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Greetings to guests and regular readers of the site website. This biography will focus on the film actor, director, and producer. Thomas Cruise Mapother IV was born on July 3, 1962 in Syracuse, New York.
He became the third son in the family; Tom has two older and one younger sisters.
Tom Cruise's parents, an actress and an engineer, often moved from place to place in search of work. The boy's father was not kind to him, beat him for any reason, and also abused alcohol. He and his mother divorced when their son was 12 years old.
Tom Cruise grew up as a very complex guy, because he was short and had crooked, improperly growing teeth.
In addition to everything, the guy had a rare disease - dyslexia; he had difficulty reading, confused letters and did not perceive the text. Tom was even assigned to a special group, but soon he returned to a normal class.
Cruise studied at a theological seminary for one year, but abandoned the idea of becoming a priest in favor of an acting career. Already in college, he took part in dramatic productions, dreaming of big roles. In 1980, Tom Cruise moved to New York to fulfill his old dream.
There he works in various low-paid positions, saves money and invests it in acting courses. At the same time, the aspiring actor goes to various auditions and a year later luck smiles on him - Tom Cruise is trusted to play a small scene in the film “Endless Love”.
Thanks to this little experience, two years later Cruise gets a role in the blockbuster "Risky Business", which brings long-awaited popularity and many job offers to the rising film star.

In 1988, Barry Levinson's drama Rain Man was released, which received big money at the box office and was also positively assessed by critics.

Tom excelled as an action hero in Brian De Palma's Mission: Impossible. The picture became the beginning of a large series of well-known stories about CIA agent Ethan Hunt.

Of the films of the 2nd millennium with Cruise, the following works are worth highlighting: “Vanilla Sky”, “The Last Samurai”, “War of the Worlds”, “Tropic Soldiers”, “Knight and Day”, “Edge of Tomorrow”.

Tom with Cameron Diaz in the comedy "Knight and Day" (2010)

Preview: Wikimedia Commons - Gage Skidmore
: Inside The Actors Studio - Tom Cruise (Bravo TV Network, still images)
: TV channel "E!" (freeze frames)
: Tom Cruise interview with Rona Barrett (Still frames)
Film stills
Tom Cruise's personal archive

Tom Cruise is a famous American actor, producer and director. He was repeatedly nominated for an Oscar and received a Golden Globe Award three times. The artist became popular after starring in the films “Top Gun”, “Mission Impossible”, “Magnolia”, “Eyes Wide Shut” and “Rain Man”. He had many novels and three unsuccessful marriage with famous women.

Childhood and youth

Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, that's what it sounds like full name actor, born July 3, 1962 in the town of Syracuse near New York. Irish, English and German blood flows in his veins. His father, his son's namesake, worked as an electrical engineer, and his mother, Mary Lee Pfeiffer, was a special education teacher. Tom was the third in the family; he has two older sisters and one younger sister - Marian, Lee Ann and Cass.

Cruise constantly had problems with money. The father often quit one job and found another, which is why the family had to move. Tom changed about 15 schools during his childhood. Cruz Mapother III was a cruel man: he treated children unfairly and rudely, beating them for the smallest offenses. The boy remembered him as a cowardly bully, who with his calmness made you lose your vigilance, and then could hit.

Because of this, Tom grew up with a complex. He often became the object of ridicule at school, as his height was smaller than his peers, and his crooked teeth did not allow him to smile freely. Constant moving had a negative impact on his academic performance, which worsened his dyslexia - the child incorrectly perceived letters in words.

In 1971, the family settled in Ottawa, where the father received a position as a consultant to the Canadian Armed Forces. The city school allowed Tom to appear on the stage of a student theater for the first time, where he revealed his talent for improvisation. Here the guy started playing sports, dreaming of becoming stronger and taller. He joined the hockey team, distinguished himself by his particularly aggressive play, but a knee injury prevented him from building a career as an athlete.

At the age of 14, he moved to Kentucky with his sisters and mother, and his parents filed for divorce. The actor wanted to become a Catholic priest and entered a theological seminary, but a year later he returned to a regular school and began working after classes. The mother had to feed and raise her son and three daughters herself. She soon married Jack South. The stepfather turned out to be better than the father; he became attached to the children with all his heart.

Tom, at the age of 16, again appeared on the school stage and during the performance he realized what he wanted to become. His mother supported this choice, because she herself dreamed of being an actress, but was afraid to go beyond the moral standards established by her church. In 1984, the guy received news of the death of his father, who died of cancer.

Actor's film career

Cruise has no professional education, but after the first casting he received a small role in the film “Endless Love.” After that, he had the opportunity to star in several more films:

"Close up";
"Outlaws";
"All the right moves";
"Risky Business";
"Legend";
"Top Gun".

First main role the artist received “All the Right Moves” in the drama, after which he began to enjoy popularity among directors. The films “Risky Business” and “Legend” brought him fame. In the film “Top Gun” or “Top Gun” he appeared as a pilot. The slogan of the film gave the name to the racing game Need for Speed.

In 1986, Tom took part in the filming of “The Color of Money”, and for his performance in “Cocktail” he was nominated for a Golden Raspberry. But two years later, the actor improved thanks to his role in the film “Rain Man”. He played a young businessman who is angry with his parents and the whole the world. Critics liked the selfishness and cruelty of the protagonist; he stood out clearly against the background of sentimental acquaintances. After this, the actor’s film library was replenished:

"Born on the Fourth of July";
"Days of Thunder";
"Far, Far Away";
"Interview with a Vampire".

