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Biography To
Tom Cruise was born to Thomas Cruise Mapother III and Mary Lee Pfeiffer in Syracuse, New York.[2] His paternal ancestry is Welsh: his great-great-grandfather Dylan Henry Mapother emigrated from Flint, in north Wales, to the United States in 1850. [1] Cruise also has German ancestry from his paternal great-grandparents, William Reibert and Charlotta Louise Voelker.[3] His maternal ancestry is half Irish and half German (including Alsatian French). [4] Cruise had a transient existence as a child attending eight elementary schools and three high schools. Cruise graduated from Glen Ridge High School in New Jersey {Source: Maquis Who's Who 2006} He briefly attended a Franciscan seminary in Cincinnati and aspired to become a Catholic priest.
Cruise became interested in drama after being sidelined from his high school's wrestling team due to a knee injury. While injured, he successfully auditioned for a lead role in his high school's production of Guys and Dolls and decided to become an actor after his success in the role.
Hollywood
While it was not his first film, Risky Business (1983) propelled Cruise to stardom. One sequence in the film, featuring Cruise lip-syncing Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll" in his underwear, has become an iconic moment in film history. Cruise's status as an A-list actor was secured a few years later when he starred in Top Gun (1986).
He received Academy Award nominations for Born on the Fourth of July (1989) and Jerry Maguire (1996), both as Best Actor; and for Magnolia (1999), as Best Supporting Actor[2]. In 1996, he became the first actor in history to star in five consecutive films that grossed $100 million in domestic release; the films were A Few Good Men (1992)[5], The Firm (1993), Interview with the Vampire (1994), Mission: Impossible (1996) and Jerry Maguire (1996).
Cruise also took on more unusual roles following Interview With The Vampire and Jerry Maguire, with Eyes Wide Shut (1999) which took two years to finish as director Stanley Kubrick's last film, alongside then spouse Nicole Kidman.[6] Cruise also performed as a misogynistic male guru in Magnolia (1999), which netted him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination, and in very rare form, played a villain as the hitman who kidnaps unsuspecting cabbie Jamie Foxx in Michael Mann's Collateral (2004).[7]
Cruise teamed with producer Paula Wagner to form Cruise/Wagner Productions, which has co-produced several of Cruise's films such as Mission: Impossible (1996), Vanilla Sky (2001), and The Last Samurai (2003). The company also co-produced The Others (2001).[8]
A number of Cruise's more well-known and popular movies have cast him in a similar role, one which has been half-jokingly referred to by movie fans (and some critics) as the "Generic Tom Cruise Character." In a role of this type, Cruise has portrayed a character who, as the film begins, is seen as a cocky, stuck-up, self-centered egotist who cares for little other than himself. As the events of the movie unfold, his character learns to become more open-minded and altruistic, until by the time the climax has been reached, he has undergone a radical change and been transformed into a better human being. Examples of the "Generic Tom Cruise Character" can be seen in Top Gun, Rain Man, A Few Good Men,The Firm, Jerry Maguire, Cocktail, Vanilla Sky, The Last Samurai, War of the Worlds, and others.
In 2006 Tom Cruise earned three Razzie nominations, as worst actor for War of the Worlds and two of the five slots in a new Razzies category for most tiresome tabloid targets. Cruise was nominated there for his anti-psychiatry rant and for his very public romance with Katie Holmes. "He had been a very private person up until this past year," said Razzies founder John Wilson. "It certainly was a bizarre turn in terms of how he handles his personal life and the access that he gave the media to himself. The endless posing on the red carpet and just smooching like they were on the couch at home."
Popularity
In 1990, 1991 and 1997, People magazine rated him among the 50 most beautiful people in the world.[3] In 1995, Empire magazine ranked him among the 100 sexiest stars in film history.[4] Two years later, it ranked him among the top 5 movie stars of all time.[5] In 2002 and 2003, he was rated by Premiere among the top 20 in its annual Power 100 list.[6]
However, while most recognize Cruise's entitlement to freedom of religion, it seems his frequent controversial outbursts promoting Scientology and strong anti-psychiatry beliefs, combined with his unusually erratic behavior throughout 2005 (detailed below) may have led to a drop in his popularity. One survey for example, showed Cruise's popularity drop from 11th to 197th most liked celebrity over a six month period. [7]
Church of Scientology
Cruise is arguably Hollywood's most outspoken member of the controversial Church of Scientology. He became involved with the church in 1990 through his first wife, Mimi Rogers.[8]. Cruise has publicly said that Scientology, specifically the L. Ron Hubbard Scientology Study Tech, helped him to overcome his dyslexia. [9]
Since 2004, Cruise has talked more openly about Scientology and promoted its ideas, especially its rejection of psychiatric drugs, which was the subject of a heated argument with Matt Lauer on The Today Show on June 24, 2005.[9] At one point, Cruise lashed out at Lauer, telling him "You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do."
