Date of Birth
3 July 1962,
Syracuse, New York, USA
Birth Name
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV
Height
5' 7" (1.70 m)
Mini Biography
If you had told 14 year old Franciscan seminary student Thomas Cruise
Mapother IV that one day in the not too distant future he would be
considered one of the top 100 movie stars of all time, he would have
probably grinned and told you that his ambition was to become a priest.
Nonetheless, this sensitive, deeply religious youngster who was born in
July 1962 in Syracuse, New York, was destined to become Tom Cruise, one
of the highest paid and most sought-after actors in screen history. The
only son (among four children) of nomadic parents, young Tom spent his
boyhood eternally on the move, and by the time he was 14, had attended
15 different schools in the US and Canada. He finally settled in Glen
Ridge, New Jersey, with his mother and her new husband. While in high
school, he developed an interest in acting and abandoned his plans of
becoming a priest, 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. Within 5 years Tom Cruise was starring
in some of the top grossing films of the decade including
Top Gun (1986);
The Color of Money (1986),
Rain Man (1988) and
Born on the Fourth of July
(1989). By the 1990s and 2000s 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),
Mission: Impossible II (2000),
Mission: Impossible III (2006),
Vanilla Sky (2001),
Minority Report (2002),
The Last Samurai (2003),
Collateral (2004),
War of the Worlds (2005), and
Jerry Maguire (1996) - for which he received an Academy
Award
Nomination for best actor. 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.
IMDb Mini Biography By:
Tom McDonough
Spouse
Trade Mark
Often plays romantic leading men with an edge
Often plays characters caught up in extraordinary circumstances
Short Stature
Winning Smile
Frequently plays intelligent yet laidback and likeable characters
Trivia
Older cousin of actor
William Mapother,
Katherine Mapother and
Amy Mapother.
Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#41) (1995).
Ranked #3 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list (October 1997).
Chosen by "People" magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world (1997).
Voted Best Dressed Male Movie Star (1997).
Stopped
to help a hit and run victim and paid her hospital bills. The victim
was aspiring Brazilian actress Heloisa Vinhas (1996).
Caused a stir in the medical community when he claimed, in an interview, that Scientology cured him of his dyslexia (1992).
While he was working with
Paul Newman in the
The Color of Money
(1986), he engaged in much conversation with the politically active
actor. The resulting conscious raising changed him from an actor who
ignored the jingoistic tone of
Top Gun (1986) to a performer who chose a film with a strong anti-war tone,
Born on the Fourth of July (1989) to counter his contribution to the former film.
Has three sisters: Marian,
Lee Anne De Vette and Cass. Lee Anne became his publicist in 2004 after he left
Pat Kingsley and left in 2005 to concentrate on production matters for his production company.
Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the world (1991).
Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the world (1990).
Graduated from Glen Ridge High School in New Jersey (June 1980).
At age 14, he enrolled in a seminary to become a priest. He dropped out after one year.
He took up acting after losing his place on a high school wrestling team due to a knee injury.
He has two adopted children with
Nicole Kidman: Isabella Jane Cruise (born December 22, 1992) Connor Antony Cruise (
Connor Cruise) (born January 17, 1995).
Mission: Impossible (1996) gave him a total of $70 million with percentage of gross included.
Enjoys skydiving, scuba diving, and piloting his Pitts Special S-2B stunt plane
Recently
restored an older home in the township of Biltmore Forest, a town
within the city limits of Asheville, North Carolina (2000).
Chosen "Sexiest Man Alive" by People magazine (1990).
Received the
John Huston Award for Artists Rights in 1998.
Was considered for the lead in
The Matrix (1999).
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.
Attended Packanack School in Wayne, New Jersey from first through third grade.
Filed
a $100 million defamation lawsuit against Michael Davis, a man who
allegedly offered to sell videotapes of himself having sex with the
actor. The lawsuit accuses Davis of making the statements "in order to
hurt the plaintiff and gain widespread publicity for himself." (May
2001).
Lived together with
Vanilla Sky (2001) co-star
Penélope Cruz from 2001 to 2004.
Suffers from dyslexia.
Earned his pilot's license in Toronto, Canada in 1994.
He
didn't 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 TV
with his kids Conor and Isabella.
For 1988, he became the first actor to have the distinction of starring in both the year's Oscar winner for Best Picture,
Rain Man (1988) and the year's Razzie "winner" for Worst Picture,
Cocktail (1988).
Ranked #14 in Premiere's 2003 annual Power 100 List. Had ranked #16 in 2002.
