In 2006, actor Tom Cruise was named
Forbes magazine’s most powerful celebrity, with three Golden Globe Awards, three Academy Award nominations, and an average paycheck of over $60 million dollars a film. The actor’s flair for dramatic intensity – paired with his on-screen charisma and boyishly handsome smile – were the stuff of bona fide movie stars, harkening back to the matinee idols of Hollywood's Golden Age. He had come a long way since 1983’s “Risky Business,” when his exuberant fit of dancing in his boxer shorts made film history. That underwear-clad breakout ignited a career which rapidly bypassed the teen arena and his fellow actors of the time – especially after the release of the testosterone-injected film "Top Gun” (1986). Not only did Cruise become the sex symbol du jour with his shirtless portrayal of Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, he inspired a whole generation of young boys to want to become elite Navy fighter pilots. Despite a few missteps such as “Cocktail” (1988) and “Days of Thunder” (1990), Cruise proved the critical naysayers wrong when be began nailing performances of real depth in films like “The Color of Money”(1986), “Rain Man” (1988) and “Born on the Fourth of July” (1989). Audiences of both genders flocked to see him play the hotshot-on-the-brink-of-transformation in “The Firm” (1993) and “Jerry Maguire” (1996), as well as the polished hero of the “Mission Impossible” franchise and “War of the Worlds” (2005). Cruise’s appeal survived even critically reviled films, with mainstream moviegoers flocking to artful outings like Stanley Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut” (1997) and Cameron Crowe’s surreal “Vanilla Sky” (2001) simply because the name above the title was Tom Cruise. But after over a 20-year-run of great professional success – as well as an admired coupling with wife Nicole Kidman – the worlds most bankable star hit a rough patch – to say the least – after a run of high-profile antics turned him into consistent tabloid fodder. Following a brutal divorce from Kidman and a head-scratching hook-up with Spanish actress Penelope Cruz, his Scientology-backed attack on actress Brooke Shields’ pharmaceutical treatment of post-partum depression was followed by uncharacteristically showy pronouncements of love for another unlikely girlfriend, Katie Holmes. In one unfortunate moment – jumping on Oprah Winfrey’s couch to proclaim his sudden love for Holmes – Cruise became a late night talk show punchline literally overnight. The media circus culminated with a “South Park” (Comedy Central, 1997- ) episode skewering his supposed sexual orientation and the severing of ties by longtime studio partner Paramount who unceremoniously and very publicly dumped him, citing his eccentric behavior in the press of late. Ever focused and diligent, Cruise rebounded to become head of MGM’s UA Films, though it remained to be seen whether his stint in PR hell would have a long-lasting effect on his status as the biggest film star of his generation. Thomas Cruise Mapother IV was born on July 3, 1962, the only son of a hardscrabble family that would grow to include three sisters. Mapother III was an electrical engineer, abusive and prone to losing his jobs, which forced the family to move several times a year to look for work. Cruise was born in Syracuse but lived in Louisville, KY; Winnetka, IL; and Ottawa, Ontario, before his mother finally had enough of her “bullying” husband. She left Mapother (and his last name) in 1974 and took her children back to her hometown of Louisville. Cruise was enrolled in a total of 15 schools during his nearly 12 years of education, and his constant outsider status – coupled with a diagnosis of the then little understood disorder, dyslexia – made school life a constant challenge. His mother worked three jobs to support a family of preteens, with many a Christmas coming and going without presents. Her determination to survive rubbed off on her hard-working kids, and her future movie star son would often cite her as the source of his belief that he could make any kind of life for himself that he chose. Cruise spent his freshman year at a seminary boarding school in Cincinnati, OH on a scholarship. Despite appreciating the respite of stability he received at the seminary, however, he concluded that the priesthood was not for him. He settled with his mother and new stepfather in Glen Ridge, NJ, and started to make a go of it as an athlete at his new school – that is, until he