Another controversy erupted after he openly criticized actress Brooke Shields for using the drug Paxil, an anti-depressant, which Shields claims helped her recover from postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter in 2003; Brooke Shields subsequently described Cruise's comments as "irresponsible and dangerous". [10]
Shields responded by declaring that she "wouldn't take advice from someone who devotes his life to creatures from outer space", and that Cruise "should stick to saving the world from aliens and let women who are experiencing postpartum depression decide what treatment options are best for them". [11]
Shields also joked about the age difference between Cruise and Holmes, inviting the couple to come and see her in the London production of Chicago, in which she was then appearing, and noting that she would leave two tickets for them at the box office, "one adult and one child". [12]
Cruise also claimed in an Entertainment Weekly interview that psychiatry "is a Nazi science" and that methadone was actually originally called Adolophine after Adolf Hitler, a myth well-known as an urban legend. [13] In an interview with Der Spiegel magazine, Cruise claimed that "In Scientology, we have the only successful drug rehabilitation program in the world. It's called Narconon... It's a statistically proven fact that there is only one successful drug rehabilitation program in the world. Period". [14] While Narconon claims to have a success rate over 70% [15], the accuracy of this figure has been disputed. [16]
Recently Cruise has also been reported to have risen to one of the highest echelons of the Church of Scientology, known as "Operating Thetan Seven" or OT-VII [17], and it has been suggested that Cruise's increasing willingness to talk openly about Scientology may be a reflection of this. [18] Cruise's fiancée, Katie Holmes, has recently begun studying Scientology, which Cruise says does not conflict with her Roman Catholic upbringing. [19]
As of 2005, Tom Cruise has begun campaigning on behalf of the Church of Scientology before politicians and government officials around the world. Such advocacy does not go well in several European countries where this organization is considered to be a cult. As an example, on July 13th, 2005, the city council of Paris vowed "never to receive [before the council or the mayor] the actor Tom Cruise, spokesman for Scientology and self-declared militant for this organisation" [20] after his lobbying of Nicolas Sarkozy and Jean-Claude Gaudin, the mayor of Marseille, was mentioned. [21]
It has been alleged on FACTnet that Cruise's involvement in Scientology may be less than voluntary: "Tom Cruise became psychotic during a secret Scientology initiation in which one is told that rather than being one person, one is composed of thousands of aliens from all over the universe fighting for control of your body. After completing this initiation, known as OT III, Tom appeared sickly with black circles under his eyes and pasty skin. He said he wanted to be away from Scientology for good. He just wanted to go back to Hollywood and his home and be left alone by Scientology. This would not happen; David Miscavige ordered Cruise could not be let go. Scientology worked on Cruise day and night until he finally returned to Scientology." This quote was part of an interview with Scientology defector Jesse Prince. [22]
On March 13, 2006, Isaac Hayes quit the television show South Park, amidst a row concerning a controversial episode on Scientology. In November 2005, South Park satirised the Church of Scientology and its celebrity followers, including actors Tom Cruise and John Travolta, in a top-rated episode called "Trapped in the Closet." In the episode, Stan, one of the show's four mischievous fourth graders, is hailed as a reluctant savior by Scientology leaders, while a cartoon Cruise locks himself in a closet and won't come out. Dubbed 'Closetgate' by the Los Angeles Times, the controversy continued as Comedy Central, the channel that broadcasts South Park in the U.S., pulled the "Trapped in the Closet" episode at the last minute from a scheduled repeat on March 15, 2006. It was alleged that Cruise threatened Paramount with withdrawal from promotion of his latest film Mission Impossible 3 if the episode was broadcast. Viacom owns both Paramount and Comedy Central. Though Paramount and Cruise's representatives deny any threats, The Independent reports that "no one believes a word of it". Trey Parker and Matt Stone, in a typically satirical response, claimed to be "servants of Xenu" and declared that the "million-year war for Earth" had only just begun. The LA Times reported that, "For Stone and Parker, Closetgate will be the gift that keeps on giving." [23][24]
Relationships
Mimi Rogers