The first drama brought Cruise a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination, and in the movie Far, Far Away he met his future wife- Nicole Kidman. Tom received his second nomination thanks to his participation in Interview with the Vampire. The artist has already joined the team famous actors- Antonio Banderas, Brad Pitt, Christian Slater and young Kirsten Dunst. He managed to transform himself into the calculating and emotionless Lestat, the character in the book by Anne Rice.

Worldwide success

The actor's calling card was Mission: Impossible. Since birth, he dreamed of playing a secret agent who would be cooler than the famous James Bond. But he got not only the main role, but also the position of producer. The list of works with his participation has been supplemented with films:

"Jerry Maguire";
"Eyes Wide Shut";
"Magnolia";
"Vanilla Sky";
"Special opinion";
"The Last Samurai";
"War of the Worlds".

In the comedy Jerry Maguire, the actor met Renee Zellweger, and good game won his first Oscar. Stanley Kubrick directed the film Eyes Wide Shut, which was released after his death. Critics could not reach a consensus, so the film was called either a failure or a masterpiece.

In Magnolia, Cruise had a minor role, but he revealed himself as a dramatic actor, which brought him another Golden Globe. After that, he produced the second part of Mission: Impossible, where he showed the invented fighting style of “gan-kata” or “bullet ballet”.

The thriller “Vanilla Sky” became successful, critics also spoke favorably of it, and the film “Minority Report” was included in the list of the best films in the science fiction genre. In 2003, Tom became the producer of The Last Samurai, but was unpleasantly surprised - he was not nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor. Two years later, Steven Spielberg invited him to star in War of the Worlds, where the actor met teenagers Channing Tatum and Dakota Fanning.

In 2006, Cruise worked on the third series of “Mission...”. The mind-blowing special effects and stunts so impressed the audience and critics that the film was called the best in the genre of spy action films. The actor’s filmography was replenished with the film “Knight and Day,” which the public liked, but was poorly received by experts.

Since 2010, the actor has been a producer and leading actor in the fourth part of “Mission...” and two “Jack Reacher” films. Along with Morgan Freeman and star Ukrainian origin He starred in Oblivion with Olga Kurylenko. Mission: Impossible: Rogue Nation, the fifth installment in the spy saga, also received big box office receipts.

In 2017, the actor got a role in new version"Mummies", but it did not live up to the director's expectations. The film, shot in 1932, turned out to be more successful. October 2017 added to Tom Cruise's films: he played a pilot recruited by the CIA in the thriller "Made in America." Last year he worked on the second part of the action movie Top Gun.

Personal relationships

In the early 1980s, Tom noted that he dated older women. In his youth, he was the lover of actress Rebecca Demornay and singer Cher. The latter often spoke about his skill in sexual terms. In 1987 he got married for the first time , his chosen one was Mimi Rogers. She introduced Scientology into the actor’s life, and later Cruise became a propagandist and adherent of this religion.

Two years later, on the set, Thomas met rising star Nicole Kidman. In 1990, he divorced his first wife and married an Australian actress. Tom Cruise's young wife dreamed of children, but she failed to get pregnant. The couple decided to adopt: in 1992 and 1995, daughter Isabella Jane and son Connor Anthony appeared in the family. In 2001, the actor left his wife. He did not explain the reasons for the divorce, and due to stress, Nicole lost the child with whom she was pregnant. Kidman knew nothing about her situation before her husband’s statement.

The children lived with both parents, but their father spent more time with them and included them in his church. Isabella got married at the age of 26, Tom and Nicole were not at the ceremony, although they almost completely paid for the celebration and gave her a house.

Immediately after the divorce, the actor was seen in a relationship with Penelope Cruz. The vibrant romance ended three years later due to disagreements on religious grounds. The sultry Spanish woman, because of her nationality, could not give up Buddhism, and his church was important to the actor. But Tom Cruise’s personal life did not stand still: he briefly dated a girl, Nazanin Boniadi, who professes his religion.

The news for fans was new novel actor with Katie Holmes. The girl was pregnant from him, and in 2006 they had a girl, Suri. The wife agreed to accept new faith which led to the wedding. The ceremony, decorated in Renaissance style, took place in the medieval Armory. In 2012, Katie unexpectedly filed for divorce and introduced her daughter to catholic church, completely abandoning her husband’s beliefs. Ex-wife in an interview she admitted that she was tired of constant control. The actor did not grieve for long: in 2017, he began dating Vanessa Kirby.

Tom Cruise's biography contains several interesting facts. He received a pilot's license and has been driving sports cars and motorcycles for a long time. The actor participated in advertising campaign Red Bull, drove a Formula 1 car in California at the Willow Springs track. His personal fortune is estimated at $500 million.

Religious Beliefs

Tom fights for the recognition of Scientology as an official religion in Europe, and is also its ardent promoter in America. In 2003, he became the founder of the Rescue Detoxification Foundation in New York City. Its funds were used to assist rescuers and firefighters who participated in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack.

Traditional medicine recognizes the detoxification method as pseudoscientific and dangerous, although many patients reported improved well-being. After treatment, many firefighters switched to the Church of Scientology; some had to get divorced and leave their children because of this. Leader David Miscavige awarded Cruz a “medal of freedom” for such activity.

