Tom Cruise, who defies time and stunt doubles, rose to global stardom with the first Top Gun film. With the Mission: Impossible film series, he became a rival to British agent 007—and at times even surpassed him. He is considered a master at managing his life and career. There have been high-grossing films he turned down, but he’s never made a misstep in his career.
Some people seem to have a kind of invisible armor of invincibility. Some have an invisible light—yet one that feels as real and warm as a summer day. We’re all made of stardust, but for some, it’s as if the sun is still alive and shining inside them. Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, known to the world as Tom Cruise, is one of them. This year, his films’ revenues surpassed $13.3 billion, making him the highest-grossing actor of all time. He has always held his place among Hollywood’s ‘bankable stars’—those whose box office success is virtually guaranteed. An actor who both wins and makes his producers win.
POOR FAMILY, ABUSIVE FATHER
Tom Cruise, who has English, German, and Irish ancestry on both his mother’s and father’s side, was born on July 3, 1962, in New York. He was raised with a Catholic upbringing by a mother who worked as a teacher for children with special needs and a father who was an electrical engineer. His childhood was marked by poverty and violence. He says he learned the most important lesson of his life from his father, whom he describes as a “merchant of chaos” and a “bully.” How could someone both calm you down and make you feel safe, yet slap you at the most unexpected moment? His father was the kind of man who took out all of life’s frustrations through violence on his children and his wife.
Because his father worked as a defense consultant for the Canadian Armed Forces, part of his childhood was spent in Canada. Over the course of fourteen years, he attended a total of fifteen schools. He was first introduced to drama in the fourth grade. Along with six other children, he took the stage for the first time with an improvised performance at the Carleton Elementary School drama festival.
A CAREER PLAN IN THEOLOGY
When Cruise was in sixth grade, his mother left his father and took the children back to the U.S. At the time, Cruise was attending St. Francis Seminary School in Cincinnati on a scholarship from the Catholic Church, planning to become a priest in the Franciscan order. While he later said he left the school because they moved again, the truth is that he and a friend were caught drinking and were asked to leave. In his senior year of high school, he became interested in American football, but was kicked off the team after being caught drinking beer. At the same time, his interest in drama continued. He showcased his talent by performing in the school’s production of Guys and Dolls. In 1980, he graduated from Glen Ridge High School in New Jersey.
When he turned eighteen, with the approval of his mother and stepfather, he moved to New York to pursue an acting career. When his days in New York didn’t go beyond waiting tables, he decided to head to Los Angeles and start auditioning. He signed with CAA and began acting in films. He made his film debut in 1981 with a small role in Endless Love.
THE CAMERA SAW HIS “LIGHT”
That same year, Tom Cruise was cast in Taps as a reckless military academy student. He was originally meant to be a background character in this supporting role, but once the camera caught his light, everything changed. Director Harold Becker was so impressed by the young actor’s talent that he expanded his role.
In 1983, he appeared alongside star actors in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Outsiders. All the Right Moves (1983) and Risky Business (1983) were breakthrough films in his career. He was the lead actor in Ridley Scott’s Legend (1985). And in 1986, the film that propelled him to superstardom, Top Gun, made waves worldwide. The camera loved him as much as he loved the camera.
He became the handsome patriotic soldier, as well as the agile agent in the Mission: Impossible film series. He was the lovestruck dreamer losing his mind, and also the doctor who infiltrated secret cult rituals motivated by cheating on his wife. He worked with Hollywood’s iconic directors and producers. He never used stunt doubles in dangerous action scenes—he performed them himself. Despite being 63 years old, in the latest Mission: Impossible film, he jumped around, climbed, held onto the airplane’s wheel, and won hearts once again.
TWO ADOPTED, THREE CHILDREN
He may have been lucky, but he never left his career management to chance. He was always distant in his relationships with the media, yet none of his relationships or breakups ever turned into scandals. There have always been rumors that his membership in the Church of Scientology encouraged his latest marriage—and even his latest divorce. Yes, it was talked about a lot, but he always knew how to manage crises.
Speaking of marriage… He was married to Mimi Rogers (1987–1990), Nicole Kidman (1990–2001), and Katie Holmes (2006–2012). From his last marriage, he has a daughter named Suri (born 2006). He also has two adopted children named Isabella Jane and Connor.
He was nominated for the Oscar for Best Actor four times but never won. However, he has received many other awards!
The role of Iron Man was originally offered to him first, but for some reason, he declined the role. He didn’t want the characters he played—almost like “superheroes”—to be turned into toys. He refused to be part of this market worth billions of dollars.
He has always had his own understanding and style. He clearly drew his red lines and set the rules of the game himself.