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in Beverly Hills, California ]] Tom Cruise (born '''Thomas Cruise Mapother IV''' on July 3 , 1962 ) is an Academy Award -nominated and Golden Globe Award -winning American Actor and Film Producer who has starred in a number of top-grossing Movie s and remains one of the most successful Movie Star s in the World . His first leading Role in a Blockbuster movie was in 1983 's '' Risky Business ''. Since then, he has received additional media coverage regarding his support of Scientology (and his related criticism of Psychiatry ), and his relationship with Katie Holmes . ANCESTRY AND EARLY LIFE Cruise was born to Thomas Mapother III and Mary Lee Pfeiffer in Syracuse, New York . IMDB, "Cruise's Family Tree Treat" . Cruise has , Louisville, Glen Ridge, New Jersey (where he graduated from Glen Ridge High School ) and Wayne, New Jersey . In all, Cruise attended eight elementary schools and three high schools. He briefly attended a Franciscan Seminary in Cincinnati and aspired to become a Catholic Priest . It was recently brought forth that Cruise had suffered from child abuse when he was younger. He stated that when something went wrong, his father came down hard on him. He told Parade Magazine that his father was "a bully and a coward" and "a merchant of chaos". Cruise said he learned early on that his father was not to be trusted. CNN report about Parade Magazine article . Cruise became interested in acting 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. While in high school Cruise was also a member of Key Club International the world's largest youth oriented, high school service organization. HOLLYWOOD Acting career 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 Icon ic 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 '' (1996) and '' Jerry Maguire '' (1996), he also had a very small role in Spy Kids: 3D. 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 . 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). 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 this role, Cruise portrays 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 '', '' Minority Report '' and others. However, in the 2004 action thriller film '' Collateral '', Cruise combated these good-guy stereotypes with his surprising turn as gray-haired hitman with a killer smile, Vincent, who hijacks the cab to be transported to five hits on one night. His trademark smile and handling guns took a 180-degree turn for an unlikable character, opposite his good-guy characters. In the previous year. "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." Cruise sometimes performs his own stunts (such as in "The Last Samurai"). Producing career Cruise teamed with producer '' ( 1996 ), '' Vanilla Sky '' ( 2001 ), and '' The Last Samurai '' ( 2003 ). The company also co-produced '' The Others '' (2001). Tom Cruise is noted as having negotiated some of the most lucrative movie deals in Hollywood, and was described in 2005 by Hollywood economist Edward Jay Epstein as "one of the most powerful - and richest - forces in Hollywood". Epstein argues that Cruise is one of the few producers (the others being George Lucas , Steven Spielberg and Jerry Bruckheimer ) who are regarded as able to guarantee the success of a billion-dollar movie franchise. Epstein also contends that the public obsession with Cruise's tabloid controversies obscures full appreciation of Cruise's exceptional commercial prowess in the industry {Link without Title} . POPULARITY In 1990, 1991 and 1997, '' People '' magazine rated him among the 50 most Beautiful people in the world. In 1995 , '' Empire '' magazine ranked him among the 100 sexiest stars in film history. Two years later, it ranked him among the top 5 movie stars of all time. In 2002 and 2003, he was rated by '' Premiere '' among the top 20 in its annual Power 100 list. His frequent controversial outbursts promoting the Church of Scientology and his Scientology-based 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. [http://www.geniusinsight.com/news_oct05.html#cruise] RELATIONSHIPS Mimi Rogers Cruise was married to Mimi Rogers (married on May 9 , 1987 , divorced February 4 , 1990 ). Scientology took interest in the divorce because Rogers was disaffected from Scientology (although she introduced Cruise to the religion in the first place); in managing the divorce for Cruise, they were able to convince her to accept a relatively paltry $10 million for the settlement. {Link without Title} . Nicole Kidman Cruise met Nicole Kidman on the set of their film '' Days Of Thunder ''. The couple married on December 24 , 1990 and divorced on August 8 , 2001 . He and Kidman adopted two children, Isabella (born 1993) and Connor (born 1995). Cruise left Kidman three months pregnant, just shy of their 10 year wedding anniversary; she lost the child {Link without Title} . Reportedly, Kidman refused to explore Scientology and remained Catholic during their marriage. 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. It was suggested that Scientology played a role in the relationship failing. {Link without Title} Katie Holmes In April . On ''. April 18 , 2006 . CONTROVERSY Scientology Cruise is arguably Hollywood's most outspoken member of the Seven" or OT-VII Tom Cruise - Involvement in Scientology Scientology Lies, and it has been suggested that Cruise's increasing willingness to talk openly about Scientology may be a reflection of this. Tom Cruise and the Church of Scientology Spiegel A controversy erupted in 2005 after he openly criticized actress . (June 28, 2005) Brooke Shields responded to Cruise's comments as "irresponsible and dangerous" Brooke & Tom's War of the Words E online. Cruise has publicly said that Scientology, specifically the L. Ron Hubbard Scientology Study Tech, helped him overcome his Cruise also claimed in an '' philosophies from Dr. Thomas Szasz , a leading critic of the moral and scientific foundations of psychiatry. American University Mental Health Expert Can Discuss Tom Cruise and “War of the Words” American University News 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, after it was learned that he lobbied Nicolas Sarkozy and Jean-Claude Gaudin (the mayor of Marseille ), the city council of Paris vowed "never to receive the council or the mayor the actor Tom Cruise, spokesman for Scientology and self-declared militant for this organisation" Paris snubs Scientology 'militant' Cruise Irish Examiner Tom Cruise ne sera pas citoyen d'honneur de Paris (In French) On '' if the episode was broadcast. Viacom owns both Paramount and Comedy Central. Paramount and Cruise's representatives denied any threats. 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." South Park declares war on Tom Cruise The Independent Concern has also been voiced about Holmes and her relationship to , a prominent member of the Church of Scientology. {Link without Title} 2005 Oprah appearance 's couch]] Cruise has indulged in over-the-top media-friendly expressions of his deep love for Holmes, most notably the " parodied the incident a week later on Jimmy Kimmel, professing his love for Katie Holmes with a home-made tattoo on his back (A photograph affixed with tape) and going all the way to the female restroom to get her. Litigation
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." {Link without Title} {Link without Title} Cruise's personal attorney Bertram Fields has also been repeatedly connected to the same wiretapping investigation. Publicist Cruise's more open attitude to , 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 {Link without Title} , {Link without Title} . DeVette explained that it was her decision to work on philanthropic projects rather than publicity {Link without Title} . Miscellaneous In April 2005, Cruise began dating Katie Holmes. This very public love affair took a dramatic turn when Cruise and Holmes got engaged in Paris {Link without Title} while on a world publicity tour for their two most recent movies ('' 1995 ) and Isabella Jane (born December 22 1992 ) from his marriage to Nicole Kidman. 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 ''. {Link without Title} The jokes commonly referred to Cruise being insane or parody the Lauer interview. 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 being any truth to the story. A representative for ''Life & Style'' magazine responded, "We stand 100 percent behind our story", and claimed it had been verified by two anonymous friends of Cruise. {Link without Title} In an April 2006 interview with '', Cruise joked about the comments and said he wasn't really going to eat it. {Link without Title} {Link without Title} {Link without Title} SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY All salaries are reported by IMDB source. They do not account for inflation. WORLDWIDE FILM GROSSES :''These figures do not account for inflation.'' 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
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