In 2004, Tom shocked the public with the statement that psychiatry is a pseudoscience. He was not satisfied with the treatment of actress Brooke Shields with antidepressants for postpartum depression. To this she replied that it was better to focus on saving the world from aliens, and not interfere in the choices of other people. Two years later, the actor publicly apologized to Shields.

But Scientology does not recognize psychiatry, so this is not the only such situation in Cruise’s story. He quarreled with Spielberg because the director often talked about his doctor and the medications he prescribed. A few days later, a crowd from the church came to the psychiatrist’s waiting room and demanded that he stop his activities.

Cruz founded the Education and Literacy Foundation, which helps adults learn to read and write. He has been familiar with this problem since childhood, as he himself suffered from reading problems. The actor financially supports many other organizations: the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetic Children, the Elizabeth Glaser AIDS Foundation, the Jackie Chan Foundation, and the Disability Fund.

Tom Cruise Mapother is an American actor and film director who has received many awards and nominations. Today he is one of the highest paid artists in Hollywood, but even as a boy from a poor neighborhood and dreaming of becoming a clergyman, Tom could not even imagine that he would become famous throughout the world.

Cruz's birthplace is the small town of Syracuse in New York State. The boy's father was an unsuccessful electrical engineer, and his mother was first a social teacher, then an actress. It was a large family with three daughters. The future star spent his childhood in poverty. In addition, his father was a cruel man and would beat Tom at the slightest provocation.

The parents divorced when the boy was just 12 years old, and the children remained with their mother. From an early age, the boy had to earn money to help his mother support the family. The future actor worked as a cleaner, assistant receptionist, and delivery boy.

Tom's family moved constantly in search of better life, due to frequent changes of schools, the boy failed in many subjects and could not decide what he wanted to become in life. He was fond of hockey and figure skating, wrestling, but due to a knee injury he left the sport.

As a teenager, Tom Cruise briefly attended a Franciscan seminary in Cincinnati and dreamed of becoming a Catholic priest. But after participating in school theater productions, Tom changed his mind and decided to devote himself to acting. It was with this decision that the artist’s rapid and dizzying success began.

Cruise gave himself 10 years to make a successful career in Hollywood, but his sense of self-confidence, talent and hard work made it possible in much less time. He left early high school to begin an acting career, moving to New York at the age of 19. Cruise even missed his prom high school, because I was busy performing in a play.

Initially, luck did not smile on him, he performed poorly at auditions, but this only spurred him on. Cruise worked on his mistakes, studied a lot, and as a result, the young actor was noticed.

Cruise first appeared in the 1981 film Endless Love. The same year brought Cruise a small but significant role in his career in the film “Lights Out” or, as it was also called in Russian box office, “Cadets.” This film allowed Hollywood producers to recognize Cruise's talent.

The next serious work was the 1983 film “The Outsiders,” where Cruise worked with such famous artists as Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe and Matt Dillon.

The crime comedy drama “Risky Business” of the same year made the actor famous overnight. The casting for the main role included such stars of the time as Tom Hanks, Nicolas Cage and John Cusack. But the producer and director decided to give the aspiring Cruise a chance. Both critics and spectators acted young Cruz appreciated, and his career skyrocketed.

For my professional activity Tom Cruise has played roles in more than four dozen films. In many of them he was also the director. Of course, from his works one can single out the most striking and memorable ones.

"Best shooter"

The genre combination of action and melodrama was filmed in 1986 by director Tony Scott. Cruise's co-star in the film was Kelly McGillis, at that time already famous actress. The film tells the story of the elite flight school Top Gun and its instructor, Lieutenant Pete Mitchell.

She was nominated four times for an Oscar; the award was awarded to the soundtrack “Take My Breath Away”. With a budget of $15 million, the film grossed almost $357 million.

"Rain Man"

Cult dramatic story from director Barry Levinson in 1988 about the journey across America of two brothers - young and greedy Charlie and Raymond, sick with savantism. The role of the patient was played by the famous Dustin Hoffman.

In 1989, the film was awarded four Oscars: best film, director and screenplay, best actor Dustin Hoffman. The film was also awarded the Golden Globe Award, the Grand Prix of the Berlin Film Festival and the Davila di Donatello Award. Box office receipts in America and around the world amounted to approximately $355 million.

"Interview with a Vampire"

Another famous film with Tom Cruise, released in 1994. At the center of the story is the story of a man who was turned into a vampire more than three hundred years ago. The picture is also notable for the participation of a whole galaxy Hollywood stars– Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas, Kirsten Darst, Christian Slater.

In its first weekend of release alone, Interview with the Vampire grossed nearly $29 million. In total, we managed to collect 223 million.

Mission: Impossible film series

This series includes 6 action films, the main role in each of which is played by Tom Cruise. The first film was shot in 1996, the last in 2018. Each film was shot by a new director, with the exception of the last two, they were directed by Christopher Macquarie.

The series also featured Vanessa Redgrave, Anthony Hopkins, Alec Baldwin, Vladimir Mashkov and many others. All films from the series were nominated for many awards, including the Golden Raspberry as the worst film (2nd part). Cruise's fees for participating in these films amounted to more than $200 million.