Ranked #4 in Star TV's Top 10 Box Office Stars of the 1990s (2003)
Born
to Thomas Mapother III (15 October 1934 - January 1984), an electrical
engineer, and his wife Mary Lee Pfeiffer, a special education teacher.
Has two dogs called Basil and Murray and a cat called Harvey.
First actor in history to star in five consecutive films that grossed $100 million in the USA:
A Few Good Men (1992),
The Firm (1993),
Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994),
Mission: Impossible (1996),
Jerry Maguire (1996).
Briefly attended St. Xavier High School in Louisville, Kentucky and was a paperboy for the Louisville Courier-Journal.
Wore braces on his flashy, million-dollar smile in 2002 to correct a misaligned bite.
Announced that his relationship with
Penélope Cruz had ended in January 2004. [March 2004]
Has appeared in films opposite four directors who have also directed his films.
Sydney Pollack, who directed
The Firm (1993), appeared in
Eyes Wide Shut (1999).
Paul Thomas Anderson, who directed
Magnolia (1999), appeared as an extra in
Minority Report (2002).
Minority Report (2002) director
Steven Spielberg appeared in
Vanilla Sky (2001) and
Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002).
Cameron Crowe, who directed
Jerry Maguire (1996) and
Vanilla Sky (2001), appeared in
Minority Report (2002).
Will not allow his likeness to be used in video games or for action figures.
While filming
Days of Thunder
(1990) at Daytona International Speedway, he drove one of the Hendricks
Motorsports R&D cars around the track. The best time recorded was a
lap at 205 MPH.
He was voted the 31st Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.
Lives with his sister Cass and her three children in Los Angeles (September 2004).
Spoke at his niece's,
Lee Anne De Vette's daughter, graduation from the Delphian School.
Ranked #18 on VH1's 100 Hottest Hotties
Lost out to actor
Peter Barton for the lead role in
"The Powers of Matthew Star" (1982).
Renée Zellweger thanked him in her Oscar acceptance speech when she won 'Best Actress in a Supporting Role' for
Cold Mountain (2003).
Attended the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City.
Channel
4's 'Ultimate Film' show states that, in terms of UK cinema audience
rather than revenue, Cruise's most successful film in the UK was
Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002).
While a student at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre, he studied one of his courses under legendary acting teacher
Sanford Meisner.
Studied drama at the prestigious Neighborhood Playhouse, in conjunction with the Actors Studio, New School University, New York.
Was
named the #1 top money-making star at the box office in Quigley
Publications annual poll of movie exhibitors a record seven times
between 1986 and 2005. Being crowned the top box office champ in 2005
put Cruise one title ahead of
Tom Hanks, who has been named #1 at the B.O. six times.
Bing Crosby and
Burt Reynolds both were named #1 for five consecutive years, and
Clint Eastwood also has been #1 five times, but non-consecutively.
He
has been named to the Top 10 Poll of Money-Making Stars 18 times, as
ranked by Quigley Publications' annual poll of movie exhibitors. With
his 18th appearance on the B.O. list, he moved out of a tie for 4th
place tie with
Paul Newman (17 appearances on the list) into a tie for #3 with
Gary Cooper.
John Wayne is #1 on the all-time list, with 25 appearances in the Top 10, followed by
Clint Eastwood with 21 appearances on the list.
Gary Cooper
rounds out the top three. Due to his young age and continued
popularity, it is conceivable that within 10 years, he will exceed Wayne
as the #1 box office champ ever.
Has donated to charities such as The Ashley Flint Fund, The Tsunami Relief Fund, Themoms.biz Diabetes Fund,
Hillary Rodham Clinton's Campaign and The Church of Scientology.
Premiere Magazine ranked him as the #3 Greatest Movie Star of All Time in their Stars in Our Constellation feature (2005).
Studied with renowned acting coach Phil Gushee at Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, New York.
His character Lt. Daniel Kaffee in
A Few Good Men
(1992) was based on real life U.S. Navy JAG Corp Donald Marcari, who
now works as an attorney with Marcari, Russotto, and Spencer P.C. in
Chesapeake, Virginia.
The name Mapother is pronounced like "MAY bother", only with a P.
Time magazine once described him as a "baby-faced
Christopher Reeve".
Ranked #14 on Premiere's 2005 Power 50 List. He is the highest ranked actor on the list.
Engaged to actress
Katie Holmes (17 June 2005).
Proposed to
Katie Holmes at the Eiffel Tower in Paris
Was the original choice for the role of Tom Ripley in
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999).
Emilio Estevez served as best man at his wedding to
Mimi Rogers.