suffered a knee injury during a wrestling match. In response to being sidelined, Cruise turned to the drama department, having been a lifelong movie fanatic and the family comedian. He was a natural, appearing in school productions of “Guys and Dolls” and “Godspell,” and with can-do determination, Cruise dispensed with high school during his senior year; instead heading straight to New York in 1980, where he got a job as a busboy and began hitting the audition circuit. Still reeling from the 18-year whirlwind that was his life up to that time, Cruise’s intensity and hunger for success left an overwhelming impression on commercial casting agents looking for fresh-faced, non-threatening teens to repre
sent their products. Within a year, the peripatetic Cruise was in Los Angeles, where he met Paula Wagner, an agent at Creative Artists Agency, who would subsequently guide his film career. After making his feature debut in a small role in the notorious Brooke Shields vehicle "Endless Love" (1981), Cruise gained attention for a supporting role as an increasingly lunatic gung-ho cadet in "Taps" (1981). He had originally been cast in a small three-line role in the film, but the director was so taken with his intensity, that he bumped Cruise up to a more visible role alongside stars Sean Penn and Timothy Hutton. In 1983, a mere three years after bussing tables, Cruise fully burst onto the scene with four major studio Hollywood features. His rough and tumble roots took hold as one in a pack of “greasers” in Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Outsiders,” a melodramatic adaptation, but memorable for its gaggle of up-and-coming heartthrobs like Rob Lowe, Matt Dillon, and Patrick Swayze. Cautious not to limit her client to typecasting as an angry rebel, Cruise’s agent focused on his athleticism and boyish charisma with a role opposite "older woman" Shelly Long in "Losin' It" (1983), a middling teen coming-of-age comedy. “Risky Business” (1983), however, turned Cruise into an overnight sensation. In his portrayal of an anxious, affluent, suburban teen poised precariously on the brink of young adulthood, Cruise created a resonant protagonist for young Reagan-era audiences. He even put on some extra pounds to emphasize the softness and vulnerability of the character who flirts with illicit capitalism. In his star-making scene, Cruise, clad in a button-down Oxford shirt, boxer shorts, and Wayfarer sunglasses, played air guitar and danced wildly to Bob Seger's anthem, "Old Time Rock 'n' Roll." Audiences lapped it up, the Golden Globe awards recognized him with a nomination, and it was enough to woo co-star Rebecca De Mornay, who embarked on a two-plus year relationship with the breakout star. Cruise performed well in a more naturalistic mode in "All the Right Moves" (1983), a sober high school football drama which pitted him against hot-headed coach Craig T. Nelson, and fared modestly at the box office – a brief full frontal nudity shot a la Cruise did not hurt returns either. His next move was not as wise for a growing sex symbol – growing his hair long and donning green tights for Ridley Scott's colossal fantasy flop, "Legend" (1985). Already ready to break the mold, however, Cruise solidified his star status and established his onscreen persona with one of the signature hits of the 1980s – and possibly, the film most heavily identified with him – “Top Gun" (1986). With flying sequences edited to the rhythms of pop tunes, the film functioned as both a Navy recruiting ad and a glossy romantic adventure between Lt. Maverick and his Top Gun instructor, Charlie (Kelly McGillis). No longer the engaging boy-next-door, Cruise's Maverick was a prototype for Cruise roles to come – a cocky loner who plays by his own rules, confronts a crisis, then is triumphantly transformed with his success. While “Risky Business” might have made him a star – it was “Top Gun” that made him the biggest movie star in the world. Cruise selected his next roles and planned his career carefully, teaming with talented directors and co-stars for "The Color of Money" (1986) and "Rain Man" (1988). The former – Martin Scorsese's sharply made, nicely textured sequel to 1961's "The Hustler" – cast him as a talented but arrogant small-time pool hotshot; a younger, greener version of Paul Newman's Fast Eddie Felsen. They made an eclectic pair, with Cruise's boisterous All-American boy versus Newman's seasoned con man, and though the old stud picked up the Best Actor Oscar, he was clearly passing