"Magnolia"

The dramatic story of Paul Thomas Andersen from 1999, which tells about the destinies of completely different people. The script was written in two weeks, and Tom Cruise got the role without tests or auditions. The director saw the actor on the set of “Eyes Wide Shut” and immediately realized that the main role of his film was created specifically for Tom. Julianne Moore starred in the drama with him.

Box office receipts amounted to a very small profit - only 49 million with costs of 37 million. But, nevertheless, this film entered the golden treasury of the actor’s works.

"The Last Samurai"

This film is a 2003 adventure drama directed by American film director Edward Zwick. The four-time Oscar-nominated film takes an artistic interpretation of the events that took place in Japan in the 19th century. In the thick of things is retired cavalry captain Algren, who comes to Japan to teach military skills to new recruits. Here he becomes close to the local population and delves into the unique culture of the samurai.

To play in this film, Tom Cruise spent two years special training, learning the art of the samurai.

Other paintings

Along with the generally recognized best films starring Tom Cruise, the following films are worth noting.

“Vanilla Sky” (2003) - few people know, but this film is a remake of the 1997 film “Open Your Eyes.” The film also stars Cameron Diaz, Kurt Russell, Jason Lee, and Steven Steven Spielberg. It is noteworthy that in the original version the role of Sofia was also played by Penelope Cruz.
“Knight” (2010), an action comedy in which Cameron Diaz again became Cruise’s partner.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999) is the last film by the brilliant Stanley Kubrick. It was a married duet with his then-wife Nicole Kidman. By the way, they broke up after the drama was released.

Awards and nominations

Throughout acting career Tom Cruise has been nominated and awarded various awards more than once.

For his male roles, the actor is nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe three times each.

The actor received the Golden Globe three times.

For the worst role in the thriller "The Mummy" he was awarded the " golden raspberry».

And another award in Cruise’s treasury is the British Academy Film Award for his role in the film “Born on the Fourth of July.”

Despite the fact that in Russia the Church of Scientology is recognized as extremist and banned, in America it functions quite normally. One of her famous followers is Tom Cruise. The actor joined the Church of Scientology in 1990 and has since been a devoted novice. Cruise came to this trend thanks to his first wife Mimi Rogers.

But it was precisely because of religious differences that all three of the actor’s marriages were destroyed. Tom Cruise donates almost all of his fees to the needs of the Church of Scientology.

Personal life

All of Tom's women were mainly from show business. As a young actor, Tom began affairs with women older than him. He had relationships with Cher, actress Rebecca de Mornay, and guitarist Patti Scialfa. The actor also has three marriages and one affair with famous beauties Hollywood.

Mimi Rogers

The actors got married in 1997. The breakup happened three years later; it was at this time that the actor’s career experienced a dizzying rise and huge fees. Plus, I added a passion for Scientology. According to the recollections of his ex-wife Mimi, Cruise was seriously thinking about joining the Church of Scientology and becoming a monk there. Against the backdrop of these problems, Tom Cruise began an affair with Nicole Kidman and left Mimi.

Nicole Kidman

The couple met on the set of the film “Days of Thunder.” The actor fell head over heels in love with Nicole and even named the plane he bought after her. At first, everything was fine with the couple, Nicole even joined Scientology.

But she soon realized that this religion was not for her, and discord began in the family. In addition, the couple was unable to have children; they adopted a daughter and son, but this did not save their marriage. In the film “Eyes Wide Shut,” both actors played while still married, but already far from each other.

After the film was released, the family officially broke up, despite 10 years of marriage.

Penelope Cruz

Tom fell in love with the Spanish hot beauty Penelope during the joint filming of the film “Vanilla Sky”. It was a whirlwind romance that lasted three years. According to the actress, their separation was facilitated by the Church of Scientology, which turned Tom against the relationship.

Penelope, an adherent of Buddhism, refused to support Tom's religion. On this basis, the couple broke up without ever getting married.

Katie Holmes

Nothing is known for certain about the reasons for their breakup. And it all started so beautiful and romantic. Tom met the aspiring actress at a party and fell in love with her at first sight. He proposed to her in Paris at the Eiffel Tower, presented her expensive gifts and simply admired it. And she sacrificed hers acting career, married him according to Scientology customs and bore him a daughter. The divorce happened unexpectedly and quickly.

According to the tabloids, the reason was the same Scientology. Tom Cruise became so involved in this religion that he wanted to send his daughter to the church at an early age. Katie Holmes didn't allow it. But this is only journalists’ speculation, since according to the marriage contract, Katie cannot disclose family secrets.

Everyone knows where the future actor was born, what films he starred in and how old Tom Cruise is. This is a celebrity, the details of whose life are regularly advertised by all the tabloids of the world. But, nevertheless, there are facts that fans of the actor would be interested to know.

As a child, Tom suffered from dyslexia - a deviation expressed in the impairment of perceiving written text. That is, Tom read poorly. In connection with this, the actor studied at correctional class. In addition, the actor suffered from crooked teeth and short stature. As critics say, it is precisely because of these complexes that Tom plays only strong personalities.
The actor has perfect command of both left and right hand. Such people are called ambidextrous.
Tom Cruise is a convinced vegetarian and promotes this lifestyle among his family and friends.
Every time Tom got married, he entered into a prenuptial agreement. The main condition of each contract is non-disclosure of features family life. That is why ex-wives Toms talk so little about their failed marriages.
Tom Cruise is a big fan of car racing and a collector of racing motorcycles.
Tom has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
At one time, Tom took part in auditions for the famous TV series “Dallas”, but did not make it.
The image of Aladdin from the Disney cartoon was copied from Cruise's portrait.
Every year on October 10th, Tom Cruise Day is celebrated in Japan as a tribute to his role as a captain in the drama The Last Samurai.
Considering the scripts to be a failure, Tom Cruise did not agree to play in the films “The Matrix” and “Iron Man”.