Celebrated his 43rd birthday atop the holiday box office with
War of the Worlds (2005).
His May 2005 appearance on
"The Oprah Winfrey Show" (1986) was named the #1 "Celebrity Meltdown Ever" by TV Guide Magazine.
Owns and operates "Montana Miss" a WWII P-51 Mustang.
He and his former girlfriend
Penélope Cruz appeared together in
Vanilla Sky (2001)
He and ex-wife
Nicole Kidman made 3 movies together:
Days of Thunder (1990),
Eyes Wide Shut (1999) and
Far and Away (1992). They met on the set of
Days of Thunder (1990)
While attending the London premiere of
War of the Worlds
(2005), he was squirted in the face with water during a prank
interview. His reaction on camera was stern but not livid. The culprit
was charged with assault.
He was in two different movies featuring the song "Iko Iko" on its soundtrack -
Rain Man (1988) by The Belle Stars and
Mission: Impossible II (2000) by
Zap Mama.
He is a big fan of British singer
Joss Stone.
Has played a soldier in six different movies.
Taps (1981),
Top Gun (1986),
Born on the Fourth of July (1989),
A Few Good Men (1992),
The Last Samurai (2003) and
Valkyrie (2008).
Has worked with an impressive list of master filmmakers:
Stanley Kubrick,
Martin Scorsese,
Brian De Palma,
Francis Ford Coppola,
Oliver Stone,
Ridley Scott and
Steven Spielberg.
Is a vegetarian and doesn't drink alcohol.
Tom and
Katie Holmes became the parents of
Suri Cruise, who was born on April 18, 2006 in Los Angeles. "Suri" weighed 7 lbs. 7 oz. and was 20 inches.
In the past twenty years since his first hundred million dollar grosser (
Top Gun (1986)), only six of his films have failed to reach that status.
Was originally to star in
Enemy of the State (1998), but scheduling conflicts with
Eyes Wide Shut (1999) forced him to miss out on the film. His part went to
Will Smith.
Wears a mask on six different movies. In all of the three "Mission: Impossible" movies and in
Eyes Wide Shut (1999),
Vanilla Sky (2001) and
Minority Report (2002), where the injection that makes his face disfigured can be considered as a futuristic mask.
Topped Forbes magazine's "100 Top Celebrities" list in 2006 ahead of
The Rolling Stones and
Oprah Winfrey (June 2006).
Ranked #14 on Premiere's 2006 "Power 50" list. Had ranked #14 in 2005 as well. He is the highest-ranked actor on the list.
Stepfather of his children Isabella and Connor is
Keith Urban
Is talked about in the song "Though the Wire" by
Kanye West.
Was ranked # 1 in Forbes Celebrity 100 Who Made Bank (2006).
On August 22, 2006, Viacom Chairman
Sumner Redstone
announced through the "Wall Street Journal" that Viacom' Paramount
subsidiary was terminating its development dealt with Cruise after 14
years. Redstone said the firm terminated its deal with Cruise due to the
under-performance of
Mission: Impossible III
(2006) (which had been expected to gross $100-150 million more than it
did), which he attributed to Cruise's "bad behavior". Movie pundits were
somewhat surprised by the announcement, as Cruise remains the top B.O.
draw in North America and was Paramount's cash cow. Cruise's films
reportedly have accounted for 32% of Paramount Pictures' revenues in the
last six years, and he was named the Top Box Office draw for a record
7th time by Quigley Publications for the year 2005. As part of its
machinations before severing its connections with Cruise, Paramount
leaked to the press the information that the deal was worth $10 million
annually; however, the development deal actually was for $3 million per
annum. At the time of the announcement, Cruise and his advisers were
considering Paramount's new offer of $2 million per year in development
money when Redstone dropped his bombshell. The news gave rise to
speculation that Paramount has run out of cash as it reportedly has told
other development partners with which it has deals to use their own
cash for the rest of the year, with the proviso they will be reimbursed
come 2007.
In September of 2006, he visited actress
Brooke Shields
at her home and personally apologized to her for criticizing her in
2005 about her use of prescription medication to overcome her post
partum depression. Touched by the gesture, Brooke accepted his apology.
He once shared a record with
Tom Hanks as the actor to star in the most consecutive $100 million-grossing movies (7). Both were surpassed by
Will Smith who reached eight in 2008.
Resurrected United Artists together with MGM executives to produce and star in some of the company's projects (November 2006).
The years of birth of his wives are 11 years apart:
Mimi Rogers was born in 1956,
Nicole Kidman in 1967 and
Katie Holmes in 1978.
