Tom Cruise facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tom Cruise
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Cruise at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival
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Thomas Cruise Mapother IV
July 3, 1962 Syracuse, New York, U.S.
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| Years active | 1980–present |
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Works
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Filmography |
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| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | William Mapother (cousin) |
| Awards | Full list |
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Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known as Tom Cruise, is a famous American actor and film producer. He is considered a Hollywood icon. He has won many awards, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Golden Globe Awards. He has also been nominated for four Academy Awards.
As of 2025, his movies have earned over $13.3 billion worldwide. This makes him one of the highest-earning actors of all time. He is also consistently one of the world's highest-paid actors.
Cruise started acting in the early 1980s. He became very well-known with lead roles in Risky Business (1983) and Top Gun (1986). The movie Top Gun helped him become a popular leading man. He earned praise for his roles in dramas like The Color of Money (1986), Rain Man (1988), and Born on the Fourth of July (1989). For his role in Born on the Fourth of July, he won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Academy Award.
In the 1990s, he starred in many successful films. These included the drama A Few Good Men (1992), the thriller The Firm (1993), and the romance Jerry Maguire (1996). For Jerry Maguire, he won another Golden Globe Award and his second Academy Award nomination. Cruise's acting in the drama Magnolia (1999) also earned him a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination.
Later, Cruise became known for starring in science fiction and action films. He often performs his own risky stunts. He has played the secret agent Ethan Hunt in eight Mission: Impossible films. These started with Mission: Impossible (1996) and include Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025). Other popular films he starred in include Minority Report (2002), The Last Samurai (2003), War of the Worlds (2005), and Top Gun: Maverick (2022).
Cruise holds a Guinness World Record for having the most movies in a row that earned over $100-million. This happened between 2012 and 2018. In December 2024, the US Navy gave him their highest civilian honor, the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award. This was for his "outstanding contributions" to the military through his movie roles.
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Early Life and Education
Cruise was born on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, New York. His father, Thomas Cruise Mapother III, was an electrical engineer. His mother, Mary Lee Pfeiffer, was a special education teacher. Both his parents were from Louisville, Kentucky. Cruise has three sisters: Lee Anne, Marian, and Cass. His cousin, William Mapother, is also an actor and has appeared in five films with Cruise.
Cruise grew up in a family that was not wealthy. He attended many different schools, going to fifteen schools in fourteen years. He spent some of his childhood in Canada. His family moved to Ottawa in late 1971 when his father took a job there.
First Acting Experiences
Cruise first got involved in drama in fourth grade. He and six other boys performed a play called IT at a drama festival. People who saw it said their performance was excellent. In sixth grade, his mother moved him and his sisters back to the United States.
Cruise briefly attended a Catholic seminary, hoping to become a priest. However, he left after a year. In high school, he played football but was removed from the team for breaking rules. He then starred in his school's play Guys and Dolls. He graduated from Glen Ridge High School in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, in 1980.
Acting Career Highlights
1980s: Becoming a Star
At 18, Cruise moved to New York City to become an actor. He later went to Los Angeles to try for television roles. He got his first film role in 1981 in Endless Love. He then had a bigger role in Taps later that year.
In 1983, Cruise appeared in Francis Ford Coppola's The Outsiders. He shared the screen with many other young actors. That same year, he starred in All the Right Moves and Risky Business. Risky Business was a very important film for his career. In 1985, he played the main male role in the film Legend. By 1986, with the movie Top Gun, he was a true superstar.
After Top Gun, Cruise starred with Paul Newman in The Color of Money (1986). Critics praised their acting together. In 1988, Cruise starred in Cocktail, which was popular but not liked by critics. Later that year, he starred with Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
In 1989, Cruise played Ron Kovic, a real-life Vietnam War veteran who became paralyzed, in Born on the Fourth of July. Film critic Roger Ebert said Cruise's performance was amazing. This role earned him a Golden Globe Award and his first Academy Award nomination.
1990s: Taking on Different Roles
Cruise's next films were Days of Thunder (1990) and Far and Away (1992). Both movies co-starred his then-wife Nicole Kidman. He then starred in the legal thriller The Firm, which was very successful. In 1994, Cruise starred with Brad Pitt in Interview with the Vampire. This film was based on a popular novel.