Cruise was married to Mimi Rogers (married on May 9, 1987, divorced February 4, 1990)[25]. Orchestrating this divorce was important to Scientology because Rogers was disaffected from Scientology (although she introduced Cruise to the religion in the first place [26]; in managing the divorce for Cruise, they were able to convince her to accept a relatively paltry $10 million for the settlement. [27]
Nicole Kidman
He later married Nicole Kidman (married on December 24, 1990, divorced August 8, 2001)[28]. He and Nicole Kidman adopted two children, Isabella (born 1993) and Connor (born 1995).[29] Cruise left Kidman three months pregnant, just shy of their 10 year wedding anniversary; she lost the child.[30]
Penélope Cruz
Cruise was next romantically linked with Penélope Cruz, the lead actress in his film Vanilla Sky. In March 2004, he announced that his relationship with Penélope Cruz had ended in January. Once again it was suggested that Scientology played a role in the relationship failing. [31]
Katie Holmes
In April 2005, Cruise began dating Katie Holmes, before announcing on 17 June 2005 that he had proposed to her at the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. [32] She accepted his proposal, and the couple are expected to be married in the summer or fall of 2006. Many say Cruise is going through his midlife crisis and that the relationship won't last, but all it doesn't seem likely the way Cruise is acting. Perhaps his most notable expression of his love for Holmes was the "couch incident" which took place on the popular talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show. Cruise and Holmes are also expecting a baby in 2006, which was rumoured to be the reason of Cruise's early proposal. [33].
Wikinews has news related to:
Tom Cruise debates psychiatry on Today show
Tom Cruise jumps ecstatically on Oprah's couch
On May 23, 2005, Cruise raised some eyebrows with an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show in which he — in the words of The New York Times — "jumped around the set, hopped onto a couch, fell rapturously to one knee and repeatedly professed his love for his new girlfriend." [n.b. This scene was parodied in Scary Movie 4.] Cruise's public image came under further scrutiny after a number of subsequent television interviews in which he was described as acting in an odd manner and espousing a number of controversial views. In his famous Matt Lauer interview, Cruise appeared tired and hostile when discussing psychiatry, which the Church of Scientology considers to be a harmful "pseudoscience". [34] He accused Lauer of being "glib" and insisted that there is "no such thing as a chemical imbalance", and that through "vitamins and exercise" a person's psychiatric problems can be cured. Noting that Katie Holmes was embracing Scientology, Lauer then asked Cruise if he could be with someone who wasn't a Scientologist. He replied: "It's something you don't understand. You can be a Christian and be a Scientologist. It is a religion in that it deals with the spirit, you as a spiritual being." [35]
This short, yet very public love affair took a dramatic turn when Cruise and Holmes got engaged in Paris [36] while on a world publicity tour for their two most recent movies (War of the Worlds for Cruise, and Batman Begins for Holmes). War of the Worlds director Steven Spielberg indicated that he was frustrated by media coverage of Cruise's relationship during promotion of the film, though he believed it to be genuine. [37] On October 5, 2005, it was reported by People magazine that Holmes is pregnant. Cruise came under fire from various medical professionals after he bought a sonogram machine to monitor his baby. The American College of Radiology claims that overuse or misuse of the medical equipment is unnecessary and could be harmful to the baby's health, and that it may be illegal to own. [38] The birth would be Holmes' first child and Cruise's first paternal child; Cruise has two adopted children: Connor Antony (born January 17, 1995) and Isabella Jane (born December 22, 1992) from his marriage to Nicole Kidman.[39]
Cruise's behavior in recent interviews and his very public romance with Katie Holmes led him to become the butt of numerous jokes on late night television shows such as Late Night with Conan O'Brien. [40] The jokes commonly referred to Cruise being insane or parody the Lauer interview.
Speculation has been rampant in the press that the very public affair and engagement were merely designed to promote their then upcoming movies, War of the Worlds and Batman Begins. A poll in People found that 62 per cent of readers believed the Cruise-Holmes affair was merely a publicity stunt [41].
Concern has also been voiced about Holmes and her relationship to Scientology. Roger Friedman of the Fox News Channel claimed that Katie Holmes disappeared for sixteen days in April when even her own family did not know where she was [42].