Although they officialized their marriage in Los Angeles prior, he and
Katie Holmes
celebrated their wedding in the Odescalchi castle in Bracciano, Italy.
The ceremony was performed by a Scientology minister in front of more
than 150 relatives and friends including Hollywood superstars such as
Jim Carrey,
John Travolta,
Kelly Preston,
Russell Crowe,
Will Smith,
Jada Pinkett Smith,
Richard Gere,
Brooke Shields,
Jennifer Lopez,
Marc Anthony and
Kirstie Alley. Italian pop opera purveyor
Andrea Bocelli serenaded the newlyweds (18 November 2006).
He and
Katie Holmes both wore Armani at their wedding.
He and
Katie Holmes honeymooned in the Maldives.
Best Man at his wedding to
Katie Holmes was his best friend
David Miscavige.
Once lived in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada & attended the same high school as
Bryan Adams.
Donated to
Hillary Rodham Clinton's electoral campaign for the U.S. Senate together with his then wife
Nicole Kidman (2000).
Considered for the role, in
Crimson Tide (1995), that went to
Denzel Washington.
Mentioned in the song 'High School Never Ends' by 'Bowling For Soup'.
Was offered for the lead of
Reign Over Me (2007).
According to Forbes, for each dollar he got paid, Cruise's movies averaged $11 of gross income (December 2007).
Attended St. Raphael The Archangel Elementary School in Louisville, Kentucky.
Although the shooting of
Valkyrie
(2008) caused controversy in Germany due to his Scientology membership,
he was awarded at the Bambi Awards for "Courage", a category, newly
created by the organizers to honor him for "tackling a story that had
never been covered by Hollywood before". The decision was also heavily
criticized by journalists and politicians (2 December 2007).
The Japan Memorial Day Association declared 10 October 2006 "Tom Cruise Day".
Due to his friendship to
David Beckham, he became a supporter of Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.
When attending a Franciscan seminary in Cincinatti, he aspired to become a priest.
Has German, Welsh, and English ancestry from his father's as well as German and Irish ancestry from his mother's family.
Was introduced to Scientology by his ex-wife
Mimi Rogers.
In 2007, Forbes Magazine estimated his earnings for the year to be $31 million.
Mentioned in song "Faudrait leur dire" by French rap band "3eme oeil".
Listed at Number 7 on "The Top 10 Box Office Moneymakers of 2007".
Is the only actor to ever work with all of the following directors;
Oliver Stone in
Born on the Fourth of July (1989),
Martin Scorsese in
The Color of Money (1986),
Stanley Kubrick in
Eyes Wide Shut (1999), and
Steven Spielberg in
Minority Report (2002).
Huge fan of professional wrestling.
Has married two actresses who played Batman's love interest.
Nicole Kidman from
Batman Forever (1995) and
Katie Holmes from
Batman Begins (2005).
Is reportedly a huge fan of
"The Simpsons"
(1989). However, he has twice turned down guest roles; once for the
part of "Tom", which was written specifically for him, in the episode
"Brother From The Same Planet" (eventually voiced by regular
Phil Hartman) and the other alongside his then-wife
Nicole Kidman in the episode "When You Dish Upon A Star" (eventually voiced by then-couple
Alec Baldwin and
Kim Basinger).
Considered for the role, in
End of Days (1999), that went to
Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Was going to play as Tom Warshaw in
House of D (2004) and opted to do
War of the Worlds (2005) instead.
In 1974, when Cruise was 11, his parents divorced.
He is of German, English and Welsh descent.
Has "attended" Harvard Law School in 2 movies: A Few Good Men (1992) and The Firm (1993).
Was considered for the role of Frank Roberts in
The Indian Runner (1991).
Went to an audition for the part of Howard Keach in
Harry & Son (1984). He didn't get the part, but the director,
Paul Newman remembered him, and decided that he wanted Cruise for
The Color of Money (1986).
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.
He became good friends with
Sean Penn and
Timothy Hutton during the making of
Taps (1981).
Nine actors so far have got an Oscar nomination for their role in a movie co-starring Tom Cruise.
Paul Newman,
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio,
Dustin Hoffman,
Jack Nicholson,
Holly Hunter,
Cuba Gooding Jr.,
Ken Watanabe,
Jamie Foxx and
Robert Downey Jr..
From
late January to early February 2009, he along with wife, 'Katie Holmes'
and daughter, Suri, spent several days in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
staying at the famous Copacabana Palace Hotel. They were in town for a
vacation (which included a helicopter tour over Rio) as well as to
promote his film
Valkyrie (2008).
