Paramount that year. And 2018's "Fallout" did even better, taking in over $791 million worldwide .

Despite Alex Gibney's explosive 2015 HBO Scientology documentary "Going Clear," in which Cruise is criticized for being the face of the controversial religion, Cruise remains one of the world's top movie stars. 

And with "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One" out this month, it doesn't seem likely that he'll be knocked off that mantel anytime soon.

• Main content

Tom Cruise - Biography

Tom's most famous credits include, top gun, mission: impossible and jerry maguire.

Who is Tom Cruise?

Tom Cruise is a Hollywood heavyweight whose hugely successful career in acting has made him one of the most famous faces on the planet. His list of acting credits is extensive and some of his best-known titles include Top Gun, Mission: Impossible , A Few Good Men , Vanilla Sky, Jerry Maguire,  and Born on the Fourth of July – the latter of which earned him his first Oscar nomination. 

Tom Cruise's early life and career

Born Thomas Mapother Cruise IV on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, upstate New York, Tom was just 12 years old when his alcoholic father walked out on mother Mary Lee, and sisters Marian, Lee Anne, and Cass. Afterward, times were tough, and the four children did chores such as mowing their neighbors' lawns to help with the housekeeping. One Christmas the family eschewed presents and instead read out poems they had written for each other. The fledgling actor landed his first part in a Franco Zeffirelli movie, Endless Love and, within five years thanks to roles in teen-friendly movies such as The Outsiders, Risky Business and Top Gun was at the top of every director's wish list. One advantage of signing up the Mission Impossible star is the fact that the actor, who is a big fan of adrenaline sports - enjoys skydiving and rock climbing as well as piloting his own planes and does many of the stunts in his films himself. 

But Tom, who has a reputation for the level of involvement he seeks, always wanted more than just an acting career. Box office winners such as The Color Of Money, Rain Man and Born On The Fourth Of July boosted his pay to around $15 million a picture, making him one of Tinseltown's biggest earners. He became one of the few stars who could ask for a share of the profits and get it. For Mission: Impossible 2 the 5ft 7in star earned $20 million, plus 30 per cent of the film"s gross, which worked out at $75 million a far cry from the $850 he earned for his role in Taps. A devout Scientologist, Tom has been married three times. In May 1987 he wed actress Mimi Rogers, then on Christmas Eve 1990, in Colorado, he plighted his troth a second time, to Nicole Kidman , whom he had met on the set of Days Of Thunder.  

"Nicole and I are forever. She is everything I have always looked for in a woman. Since we married ten years ago we've stayed totally in love with each other and haven't spent more than ten days apart," declared the actor in 2000. Six months later, however, came the shocking news that he and Nicole were to part. The couple, who have two adopted children, Isabella and Conor, were divorced in 2001. Tom went on to date Penelope Cruz , his sultry Spanish costar in Vanilla Sky. But although the pair seemed very much in love, the constant demands of their careers took their toll and in January 2004 they decided to go their separate ways. 

In 2005, Tom was briefly linked to actress Sofia Vergara, but in late April of that year the ultra-private actor took the world by surprise with an unexpected announcement: he was madly in love with Dawson's Creek star Katie Holmes, 16 years his junior. And just six weeks later, there was more news. "I proposed to her," he confirmed at a Paris press conference. "It was early this morning at the Eiffel Tower, so I haven't slept at all." The bombshells didn't stop there. In October 2005 the couple announced they were expecting their first child together, and on April 18, 2006, daughter Suri - whose name means "princess" - arrived. 

Their marriage the following November at the 15th-century Odescalchi Castle in Bracciano, Italy was witnessed by the Hollywood glitterati. Sadly, love didn't last this time either for the screen hero. In a shock move, Kate, as he always called her, filed for divorce on June 29, 2012. Not that the turmoil in his life affected his position at the top of the Tinseltown firmament. Forbes announced that Tom was still the world's most bankable star, having earned $75 million in the 12 months before his divorce. 

Tom's later career

At age 60, Tom is showing no sign of slowing down. The year 2022 was a huge year for the actor as it saw the Hollywood legend reprise his role as Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell in the blockbuster smash, Top Gun: Maverick.

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TOM CRUISE is a global cultural icon who has made an immeasurable impact on cinema by creating some of the most memorable characters of all time. Having achieved extraordinary success as an actor, producer and philanthropist in a career spanning over three decades, Cruise is a three-time Oscar® nominee and three-time Golden Globe Award® winner whose films have earned over $10 billion in worldwide box office—an incomparable accomplishment. Eighteen of Cruise’s films have grossed over $100 million domestically, and a record 23 have made more than $200 million globally. His latest film, Mission: Impossible – Fallout has made over $775 million worldwide becoming Cruise’s most successful film to date.

Cruise has starred in numerous legendary films such as Top Gun, Jerry Maguire, Risky Business, Minority Report, Interview with the Vampire, A Few Good Men, The Firm, Rain Man, Collateral, The Last Samurai, Edge of Tomorrow, The Color of Money and the Mission: Impossible series, among many others. Combined, the Mission: Impossible franchise has brought in over $3.5 billion since Cruise conceived the idea for a film adaptation of the classic television series and produced the first in 1996. He is currently in production on the long-awaited sequel to Top Gun.

