Recent Shows: Mission: Impossible III
Biography:
In 1976, 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 a ...(read more)
In 1976, 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
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 he 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, dropped out of school, 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.
Though below average height and not particularly handsome in the
traditional sense, within 5 years Tom Cruise was starring in some of
the top grossing films of the 1980s including Top Gun (1986) ;
Color of Money, The (1986) , Rain Man (1988) and Born on the Fourth of July (1989) . By the 1990s 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) 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 thoughful 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.
Tom McDonough
Quotes:
* "The thing about film-making 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."
* "I don't drink but I had a beer that night and they only did on ...(read more)
* "The thing about film-making 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."
* "I don't drink but I had a beer that night and they only did one set up
like that. I'm a cheap date. What can I say?" -- to 'Jay Leno' regarding
his topless Vanity Fair cover shoot.
* "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." - Talking about Eyes Wide Shut (1999) .
* "I have cooked turkeys in my day but when Mom's around I let her do
it."
* "I was 18 when I saw 'Akira Kurosawa's Shichinin no samurai (1954) .
After about 30 seconds, I realized that this was not just a cultural
thing, it was universal. Years later, I read Bushido. It talked about
many things that I strive for in my own life: loyalty, compassion,
responsibility, the idea of looking back on your life and taking
responsibility for everything you've ever done. I'm fascinated by the
samurai and the samurai code - it's one of the main reasons I wanted to
make Last Samurai, The (2003) ".
* "Awards are wonderful. I've been nominated many times and I've won many
awards. But my journey is not towards that. If it happens it will be a
blast. If it doesn't, it's still been a blast."
* "I believe in life. I know that life comes in at your heart and it
doesn't matter if you're an actor, a filmmaker or a gentleman on the
street, it comes at you. What Scientology gives me is the tools to deal
with that, to better enjoy my life and to be able to contribute more."
* [On his role as the hit man in Collateral (2004) ] "I've never played a character
like this before. Vincent interested me because he is such an
anti-social personality, bringing destruction and chaos with him
wherever he goes. He's a force of nature".
* I remember getting through high school and thinking, 'Boy, I'm glad I
got that behind me!' Then, when I was 19, I got Risky Business (1983) , and I
realized, 'Ah, so this is life - it's a little bigger than I thought!
* As a young actor, people were trying to define who I was before I
really knew that for myself. But I still remember thinking, 'This is
what I love doing, and I hope I'm going to be able to do it forever.
* I've had a very interesting life. There are ways of handling the
complexities. I'm willing to take on responsibilities as a father, as a
producer, as an actor - and I enjoy that. I've always been changing and
evolving and growing. There's no pinnacle of power where you can sit
back and rest.
* Because I grew up in so many different places, I was used to rumors
[about me]. You know, I didn't have the right shoes, I didn't have the
right clothes. I even had the wrong accent.
* Nic and I don't talk publicly about custody but, definitely, both of us
share the kids back and forth. They're amazing kids.
* I would live with all of my sisters if I could. We've always been very
close, my sisters and me.
* The important thing with a child is that you love them, you protect
them and you help them to grow and find out who they are. And as a
parent, it's my responsibility to help them to become independent and
get all the knowledge and a broad view of the world and life. I know
that Nic absolutely agrees with that. And that's what's important:
being there.
* I'd like to be with a woman who goes [he switches into a woman's
voice], "I've reviewed your schedule, and I'm going to set up this
motorcycle trip for you, because you've been working really hard. And
I'm going to go with you. We're going to go riding together. And I've
already been working on it for a couple days so it can be special."
* I don't really keep counsel with others. I'm the kind of person who
will think about something, and if I know it's right I'm not going to
ask anybody. I don't go, "Boy, what do you think about this?" I've made
every decision for myself - in my career, in my life.
* "SAT (exam) scores have gone right down the toilet. The parents are
blaming the teachers, the teachers are blaming the parents and the
psychs are putting everyone on drugs."
* [on the relationship with 'Katie Holmes' , about other people thinking it's a
publicity stunt] "It's amusing at first. It's funny. But then you sit
back and realize how sad it is that there are people who can't even
imagine feeling like this. But my friends are happy for me. The people
who know me are happy. My mom is happy. My family is happy."
* "I've never agreed with psychiatry, ever. Before I was a Scientologist,
I never agreed with psychiatry. Here's the problem. You don't know the
history of psychiatry. I do."
* "I'm passionate about learning. I'm passionate about life."
* "Personally, I don't have all the information President Bush has. But I
believe Saddam has committed many crimes against humanity and his own
people." [On the Iraq War]
|
User Videos
No videos have been tagged to this Actor/Actress.
Find & Tag Videos:
-
MARK0325
-
boss chick!!!!!!!
-
naanoo
-
mok
-
mony
-
belabela77
-
lexxie
-
kandacie
|
Comments (0)