In 1996, Cruise starred as the secret agent Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible. He also produced this film. It was a huge success at the box office. In the same year, Cruise played a sports agent in the sports drama Jerry Maguire. This film was also a big financial success.
In 1999, Cruise starred with Nicole Kidman in Stanley Kubrick's psychological drama Eyes Wide Shut. Critics praised both their performances. That same year, he took a rare supporting role in Magnolia. For this role, he received another Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination.
2000s: Action and Sci-Fi Star
In 2000, Cruise returned as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible 2. This film was also very successful at the box office. The next year, he starred in the romantic thriller Vanilla Sky (2001). In 2002, Cruise starred in the science fiction action film Minority Report, directed by Steven Spielberg. This movie is often listed among the best science fiction films.
In 2003, he starred in The Last Samurai, earning another Golden Globe nomination. In 2004, Cruise was praised for his role as Vincent in Collateral. In 2005, he worked with Steven Spielberg again in War of the Worlds. This film was one of the highest-grossing movies of the year. Most of the films he starred in during this decade earned over $100 million.
In 2006, he returned as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible III. This film was well-received by critics and earned a lot of money. In 2008, Cruise made a surprising appearance as "Les Grossman" in the comedy Tropic Thunder. This role earned him a Golden Globe nomination. He also played the main role in the historical thriller Valkyrie, which was a box office success.
2010s: Continuing Action Success
In 2010, Cruise starred in the action-comedy Knight and Day with Cameron Diaz. In December 2011, he starred in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, the fourth film in the series. This movie was a big success and earned a lot of praise.
In 2012, Cruise played Stacee Jaxx in the movie Rock of Ages. While the film itself didn't do as well, Cruise received positive reviews for his performance. He then starred as Jack Reacher in the film Jack Reacher, which was released in December 2012. It was well-liked by critics and earned a lot of money.
In 2013, he starred in the science fiction film Oblivion. In 2014, Cruise starred in the science fiction-action film Edge of Tomorrow, which also received positive reviews and was a commercial success.
In 2015, Cruise returned as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, which he also produced. This film was highly praised and very successful. In 2017, Cruise starred in The Mummy. In 2018, Cruise played Ethan Hunt again in Mission: Impossible – Fallout. This film was very well-received by critics and earned over $791 million.
2020s: Latest Films
In May 2020, it was announced that Cruise would star in and produce a movie filmed in outer space. He is expected to fly to the International Space Station for this project. In May 2021, Cruise returned his three Golden Globe Awards to protest against the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) due to concerns about their diversity.
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In 2022, Cruise played Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell again in Top Gun: Maverick, which he also produced. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where Cruise received an Honorary Palme d'Or. The movie was widely praised and became the highest-grossing film of his career, earning over $1 billion. Cruise earned a large amount of money for this film.
Cruise reprised his role as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, which was released on July 12, 2023. The film received great reviews. In 2024, he appeared at the Paris 2024 Olympics closing ceremony to promote the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics. He jumped from the roof of the Stade de France stadium in Paris.
Cruise played Ethan Hunt again in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, released in May 2025. He has said this will be his last film playing Ethan Hunt. He will also star in an untitled film directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu.
Film Production Work
Cruise started his own production company, Cruise/Wagner Productions, in 1993 with his former agent Paula Wagner. Their first co-produced film was Mission: Impossible in 1996. Cruise has also produced films he didn't act in, such as The Others and Shattered Glass.
Cruise is known for making some of the most profitable film deals in Hollywood. He is seen as one of the most powerful people in Hollywood. Experts say he is one of the few producers who can almost guarantee a film series will earn billions of dollars.
Changes with Paramount and United Artists
In 2006, Paramount Pictures ended its long relationship with Cruise. This was due to public discussions about his behavior and views. Cruise/Wagner Productions said they had already found other ways to fund their films.
In November 2006, Cruise and Paula Wagner took over the film studio United Artists (UA). Cruise worked as a producer and actor for UA, while Wagner was the chief executive. Their first film was Lions for Lambs. In 2007, they started production on Valkyrie, a thriller about an assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler. Wagner stepped down from her role at UA in 2008.