Tom Cruise now - latest news

Today the successful actor is 56 years old, and he is still popular and in demand in cinema. Tom Cruise's filmography is being replenished with new works. Thus, 2016 brought the actor a new leading role in the adventure continuation of the series “Jack Reacher 2”. 2017 was marked by filming in the thriller “The Mummy.”

In July 2018, the action adventure Mission: Impossible 6 was released. The film has already grossed over $300 million.

Conclusion

As you can see, the life of any famous actor is always full of ups and downs. And Tom Cruise is no exception in this case. His life of fame and success is a story of hard work and great talent.

Tom Cruise (Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, English Tom Cruise) is an outstanding American film actor, director and producer, known for his leading roles in the films “Rain Man”, “Eyes Wide Shut”, “Magnolia”, and the “Mission Impossible” film series. etc. Three-time winner of the Golden Globe Award and three-time Oscar nominee.

Childhood and family

Tom Cruise was born on July 3, 1962 in Syracuse, New York, into a Catholic family with English, German and Irish roots. His father, Thomas Cruise Mapother III, was an electrical engineer, and his mother, Mary Lee (née Pfeiffer), was a special education teacher (some sources mistakenly call her an actress, apparently confusing her with her namesake Michelle Pfeiffer). In addition to Tom, his parents had three more daughters: Lee Ann, Marian and Cass.

The family lived in poverty and constantly moved from place to place, as the father had problems with work. He raised his children in strictness, was often rude and unfair to them, and beat them for every insignificant reason. Tom later called him "a bully and a coward."

My father taught me the most important lesson about how life works - he could first deceive me with his calmness so that I would relax and feel safe, and then - bam! and hit. And I began to think: “Something is wrong with him.” He can't be trusted. I have to be careful in his presence."

Tom grew up as a complex child. Most of all, he was embarrassed by his small stature, which is why he tried to communicate mainly with short peers or younger guys, so as not to look short compared to them. In addition, the future star had ugly crooked teeth.

Since by the age of 14 the boy had changed 15 schools, he experienced certain problems with learning and academic performance, which were further aggravated by his dyslexia - a disease in which a person incorrectly perceives the order of written letters in a text. Fortunately, with age, this problem was overcome.

In 1971, the family moved to Canada and settled in Ottawa, where his father took a position as a technical consultant for the Canadian Forces. Here, at Robert Hopkins School, the boy first appeared on stage in a theater group, and his first performance as part of a group of seven students created a sensation at the school festival. “The movements and improvisations were excellent. The result was a classic number performed by the ensemble,” recalled his teacher.

In the hope of growing and getting stronger faster, Tom also began to actively engage in sports. In particular, he played floor hockey, but stood out not so much for his athletic talent as for his aggressive style of play. At one time, the boy even thought about connecting his life with sports and becoming a professional wrestler, but a knee injury did not allow this to happen.

When Tom was 14 years old, his parents divorced, and his mother returned to the United States with all four children, settling in a small house in Louisville, Kentucky. The young man entered the Franciscan Theological Seminary in Cincinnati - he intended to become a Catholic priest. However, a year later he abandoned this idea and returned to a regular school.

The family had a very difficult time: in order to feed the children, the mother constantly worked two or three jobs, and Tom and his sisters also had to work part-time after school. When the young man was 16 years old, his mother remarried. Her new chosen one, Jack South, turned out to be a wonderful stepfather, and Tom always spoke warmly about him: “He adored his mother so much that together with her he fell in love with us too, all four of us.”

Then, at the age of 16, at the insistence of his teacher, he again tried himself in a production on the school stage and suddenly realized that he had found his calling. The mother warmly supported her son in his intention to become an actor: in her youth, she herself dreamed of theater and cinema, but never decided to try herself as an actress, because she was afraid, in her words, “to leave the church, to go beyond moral standards - to lose everything that girls valued so highly in those days.”

In 1984, Tom Cruise's own father died of cancer.

Film career

Despite the fact that Tom Cruise never studied acting professionally, he was lucky: already in 1981 he was cast and began his film career with a small role in the film “Endless Love”, and later that year he played a supporting role in the movie "Lights Out".

In 1983, he starred in Francis Ford Coppola's The Outsiders, and then the charming young actor was invited to the first leading role in his career - in the youth sports drama All the Right Moves.

Finally, in the same 1983, Paul Brickman’s film “Risky Business” was released, and the main role in this film made Tom Cruise a star of the first magnitude. The actor's star status was also reinforced by Ridley Scott's fantasy film Legend, released in 1985, and Tony Scott's super-popular film Top Gun, released in 1986, in which young Val Kilmer became one of Cruise's co-stars. . The slogan of the film is “I feel the need, the need for speed"("I Feel a Call, and it's the Call of Speed") gave the racing series its name computer games"Need for Speed".