A consummate filmmaker involved in all aspects of production, Cruise has proven his versatility with the films and roles he chooses. He has made 43 films, contributing in a producing role on many of them, and collaborated with a remarkable list of celebrated film directors including Francis Ford Coppola, Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, Martin Scorsese, Barry Levinson, Oliver Stone, Ron Howard, Rob Reiner, Sydney Pollack, Neil Jordan, Brian De Palma, Cameron Crowe, Stanley Kubrick, Paul Thomas Anderson, Ed Zwick, Steven Spielberg, Michael Mann, J.J. Abrams, Robert Redford, Brad Bird, Doug Liman and Christopher McQuarrie.

Cruise received Academy Award® nominations for Best Actor for Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire. He was a Best Supporting Actor nominee for Magnolia and won Golden Globes (Best Actor) for Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire, in addition to a Best Supporting Actor prize for Magnolia. He also received Golden Globe nominations for his roles in Risky Business, A Few Good Men and The Last Samurai. Cruise has earned acting nominations and awards from BAFTA, the Screen Actors Guild, the Chicago Film Critics Association and the National Board of Review.

Cruise’s previous few films include the critically acclaimed American Made, The Mummy, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Oblivion and the suspense thriller Jack Reacher, which earned $218 million worldwide. Prior to that, he made a memorable appearance in Ben Stiller’s comedy smash Tropic Thunder, as the foul-mouthed Hollywood movie mogul Les Grossman. This performance, based on a character Cruise created, earned him praise from critics and audiences as well as his seventh Golden Globe nomination.

Cruise has been honored with tributes ranging from Harvard’s Hasty Pudding Man of the Year Award to the John Huston Award from the Artists Rights Foundation and the American Cinematheque Award for Distinguished Achievement in Film. In addition to his artistic contributions, Cruise has used his professional success as a vehicle for positive change, becoming an international advocate, activist and philanthropist in the fields of health, education and human rights. He has been honored by the Mentor LA organization for his work on behalf of the children of Los Angeles and around the world. In 2011 Cruise received the Simon Wiesenthal Humanitarian Award and the following year he received the Entertainment Icon Award from the Friars Club for his outstanding accomplishments in the entertainment industry and in the humanities. He is the fourth person to receive this honor after Douglas Fairbanks, Cary Grant and Frank Sinatra. Empire magazine awarded Cruise its Legend of Our Lifetime Award in 2014. Most recently, Cruise was the first actor to receive The Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation’s Pioneer of the Year Award in 2018.

• Top Gun: Maverick (2021)
• Mission: Impossible Fallout (2018)
• American Made (2017)
• The Mummy (2017)
• Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016)
• Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation (2015)
• Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
• Oblivion (2013)
• Jack Reacher (2012)
• Rock of Ages (2012)
• Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)
• Knight and Day (2010)
• Valkyrie (2008)
• Tropic Thunder (2008)
• Lions for Lambs (2007)
• Mission: Impossible 3 (2006)
• War of the Worlds (2005)
• Collateral (2004)
• The Last Samurai (2003)
• Minority Report (2002)
• Vanilla Sky (2002)
• Mission: Impossible 2 (2001)
• Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
• Magnolia (1999)
• Jerry Maguire (1996)
• Mission: Impossible (1996)
• Interview with the Vampire (1994)
• The Firm (1993)
• A Few Good Men (1992)
• Far and Away (1992)
• Days of Thunder (1990)
• Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
• Rain Man (1988)
• Cocktail (1988)
• The Color of Money (1986)
• Top Gun (1986)
• Legend (1985)
• Risky Business (1983)
• All the Right Moves (1983)
• The Outsiders (1983)
• Losin’ It (1983)
• Taps (1981)
• Endless Love (1981)

The Surprising Job Tom Cruise Was Studying For Before He Became An Actor

Tom Cruise has been part of the Hollywood scene for so long that it feels like he has always been there, especially for those who are members of Generation X and beyond. 

His first role was a blink-and-you-may-miss-it part in the Brooke Shields film "Endless Love," but other roles soon followed in "Taps" and "The Outsiders" (via Biography ). 

By 1983, Cruise was a household name after his starring turn in "Risky Business" about a shy, slightly nerdy teen who turns his home into a brothel while his parents are out of town.

Through the years, Cruise grew into an Oscar-nominated actor who has been married three times while making headlines for his devotion to Scientology , a modern religion that various celebrities have subscribed to at one point or another. Cruise is one of its most devoted followers (via CNN ). 

However, before Cruise ever saw an ounce of fame or knew anything about Scientology, there was another religion he was devoted to — and he nearly made a career out of it.

Tom Cruise contemplated becoming a priest before turning to showbiz

Tom Cruise was born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV in Syracuse, New York, but moved around several times as a child, along with his sisters, after their parents divorced (via Biography ). 