Allegedly, the last time she had been seen, Holmes had flown to meet with Tom Cruise for a possible role in Mission Impossible 3. When she re-appeared, Holmes stated she was in love with Tom Cruise and studying Scientology. The actress then fired her long-time manager and agent and acquired a new "best friend", Jessica Rodriguez, a prominent member of the Church of Scientology described as part of its "royalty". Rodriguez has been referred to as Holmes' Scientology "minder" as she follows the actress everywhere (literally, including the bathroom) and openly tells Holmes what to say during interviews [43]. The reports have led to claims Holmes has been coerced or brainwashed into marrying Cruise and promoting Scientology. Fans of the actress have established a web-site, Free Katie, promoting this theory, the site claiming to be "devoted to rescuing sweet Katie from the clutches of the mad scientologist Tom Cruise!"
In February 2006 an article in Life & Style magazine reported that Cruise and Holmes were splitting up, but keeping up a public pretense until the Spring (when the birth of their child will roughly coincide with the release of Mission Impossible 3, Cruise's next film). Arnold Robinson, a publicist for the couple, denied there any truth to the story. A representative for Life & Style magazine responded, "We stand 100 percent behind our story", and claims it has been verified by not one, but two anonymous friends of Cruise. [44]
Litigation
Express newspaper — During his marriage to actress Nicole Kidman, the couple endured public speculation about their sex life and rumors that Cruise was gay. In 1998, he sued a British tabloid that alleged that the marriage was a sham designed to cover up his homosexuality.[10]
Chad Slater — In May 2001 he filed a lawsuit against gay porn actor Chad Slater (aka Kyle Bradford). Slater had allegedly told the celebrity magazine Actustar that he had engaged in an affair with Cruise. Both Slater and Cruise denied this, and in August 2001 Slater was ordered to pay $10 million to Cruise in damages.[11]
Michael Davis — He also sued Michael Davis, a magazine publisher, who alleged that he had photographs that would prove Tom Cruise was homosexual: this suit was dropped in exchange for a public statement by Davis that Tom Cruise was heterosexual.[12]
South Park — In January 2006, Cruise reportedly threatened to sue Paramount Comedy 1, a British television station, if an episode of South Park depicting Cruise unfavorably were to be aired.[13][14] The episode has Nicole Kidman saying to Cruise, "Don't you think this has gone on long enough? It's time for you to come out of the closet. You're not fooling anyone.". This episode screened in Australia on February 20 2006 on SBS. Cruise has also reportedly forced the American cable network Comedy Central not to air a rerun of this episode, threatening to stop promoting Mission Impossible 3 if it is shown again. Though they denied that Cruise influenced their programming decisions, Comedy Central did not air the episode.
Wiretapping investigation
On March 17, 2006, the "Page Six" gossip column in the New York Post reported that Cruise's former wife Nicole Kidman was questioned by the FBI as part of the ongoing Pellicano wiretap investigation. Telephone voice recordings of Kidman speaking to Cruise were found when authorities first raided Pellicano's offices in 2002.
The tapes were allegedly made in 2001, shortly after Kidman and former husband Cruise announced they were separating. Cruise used lawyer Dennis Wasser to negotiate his separation, and Wasser regularly retained Pellicano's services. Although he has not been charged in the case, Wasser has been told by the FBI he is a "person of interest."[45][46]
Cruise's personal attorney Bertram Fields has also been repeatedly connected to the same wiretapping investigation.
Publicist
Cruise's more open attitude to Scientology has been attributed to the departure of his publicist of 14 years, Pat Kingsley, in March 2004. He replaced her with his sister, fellow Scientologist Lee Anne DeVette, who served in that role until November 2005 [47]. He then demoted his sister and replaced her with veteran publicist Paul Bloch, from the publicity firm Rogers and Cowan. Such restructuring is seen as a move to curtail publicity about his Scientology views, as well as the hard-sell of the Tom/Kat relationship backfiring with the public [48], [49]. DeVette explained that it was her decision to work on philanthropic projects rather than publicity[50].
Children
Cruise recently discussed his bi-racial adopted son on the TV talk show with Oprah Winfrey. Oprah asked Cruise if the issue of his son's race was ever discussed in the household. Cruise responded, "We're from the human race, human kind,". "I mean, what's there to talk about? He's my son. Listen, that's just how I feel about it. He's my son. I've never thought about color, race, I just have not thought about that." [51]
Selected filmography
All salaries are reported by IMDB source. They do not account for inflation.