the mantle to the new stud. Off screen, the actor fell in love and married actress Mimi Rogers in what was seen as an odd pairing, not only due to the couple’s age difference. The marriage lasted less than three years (1987-1990) but Rogers’ legacy lived on in Cruise’s lifetime affiliation with Scientology, to which he was introduced by the actress. In 1988, Cruise broadened his serious dramatic credentials with director Barry Levinson’s "Rain Man," playing another self-centered hotshot who begrudgingly forges a relationship with his autistic brother (Dustin Hoffman), only to find it changes his entire outlook on life. Hoffman shone as the idiot savant and again, a Cruise co-star took home the Oscar, but Cruise was equally important to the Oscar-winning Best Picture equation and Hoffman pointed this out to anyone who would listen. Time spent working with the politically-active Newman on “The Color of Money” had had a profound consciousness-raising effect on Cruise, who next chose Oliver Stone's anti-war "Born on the Fourth of July" (1989) to counter his contribution to the jingoistic "Top Gun." For Stone's "Fourth of July,” he earned a Golden Globe win and an Oscar nomination for a hard-hitting portrayal of paraplegic Vietnam veteran activist Ron Kovic. When he did not pick up the gold statue, many people believed he had been robbed. Cruise stumbled a bit with his next two projects, though "Days of Thunder" (1990) introduced him to the next love of his life, Nicole Kidman, and inaugurated a long-term association with screenwriter Robert Towne. Scalded by critics, it still raked in $166 million worldwide, and in December of 1990 the co-stars were married, making the then unkn
own Aussie actress a star overnight. But there was no upside to "Far and Away" (1992), a goofy period romance also co-starring Kidman. Cruise returned to box office clover by successfully confronting an iconic Jack Nicholson in Rob Reiner's court-martial drama, "A Few Good Men" (1992). Cruise's wunderkind lawyer bent on toppling his corrupt bosses in "The Firm" (1993) could have been a brother to his character in "A Few Good Men.” Despite a stellar supporting cast (Gene Hackman, Hal Holbrook, Holly Hunter), he carried the smooth adaptation of John Grisham's giant bestseller, tackling the deceptively difficult character with a vibrancy that led to box office success. Director Sydney Pollack and scriptwriters Towne, David Rabe, and David Rayfiel brought a few extra plot twists and added dramatic and ethical complexity to the attractive and entertaining tale. The same year, Cruise and his agent Paula Wagner formed Cruise/Wagner productions in an effort to garner the actor more creative and financial control over his projects. The production company negotiated an exclusive partnership with Paramount Pictures – a rarity at that time. Cruise raised eyebrows – and more than a few hackles – by accepting the central role of the vampire Lestat in Neil Jordan's "Interview with the Vampire" (1994). Many balked at the idea of the All-American go-getter playing the decadent, ambisexual European predator of Anne Rice's novel. Rice herself was the harshest critic, as she traveled about the country trashing the casting decision while on a book tour. Sporting blond locks and blue contact lenses over his green eyes, Cruise eventually won Rice's approval, and the film earned mixed reviews while doing brisk business. In 1996, Cruise/Wagner Productions rolled out their first feature, the post-Cold War espionage "Mission: Impossible" (1996). Based on the nostalgic 1960s TV show, the project had languished in various development hells before Cruise got involved, and rumors abounded of his clashing with director Brian De Palma over budgetary and story matters. Nonetheless, despite international location shooting, high-tech stunts, computer-generated visual effects and last-minute re-writes by an assortment of writers (including Towne again), "Mission: Impossible" came in on time and under budget at approximately $67 million, with Cruise deferring his $20 million actor's salary. Though many critics deemed it an extravagant but cold vanity production with a confusing storyline, most admired the cinematic technique, and the mixed reviews did not inhibit ticket buyers, proving the actor could attract crowds to a movie that did not even have to entirely make sense. The man could essentially do not wrong. The sweetly offbeat romantic comedy "Jerry Maguire" (1996), in which he played the shallow, back-stabbing