After settling in Louisville, Kentucky, for a short time, Cruise met a priest who recruited him to attend a seminary school in Ohio when he was just 14 years old.

"Tom was instantly hooked," Father Ric Schneider told the  New York Daily News . "I think he wanted a good education. With his parents going through a divorce, it was tough on him, that's maybe one of the reasons why he came here."

Cruise only lasted in the seminary for two years, but his former classmate Shane Dempler said he was dedicated to his religion. 

"He had a very strong Catholic faith," Dempler said. "We went to Mass, spent time in the chapel and enjoyed hearing stories from the priests. We thought the priests had a great lifestyle and we were really interested in priesthood. In truth, we were too young to make that decision."

Although Cruise never pursued life in the priesthood, he did discover acting classes while he was in the seminary — and the rest is just Hollywood history.

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“You think they’re your friends”: Young Hollywood Actors Can Learn 1 Specific Thing From Tom Cruise to Lead a Controversy Less Acting Career

E mbarking on fame in Tinseltown can be both exhilarating and perilous. But what if young actors could harness one specific piece of wisdom from the legendary Tom Cruise—who will be turning 62 next month—to steer their careers toward calmer, controversy-free waters? 

Reaching the heights of fame at a tender age, Cruise’s career has been a masterclass in maintaining a clean public image in such a not-so-easy profession. With a track record free of public scandals, or infamous meltdowns, his journey offers a beacon for emerging talents. In fact, as evidenced by his candid insights in Vanity Fair, he expertly navigated the shark-infested waters of show business, avoiding the bloodsuckers and sticking to his job.

Channeling this discipline, aspiring actors can learn to differentiate between the true allies and the clingers-on, creating a focused career inspired by one of the most enduring icons of cinema.

Mastering the Art of Controversy-Free Acting: Insights from Tom Cruise 

Young actors can easily become embroiled in scandals & controversy in the entertainment industry. However, there is one Hollywood veteran who has managed to navigate his career without falling into the traps that have ensnared many of his peers. Of course, that actor is none other than Tom Cruise .

“My God, I’m your boyfriend”: Tom Cruise Poured His Heart Out While Confessing His Love For Penélope Cruz After Divorce With Nicole Kidman

From his early days in films like Risky Business and Top Gun , Cruise has always maintained a squeaky-clean image. He has never been involved in any alcohol scandals or has never let himself be dragged into messy public feuds. So, what can young Hollywood actors learn from Cruise to lead a controversy-free career?

First and foremost, it’s important to surround yourself with the right people, as the actor said (via Vanity Fair ):

There are people out there who are so good at sucking blood that you don’t even realize it, you know? You think they’re your friends, and really they’re hanging on to your coattails, taking a ride.

Cruise also spoke about the importance of recognizing when someone is not truly looking out for your best interests. The Oscar-nominated actor warned of those who may seem like friends, but are really just looking to ride “ your coattails” . By surrounding yourself with genuine, supportive people who truly care about your success, you can avoid being led astray.

In the actor’s words:

They can seem like the nicest people, but are they contributing to you as an artist? Or are they sucking off of you? … It’s subtle sometimes, the invalidation you get. It’s all done in the I’m just trying to be your friend. I’m just trying to help you.

Additionally, the War of the Worlds star emphasized the importance of staying focused on your work. By staying true to your passion for acting and avoiding distractions, you can build a successful and controversy-free career.

How Tom Cruise Maintains Peak Physical Fitness at 61

Tom Cruise, who is 61 years old, has the physique and movement of a man half his age. He has spent the last forty years or more scaling skyscrapers and jumping out of airplanes for his movies.

“It didn’t matter that the producers didn’t contact me”: Val Kilmer Will Be Forever Tom Cruise’s Wingman After Actor Almost Considered Begging for Top Gun 2 Return 

Seeing the Top Gun actor put in so much effort at a time when people of his age (or over 60) are recovering from hip injuries is a welcome change of pace. One wonders how on earth he has managed to continuously deliver his best work for such a long time. 

Interview Magazine asked the actor in 1986 if being attractive was a curse. In response, he said: 

I don’t know [laughs] I think I have the ability to look different ways. I look good just as much as I look bad. I mean, I don’t look like Paul Newman or Beatty.

Not only does Cruise have the physique of a man half his age, but he also moves like one (remember that fight scene from Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation ). Middlesex University Sports Scientist Anne Elliott stated (via Men’s Health ):

How we move conveys energy and youth – not how buff we are. Regularly switching up cardio and strength work with something like fencing or climbing – like Cruise – maintains flexibility and balance: the first two things that give your age away. 

Thus, young actors can, and must, learn a valuable lesson from Tom Cruise about how to lead a controversy-free career. By surrounding themselves with the right people and staying focused on their jobs, they can avoid the pitfalls that have derailed many actors in the past. 

Cruise is currently filming the eighth untitled Mission: Impossible film, helmed by Christopher McQuarrie . It is scheduled for release on May 23, 2025.