Tom Cruise in "Mission: Impossible 3"
Tom Cruise
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Hollywood mega-star Tom Cruise may not be the most popular actor working in the business today, what with the more recent media blitzes about Scientology and his questionable relationship with Katie Holmes, but there’s no denying that the guy has star power. Born Thomas Mapother IV in 1962, the veteran actor experienced his share of childhood hardships after his parents divorced. With the hopes of achieving fame and providing for his family, Tom began attending drama classes, and though his efforts were initially unsuccessful, he finally landed a role in the film “Taps.” The actor’s charismatic performance led to roles in many other films (most notably “Risky Business” and “Top Gun”), and by the late 80s, Tom had risen the ranks as one of the industry’s biggest stars. He went on to prove his acting chops alongside Dustin Hoffman in “Rainman” and earned a Best Actor nod for his work in Oliver Stone’s “Born on the Fourth of July.”
If there was any good that came out of the 90s for Cruise, it was Nicole Kidman, who quickly became his second wife after the two met on the set of “Days of Thunder.” The couple appeared in two more films during their ten-year marriage, including the 1992 film “Far and Away” and the Stanley Kubrick disaster “Eyes Wide Shut.” Since then, Tom has tried to mold a new image for himself, namely that of blockbuster action star, and with the box office success of films like “Mission: Impossible,” “Minority Report” and “War of the Worlds,” he’s well on his way. In 2005, Tom made headlines once again when he pronounced his unconditional love for youngster Katie Holmes on “Oprah”. He made a fool of himself yet again while making an appearance on “The Today Show,” debating with co-host Matt Lauer over fellow actor Brooke Shield’s decision to take medication for postpartum. It’ll be interesting to see what the future holds for the actor. Is TomKat for real? Better yet, is Suri really their child? Only time will tell...
Tom on the Web
IMDB
An online database of Tom's film credits.
TV Guide: Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise Videos, Interviews and More on TV Guide's Online Video Guide
Tom Cruise Fan
The biggest Cruise fan site on the net features weekly news updates and media archives.
Tom Cruise Is Nuts
A hilarious site that goes into detail about Cruise's purported insanity.
Tom Cruise Forever
Another fan page that includes news, picture galleries, and more.
Topix
The ultimate source for entertainment news on all things Tom.
Tom on the Screen
Tom burst onto the big screen in the 1980s with small roles in "Taps" and "The Outsiders" before becoming a star with the massive success of "Risky Business" and Top Gun.” Lead roles in movies like "Cocktail" and "Rainman" followed, making Tom one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Award-nominated performances in "Jerry Maguire" and "A Few Good Men" ushered in a new decade, and for once, Tom was able to be selective about his projects. This included films like "Interview with a Vampire" and "Mission: Impossible," and after wasting a few years on the set of Stanley Kubrick's final film ("Eyes Wide Shut"), Tom became one of the highest paying actors in the business. More recent roles in films like “Minority Report,” “The Last Samurai” and “War of the Worlds” have pegged the veteran as a sort of action star, while his turn in Michael Mann’s “Collateral” clearly proved his range as an actor.
Latest Buzz
Going into “Lions for Lambs,” Tom Cruise was on a 7 year streak of his movies grossing over 100 million (“M:i-2,” “Vanilla Sky,” “Minority Report,” “The Last Samurai,” “Collateral,” “War of the Worlds” and “Mission: Impossible 3”). Since “Lambs” is less a Tom Cruise picture than a Robert Redford – dove-message movie, the real test for Cruise comes in summer 2008 with “Valkyrie,” the WWII Nazi thriller with Tom as real life Col. Claus von Stauffenberg. The film has been under scrutiny since production began in Germany, and by the time it is released it will be two years since the last Cruise blockbuster, “M:i-III.” Also in 2008 he’ll be part of the cast of Ben Stiller’s “Tropic Thunder,” though his appearance was set to be a surprise cameo until set photos leaked. There’s also rumors of a Stiller – Cruise “Hardy Boys” feature for 2009.
From the Mouth of Tom
On women:
"[Women] smell good. They look pretty. I love women. I do."
On Scientology:
"Some people, well, if they don't like Scientology, well, then, fuck you. Really. Fuck you. Period."