Visited
Moscow, Russia for the first time. He told the press that since he was a
boy he had always dreamed of visiting the city. He stayed at the
prestigious Ritz-Carlton which offered sweeping views of the Red Square,
Bolshoi Theatre and the History Museum. [January 25, 2009]
Still
owns a P-51D Mustang, but changed the nose art from "Montana Miss" to
"Kiss Me Kate". Airplane is very rarely spotted out of hanger.
In both
Rain Man (1988) and
The Firm (1993), he portrays a man with an older brother named Raymond, who he helps free from a confined environment.
Hired
Amanda Lundberg as his new publicist, replacing the PR firm Rogers & Cowan [January 28, 2010].
Lives in Beverly Hills, California and Telluride, Colorado.
When he visited Cape Town, Tom stayed at Geriva Mansions, the home of actress Ceridwen Morris.
Even
though the "Mission: Impossible" franchise is his signature action
series, he never actually fires a gun in the original film.
Attended Princess Diana's funeral with, his then wife,
Nicole Kidman.
Personal Quotes
The thing about filmmaking is I give it everything, that's why I work
so hard. I always tell young actors to take charge. It's not that hard.
Sign your own checks, be responsible.
[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?
[about
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.
Salary
Taps (1981) |
$50,000 |
Risky Business (1983) |
$75,000 |
Legend (1985) |
$500,000 |
Top Gun (1986) |
$2,000,000 |
The Color of Money (1986) |
$1,000,000 |
Cocktail (1988) |
$3,000,000 |
Rain Man (1988) |
$3,000,000+% of gross |
Born on the Fourth of July (1989) |
Unspecified % of gross |
Days of Thunder (1990) |
$9,000,000 |
Far and Away (1992) |
$13,000,000 |
A Few Good Men (1992) |
$12,500,000 |
The Firm (1993) |
$12,000,000 |
Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) |
$15,000,000 |
Mission: Impossible (1996) |
$70,000,000 (gross participation) |
Jerry Maguire (1996) |
$20,000,000 against 15% |
Eyes Wide Shut (1999) |
$20,000,000 |
Magnolia (1999) |
$100,000 |
Mission: Impossible II (2000) |
$75,000,000 (gross participation) |
Vanilla Sky (2001) |
$20,000,000 + 30% of Profits |
Minority Report (2002) |
$25,000,000+ |
The Last Samurai (2003) |
$25,000,000 + % of profits |
War of the Worlds (2005) |
(20% profit participation) |
Mission: Impossible III (2006) |
$75,000,000 |
Valkyrie (2008) |
$20,000,000 against 20% |
Knight and Day (2010) |
$11,000,000 + % of profits |
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) |
$12,500,000 + % of back end |
Where Are They Now
(January 2003) In New Zealand filming
The Last Samurai (2003).
(December 2004) Filming Paramount's
War of the Worlds (2005), due out Summer 2005.
(August 2005) Filming
Mission: Impossible III (2006) in Los Angeles, USA.
(November 2005) Filming
Mission: Impossible III (2006) in Shanghai, China.
(January 2008) Release of the book, "Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography" by
Andrew Morton.
(April 2006) Attended the
Mission: Impossible III (2006) premiere in Paris, France.
(June 2006) Attended the
Mission: Impossible III (2006) Tokyo premiere in Japan.
(October 2007) Attended the 2nd Rome Film Festival in Italy.
(February 2009) Attended the premiere of
Valkyrie (2008) in Mexico City, Mexico on Feb. 5th.
(January 2009) Attended the international premieres for
Valkyrie
(2008) in Rome, Italy (Jan. 28th); Madrid, Spain (Jan. 27th); Moscow,
Russia (Jan. 26th); Amsterdam, Netherlands (Jan. 22nd); London, England
(Jan. 21st); Berlin, Germany (Jan. 20th), and Seoul, South Korea (Jan.
18th).
(July 2010) On July 6th, along with co-star Cameron Diaz,
he visited Rio de Janeiro, Brazil briefly (less then 24hrs) to promote
their latest film, "Knight and Day."
(September 2010) Currently
visiting Prague, Czech Republic to scout out possible filming locations
for Mission: Impossible IV, which he is also producing.
(September
2010) Along with Cameron Diaz, he attended the Knight and Day premiere
at Roppongi Hills on Tuesday (September 28) in Tokyo, Japan.
(July 2010) Attended the premiere of Knight & Day in Mexico City (July 7) at the Cinemex Santa Fe.
(December
2011) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil -- attended the Mission Impossible: Ghost
Protocol premiere held at the Cine Lagoon on December 14.