In the same 1986, Tom Cruise also had the chance to play one of the main roles in Martin Scorsese’s drama “The Color of Money”, in partnership with the already venerable at that time Paul Newman.

In 1988, Roger Donaldson's melodrama Cocktail was released, but for the main role in this film, Tom Cruise was nominated for the Golden Raspberry Award as the worst actor of the year. In general, critics rated this picture negatively, describing it as “a love story lacking depth and drama, in which Tom Cruise’s talent is wasted on a banal fantasy about a naive bartender.”

However, in the same 1988, a truly successful film was released, which marked the beginning of a series of more mature and profound acting works by Tom Cruise - “Rain Man” directed by Barry Levinson. In this film, there was an interesting acting duet between Tom Cruise and the magnificent Dustin Hoffman: Cruise played a calculating businessman who is angry with his parents and the whole world, and Hoffman played the tragicomic role of his older brother, helpless and autistic.

In the wake of the success of this film, critics especially noted Tom’s excellent performance: “Cruise’s character, with his selfishness and cruelty, saves the film from excessive sentimentality. Moreover, his change and reconciliation with the past are not so strong that he ceases to be a complete yuppie, a product of automobile America.

Tom Cruise: interview with Channel One

In 1989, Oliver Stone's war drama Born on the Fourth of July was released, which brought the actor his first Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination.

In 1990, he played the main role in the sports drama Days of Thunder by Tony Scott, and in 1992 in the romantic drama Far and Away by Ron Howard, and in these two films his co-star was rising star Nicole Kidman, with whom the actor also had a personal relationship.

Cruise's next major success was his role in Neil Jordan's mystical drama Interview with the Vampire (1994), where he played in a brilliant ensemble cast with Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas, Christian Slater and a very young Kirsten Dunst. For this role he was once again nominated for an Oscar.

A real success and a kind of “calling card” of Tom Cruise was the film directed by Brian De Palma “Mission: Impossible” in 1996, in which he not only played the main role, but also made his debut as a producer. While working on this film, Cruise paid tribute to his childhood dream - to play a super agent, and cooler than the famous “007”.

Tom Cruise's famous stunt from Mission: Impossible

And, despite the cool reception in the professional community due to the excessive complexity of the plot and lack of psychological depth, viewers fell in love with this film for its entertainment and dynamism.

In the same year, the actor starred in another wonderful film – “Jerry Maguire” by Cameron Crowe – which brought him a second Golden Globe and another Oscar nomination. During the filming of this picture, Cruise’s partner was the then-beginning actress Renee Zellweger, for whom this work served as a launching pad for further successful career. Critics praised the film as "an exceptionally delicious romantic comedy with a modern twist," and it received five Oscar nominations, winning one.

In 1999, Tom Cruise and his wife Nicole Kidman played the main roles together in Stanley Kubrick's love thriller Eyes Wide Shut. This film was the last work of the great director, released after his death, and people perceived it in different ways: from “a great failure” to “a great masterpiece” - but most agreed that it excites the consciousness, provokes and captivates with its mysterious, “illuminated by primitive instincts” atmosphere.

"Eyes Wide Shut." Final scene

That same year, Cruise appeared in a rare supporting role for him in Paul Thomas Anderson's drama Magnolia. Despite the fact that his character is not at all main character, it was this work that is considered the pinnacle of the actor’s dramatic talent, and it brought him another Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination.

After that, Cruise produced the film Mission: Impossible 2, in which he again played the resourceful superspy Ethan Hunt. This time the film was shot by Hong Kong director John Woo, and it uses a style he previously invented martial art With firearms"Gan Kata", also known as "gun kung fu" or "bullet ballet".

Critics said about this film: “Your brain may yearn for the depth of the plot, but your eyes will certainly be delighted by the incredible series of dynamic actions.” For the main role in this film, Tom Cruise received the MTV Movie Award.

During the first half of the 2000s, Cruise starred in four films, which received unprecedented commercial success and unanimous critical acclaim. Thus, in 2001, the fantasy and romantic thriller “Vanilla Sky” by Cameron Crowe was released, in which Cameron Diaz and Penelope Cruz became the actor’s two partners, and Kurt Russell and Jason Lee were involved in supporting roles.

In 2002, Steven Spielberg's science-fiction thriller Minority Report was released, in which Max von Sydow and Colin Farrell participated in the filming of which Cruise participated. Later in 2008, the American Film Institute named the film one of the ten best science fiction films of all time.

Tom Cruise looks at memes to himself

In 2003, Cruz produced the Japanese historical war drama The Last Samurai, directed by Edward Zwick. The film was an incredible success, was nominated for 4 Oscars and received many other prizes and nominations, and Tom Cruise was nominated for a Golden Globe. But, contrary to Cruise's hopes, he was not even nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor.

In 2005, the actor again collaborated with Steven Spielberg to work on the fantasy action film War of the Worlds, based on the novel of the same name by H.G. Wells. On the sets of this film, he starred with 11-year-old, but already experienced at that time, actress Dakota Fanning, and 15-year-old Channing Tatum participated in the episode.

In 2006, another spy thriller about Ethan Hunt's team, Mission: Impossible III, directed by J. J. Abrams, produced by Cruise, was released, and this film was received by critics even more favorably than the previous parts: “A fast-paced action film with mind-blowing stunts and special effects, The latest Mission: Impossible delivers everything that even the most scrupulous fan of the genre could want."