Return to Paramount and New Partnership
Cruise later started working with Paramount again as a producer and star for Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. This film was very successful. He also worked with Wagner one last time on the Jack Reacher series for Paramount.
In January 2024, it was announced that Cruise's production company formed a new partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery. They will work together to create and produce new films and film series.
Awards and Recognition
In 2006, Premiere magazine named Cruise Hollywood's most powerful actor. Forbes magazine also ranked him as the world's most powerful celebrity that year. The founder of CinemaScore, a company that surveys movie audiences, said in 2016 that Cruise and Leonardo DiCaprio are two stars who can make a movie successful no matter what.
October 10, 2006, was named "Tom Cruise Day" in Japan. This was to honor his connection with Japan. Film critic Roger Ebert noticed that many of Cruise's 1980s films followed a similar pattern, which he called the "Tom Cruise Picture." This formula included a main character who learns a skill, a mentor, and a journey.
Cruise is also a skilled aerobatic pilot. He was recognized as a "Living Legend of Aviation" in 2010. He owns a P-51 Mustang aircraft.
Personal Life and Public Profile
Cruise divides his time between homes in Beverly Hills, California; Clearwater, Florida; and England. In the early to mid-1980s, he had relationships with several actresses and singers.
Marriages
Cruise married actress Mimi Rogers on May 9, 1987. They divorced on February 4, 1990. Rogers had grown up in Scientology, and they met when Cruise became involved with the organization.
Cruise met his second wife, actress Nicole Kidman, while filming Days of Thunder (1990). They married on December 24, 1990. They adopted two children, Isabella Jane and Connor Antony. They announced their separation in February 2001 and divorced later that year due to differences.
Cruise then dated Penélope Cruz, his co-star from Vanilla Sky (2001). Their relationship lasted three years and ended in 2004.
In April 2005, Cruise began dating actress Katie Holmes. They quickly became a well-known couple in the media. On October 6, 2005, they announced they were expecting a child. Their daughter, Suri, was born in April 2006.
Holmes and Cruise married on November 18, 2006, in Italy. On June 29, 2012, Holmes filed for divorce from Cruise. They reached a divorce settlement in July.
Involvement with Scientology
Cruise became involved with Church of Scientology in 1986 through his first wife, Mimi Rogers. He has been a strong supporter of the organization. Cruise has said that Scientology helped him overcome his dyslexia. He has been a close friend of Scientology leader David Miscavige for many years.
Cruise has been involved in efforts to promote Scientology. He has also campaigned for Scientology to be recognized as a religion in Europe.
Public Discussions
In January 2004, Cruise shared his strong opinions on certain medical treatments. In 2005, he criticized actress Brooke Shields for using medication to recover from postpartum depression. Cruise's comments led to a public discussion with TV host Matt Lauer. Medical experts have said that Cruise's comments could make it harder for people with mental health issues to seek help. In 2006, Cruise apologized to Shields for his comments.
In January 2008, a video of Cruise discussing Scientology was shared online. The Church of Scientology said the video was taken without permission. The video was temporarily removed from YouTube but later put back up.
In 2013, a book and a documentary discussed Cruise's role in Scientology. These works claimed that the organization helped find romantic partners for Cruise. Cruise's lawyers have denied these claims.
Interesting Facts About Tom Cruise
- Tom Cruise grew up in a family that didn't have much money.
- As a teenager, he went to fifteen different schools in fourteen years!
- In 2021, he returned his three Golden Globe Awards. He did this to protest against the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) because of problems with the group, including not having enough different kinds of people.
- He holds a Guinness World Record for having the most movies in a row that earned over $100 million.
- Forbes magazine named him the world's most powerful celebrity in 2006.
- At the Paris 2024 Olympics closing ceremony, Tom Cruise jumped from the roof of the Stade de France stadium! He did this to promote the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics.
- Tom Cruise is also a pilot who performs amazing stunts in planes. He was recognized as a "Living Legend of Aviation" in 2010.
Tom Cruise Quotes
- "In this life, it's not what you hope for, it's not what you deserve - it's what you take!"
- "Perception and reality are two different things."
- "No dream is ever just a dream."
- "I'm passionate about learning. I'm passionate about life."
Images for kids
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Tom Cruise's signature
See also
In Spanish: Tom Cruise para niños