1981
Endless Love
Billy
1981
Taps
Cadet Captain David Shawn
1983
The Outsiders
Steve Randle
1983
Losin' It
Woody
1983
Risky Business
Joel Goodson
$75,000
1983
All the Right Moves
Stef
1985
Legend
Jack O' The Green
1986
Top Gun
Lt. Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell
$2,000,000
1986
The Color of Money
Vincent Lauria
1988
Cocktail
Brian Flanagan
1988
Young Guns
Cowboy
uncredited cameo
1988
Rain Man
Charlie Babbitt
$3,000,000 % of gross
1989
Born on the Fourth of July
Ron Kovic
Academy Award Nomination - Best Actor
1990
Days of Thunder
Cole Trickle
1992
Far and Away
Joesph Donnelly
$13,000,000
1992
A Few Good Men
Lt. Daniel Kaffee
1993
The Firm
Mitch McDeere
1994
Interview With A Vampire
Lestat de Lioncourt
$15,000,000
1996
Mission: Impossible
Ethan Hunt
$70,000,000 (gross participation)
1996
Jerry Maguire
Jerry Maguire
Academy Award Nomination - Best Actor
$20,000,000 against 15%
1999
Eyes Wide Shut
Bill Harford
$20,000,000
1999
Magnolia
Frank T.J. Mackey
Academy Award Nomination - Best Supporting Actor
2000
Mission: Impossible II
Ethan Hunt
$75,000,000 (gross participation)
2001
Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures
Narrator
2001
Vanilla Sky
David Aames
also producer
$20,000,000 30% of profits
2002
Space Station 3D
Narrator
2002
Minority Report
John Anderton
$25,000,000
2002
Austin Powers in Goldmember
Himself
cameo
2003
The Last Samurai
Nathan Algren
also producer
$25,000,000 % of profits
2004
Collateral
Vincent
2005
War of the Worlds
Ray Ferrier
Razzie Nomination - Worst Actor
20% profit participation
2006
Mission: Impossible III
Ethan Hunt
also producer
$75,000,000
Worldwide film grosses
These figures do not account for inflation.
War of the Worlds $587,170,495
Mission Impossible II $545,547,560
Mission Impossible $467,000,000
The Last Samurai $456,710,575
Rain Man $412,800,000
Top Gun $344,700,000
Minority Report $342,000,000
Jerry Maguire $274,000,000
The Firm $262,292,525
A Few Good Men $236,500,000
Interview with the Vampire $221,300,000
Collateral $216,770,152
Vanilla Sky $202,726,605
See boxofficemojo.com. Figures are subject to minor adjustments (usually upwards) when studios release revised official figures, which sometimes occurs years after first release.
Other work
Tom Cruise co-hosted the annual Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway with Oprah Winfrey in 2004.
See also
Anti-psychiatry
Chemical imbalance theory
Church of Scientology
Homosexuality and Scientology
"Jumping the couch"
References
↑ Tom Cruise at the Internet Movie Database
↑ Tom Cruise at the Notable Names Database
↑ Ancestry of Tom Cruise: Fourth Generation
↑ Dreyfous-Kahrs-Thomas-Hamilton Family
↑ A Few Good Men (1992) at The Internet Movie Database
↑ Eyes Wide Shut (1999) at The Internet Movie Database
↑ Collateral (2004) at The Internet Movie Database
↑ Cruise/Wagner Productions [us] at the Internet Movie Database
↑ "In tense moment, Cruise calls Lauer 'glib'", MSNBC.COM. (June 28, 2005)
↑ Cruise and Kidman win libel case - BBC News
↑ Cruise wins 'gay' claims legal battle - BBC News
↑ Cruise gay claims dropped - BBS News
↑ Tom Cruise kills South Park episode - The Register
↑ South Park's Tom Cruise episode axed
"Actor Tom Cruise Opens Up about his Beliefs in the Church of Scientology", SPIEGEL Online. (April 27, 2005)
Shields, Brooke. "War of Words", New York Times. (July 1, 2005)
"Cruise Leaves Big Tip For Accident Victim", NBC4 TV. (December 17, 2004)
"Tom Cruise Says Scientology Helped with Learning Disability", beliefnet / Associated Press. (July 11, 2003)
Gonzales, Luis. "New Church of Scientology Opens in Madrid", beliefnet.
"Cruise lobbies over Scientology". BBC News. (January 30, 2002)
"Tom Cruise buys sonogram machine to watch baby". (November 25, 2005)
"Tom & Katie Expecting a Baby". People magazine. (October 5, 2005)