The next film starring Tom Cruise was James Mangold's action-comedy Knight and Day (2010), for which his successful acting duo with Cameron Diaz was resumed. And although from the point of view of some critics in this film, “logic and reason rest in the maelstrom of action while stars like Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz sell this nonsense,” audiences liked the film and was an outstanding box office success.

Fight scene (Jack Reacher)

In 2010, the fourth film, Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol, directed by Brad Bird, was released, and at the end of 2012, the detective thriller directed by Christopher McQuarrie, Jack Reacher, was released with the slogan “The law has limits. He doesn't have any." For this film, Cruise again acted as producer and lead actor, and the work was successful enough for him to direct a sequel, Jack Reacher 2: Never Go Back, in 2016 with the help of director Edward Zwick.

In 2013, the post-apocalyptic action film Oblivion, directed by Joseph Kosinski, was released, during the filming of which Cruise formed a striking duet with actress of Ukrainian origin Olga Kurylenko, and also played together with Morgan Freeman. This picture was characterized as “an absolutely magnificent film, in the drama of which a powerful fantastic plot is balanced with poetry and romanticism.”

In 2015, the fifth film “Mission: Impossible: Rogue Nation” directed by Christopher McQuarrie was released, which again pleased the actor and producer high rating and box office receipts.

In 2017, Cruise played the lead role in Alex Kurtzman's fantasy action film The Mummy, based on the 1932 film, but this film was not as successful as the actor's previous works. In October 2017, the biographical thriller “Made in America” directed by Doug Liman was released, in which Tom Cruise played a young pilot recruited by the CIA.

Personal life of Tom Cruise

In the first half of the 1980s, Tom Cruise repeatedly entered into relationships with older women, including his partner in the film Risky Business, actress Rebecca Demornay (3 years older than Cruise), singer and guitarist Patti Scialfa (9 years older than Cruise). years) and famous singer Cher (16 years older than Cruise). According to the latter’s frank statement, Cruise was very good in bed and was one of her top five lovers. “I was crazy about Tom Cruise, and we had a passionate affair,” she recalled.

The actor's positive reputation was restored in 1987, when he married actress Mimi Rogers (however, she was also 5-8 years older than Tom, according to various sources). Mimi introduced Cruise to Scientology, and he subsequently became a staunch adherent and promoter of this religion - now he is called the “3rd or even 2nd person” in the church hierarchy.

In 1989, on the set of the film “Days of Thunder,” the actor met a young actress from Australia, Nicole Kidman, and they began a relationship. Cruise, in love, divorced his first wife on February 4, 1990, and on December 24 of the same year, at the age of 28, he married 23-year-old Nicole.

The couple really wanted to have children, but to conceive own baby they couldn't do it. So they decided to become foster parents, adopting Isabella Jane in 1992 and adopting Connor Anthony in 1995. Subsequently, Nicole herself was surprised at her own determination to start a family so early: “By the age of 27, I already had two children and four years of marital experience. But that’s what I wanted,” she recalled.

However, in February 2001, Cruz announced to his wife that he intended to divorce her. According to the actress, she begged her husband not to leave her, but he left without explanation, refusing to discuss family problems. As it turned out, Nicole was on early stage pregnancy, which the couple did not yet know about. Due to the stress of breaking up with her husband, she lost the child - or, as the actress later admitted, the pregnancy turned out to be ectopic.

Why do women leave Tom Cruise?

After the couple's divorce, their adopted children remained under the joint custody of both parents, but lived primarily with their father and were affiliated with the Church of Scientology. At the age of 26, daughter Isabella got married, but neither of her parents attended her wedding, although both helped organize and pay for the celebration.

Almost simultaneously with the divorce, Cruise entered into a new relationship - with Penelope Cruz, his partner in the film “Vanilla Sky”. It was a bright romance that seemed very promising, and the young people even talked about marriage. But the situation was darkened by the fact that Penelope could not give up her Buddhist beliefs in favor of Scientology, while for Cruise this was very important. Three years later, the couple broke up because, according to Penelope, Scientology turned out to be a “third wheel” in their relationship.

Later, reports appeared that the church began to purposefully select a new bride for Cruise, but he himself did not confirm this information. One way or another, during this period he started romantic relationship with a girl who, like him, was a member of the Church of Scientology - British-Iranian actress Nazanin Boniadi. But this couple did not work out, and the relationship soon broke up.

In April 2005, Cruise began dating actress Katie Holmes, and a month later the actor publicly declared his love for her on the famous “Oprah Winfrey Show.” On October 6, 2005, the couple officially announced that they were expecting a child, and on April 18, 2006, the actors had a daughter, Suri.

Unlike Cruise's previous lovers, Katie Holmes agreed to fully accept the faith and practices of Scientology, and on November 18, 2006, the couple officially married. More than 150 guests were invited to the ceremony. Among them were many stars of the first magnitude - colleagues of Tom Cruise: Will Smith and his wife, John Travolta, Richard Gere,

The couple appeared together everywhere and beamed with smiles, although rumors leaked behind their backs that “Mrs. Cruise” lived in “Scientology hell” and was under supervision 24 hours a day. On June 29, 2012, Katie Holmes, unexpectedly for her husband, filed for divorce and demanded full custody of her daughter. She also stated that she was renouncing her Scientology beliefs and "has now decided to raise Suri as a Catholic and has already sent her to a private Catholic school in Manhattan."

Tom Cruise was filming the film Oblivion during this period, and colleagues noted that “... one of the most famous actors planet now looks like one of the saddest people on Earth."

In March 2017, information appeared in the press about Tom Cruise’s affair with his colleague in the film Mission: Impossible 6, 28-year-old Vanessa Kirby.

Cruz is a motorsports enthusiast. He feels confident driving sports cars and motorcycles, both on the set (which allows producers to save a lot on doubles) and in real life.

In 2011, the actor took part in an advertising campaign for the Red Bull racing team, piloting a Formula 1 car at the Willow Springs track in California. In addition, he has a pilot's license. Thanks to his friendship with David Beckham, the actor began supporting the Spanish football club Real Madrid.

Cruise's personal fortune is estimated at at least $500 million.

Beliefs and social activities

Tom Cruise is actively involved in social programs Church of Scientology and is its ardent propagandist, fighting for its recognition in Europe as one of the official religions.

In 2003, he founded and contributed significantly to the New York Rescue Detoxification Foundation to help medical care firefighters and rescuers - liquidators of the consequences of the largest terrorist attack in New York on September 11, 2001. The foundation's medical program uses, among other things, the "detoxification" method developed by Scientology founder Ron Hubbard as part of Scientology's "bridge to total freedom."

Many medical professionals criticize this approach as pseudoscientific and medically dangerous, but some patients have reported feeling much better. According to the Fire Department, some firefighters have joined the Scientology religion after undergoing a “detoxification” program, and several have even left their families because of it.

In 2004, the leader of the Church of Scientology and Cruise's closest friend, David Miscavige, established the "Scientology Medal of Freedom" and awarded him this medal.

Tom Cruise in the movie "Tropic Soldiers"

In January 2004, Cruz made a shocking statement: “I believe that psychiatry should be outlawed.” He savaged actress Brooke Shields for taking an antidepressant to treat postpartum depression. Cruz said chemical imbalances in the body do not exist and psychiatry is a pseudoscience. To this, the actress replied that it makes sense for Cruise to “focus on saving the world from aliens and allow women suffering from postpartum depression to decide for themselves which treatment to choose.” Later, in August 2006, Cruise apologized to Brooke Shields for his remarks towards her.

But this was not the only time he spoke out against psychiatry, which Scientology does not recognize. On this basis, the actor seriously quarreled with director Steven Spielberg - he mentioned several times in front of Cruise about his psychiatrist friend and the medicine that he prescribed. A couple of days later, the entrance to this doctor’s waiting room was blocked by a large picket of Scientologists, and Spielberg was seriously angry about this.

Tom Cruise is the founder and board member of the Hollywood Education and Literacy Foundation, which helps illiterate adults learn to read, a topic close to the actor's heart because he himself suffered from dyslexia as a child and had difficulty reading. He also provides financial support to many other charities, in particular, the Barbara Davis Center for Juvenile Diabetes, the Elizabeth Glaser Foundation for Children with AIDS, the H.E.L.P. Foundation for the Disabled, the Jackie Chan Foundation, and others.

Tom Cruise now

In the summer of 2018, the film Mission: Impossible 6 will be released, in which Cruise again plays the leading role and participates in producing. In August 2017, while performing a stunt for this film, the actor received a serious injury - a fracture of two bones of the ankle joint. By October, he had partially recovered and re-entered the filming, but the actor’s further independent performance of stunts was in question.

Along with official awards, the actor also has several informal “titles” received in different years:

most sexy man of the living according to People magazine (1990),
No. 1 in Forbes magazine's 100 Achievers (2006),
No. 3 in the ranking of movie stars of all time according to Empire magazine (1997, 2005),
No. 4 in total box office grosses of the 1990s,
box office champion for 2005 (overtaking Tom Hanks, who held this position for 6 years),
Movie Actor Who Dresses Best, Based on Audience Voting (1997)
one in 50 the most beautiful people planets according to People magazine (1990, 1991, 1997),
No. 14 in the ranking of the most influential people according to Premiere magazine (2003, 2005, 2006).

Known all over the world and loved by thousands of fans, Tom Cruise surprises everyone with his excellent appearance. This year the actor celebrated his 54th birthday, but no one will give him that many years. However, he was not always a charming handsome man. As a child, Tom Cruise was often teased because of his short stature and ugly teeth. Therefore, he even wanted to be ordained and serve in the church.

But after auditioning for the musical Guys and Dolls, he wanted to become an actor. This desire led Tom to New York, where he participated in every screen test he knew about. In 1981, he first appeared on screen in the film Endless Love. However, in his youth, the rapid rise of Tom Cruise's career was stopped by an overbite with crooked teeth. It took a lot of time to correct these shortcomings. And yet he became a great actor, director and producer.

The most bright paintings, in which Tom Cruise participated are: all episodes of “Mission: Impossible”, “Risky Business”, “Rain Man”, “Jerry Maguire” and “Vanilla Sky”. The actor’s portfolio includes many more successful films, but the ones listed can be classified as masterpieces for which Tom received awards.

A little about personal life

In his personal life, Tom Cruise has already experienced several marriages, but none of them were successful. Despite the fact that his wives were such luxurious women as Mimmi Rogers, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz and, he could not make at least one marriage strong. Today the actor is not married and his heart is free.