sports agent, provided a sort of mid-career breakthrough for Cruise. For years he had portrayed irresistible smoothies, turning the world on with his smile while piloting fighter jets and driving race cars. Though it was a classic Cruise performance, bursting with the usual cocky charm and charisma, there was an added dimension of desperation and a new maturity to his screen persona. He had played characters who were up against the ropes before, but perhaps never so convincingly. Here was a slickster whose powers had failed him, exposing a seldom seen vulnerability which made his character’s eventual comeback that much sweeter. This time, the critics and moviegoers reached consensus, and Cruise garnered a Golden Globe win and his second Best Actor Academy Award nomination. Three years would pass before he returned to the screen – though in 1998, he and Wagner produced "Without Limits," screenwriter Towne's biopic about fabled long distance runner Steve Prefontaine (Billy Crudup). Cruise took himself out of the blockbuster game at the height of his career to work on a series of riskier, more artful ventures, beginning with the legendary director Stanley Kubrick’s "Eyes Wide Shut,” in which he starred opposite his wife for the first time since "Far and Away." The couple relished their time working with the cinematic genius who was known for his perfectionist, obsessive filmmaking vision. Little did they or anyone else know that the erotic thriller would be Kubrick’s final work. The film was controversial for its sexual content, requiring editing to achieve an NC-17 rating in the U.S. Despite the fact that critics were divided over its merit, "Eyes Wide Shut" was a significant notch in Cruise's artistic belt and well worth the tens of millions of dollars he gave up as the 18-week shoot ballooned to 52 weeks over 15 months. Following the arduous shoot and mixed reaction to "Eyes Wide Shut," Cruise took on a pivotal role in Paul Thomas Anderson's ensemble drama, "Magnolia" (1999). Playing a cocky sex guru who runs seminars designed to empower men, the actor offered a charismatic turn that was alternately chilling and humorous and earned him another Golden Globe win and Oscar nomination. Cruise segued back to leading parts in more mainstream work, reprising his heroic role as Ethan Hunt in the big-budget, special effects laden "Mission Impossible: 2" (2000), directed by John Woo. The international espionage thriller centered around the containment of a deadly virus and grossed over $420 million dollars. With the actor’s lucrative production deal, he enjoyed a $75 million pay day. Next, Cruise reunited with Crowe for a remake of the perception-bending Spanish film, "Abre los ojos" (1997). It was during the making of that film, titled "Vanilla Sky" (2001), that Cruise endured a very public and acrimonious split from Kidman as he entered into a relationship with "Vanilla Sky" co-star Penelope Cruz. Cruise and Kidman later amicably worked out their divorce battles for their two adopted children's sake, but to say the initial split was not bitter would be way off, with Cruise simply stating “Nic knows what she did” as his explanation for divorce just shy of 10 years of marriage. "Vanilla Sky" opened to mixed reviews, seen as a competent and often compelling puzzle with a somewhat unsatisfying endgame. Cruise's performance as a successful publisher who finds his life taking a turn for the surreal after a car accident with an obsessive lover, was seen as appropriately intense, but perhaps a little over-the-top in his efforts to subvert his pretty boy looks with Hollywood-made scars. He returned to his more familiar, heroic territory with Spielberg’s "Minority Report" (2002), a crackerjack collaboration filled with skillful action sequences and a thought-provoking expansion of sci-fi author Phillip K. Dick's premise of a future where police use precognitives to prevent murders before they happen. Playing Detective John Anderton, the head of the special unit who finds himself the subject of a manhunt after the psychics predict that he will commit a murder, Cruise was in top form on the run from his own officers. And as usual, Cruise insisted on doing almost all of his own stunts, lending even more authenticity to his action star status. Cruise turned in one of his more nuanced performances for director Ed Zwick in "The Last Samurai" (2003), playing Capt. Nathan Algren, an alcoholic veteran of Custer's battles with Native Americans who travels to Japan to help Westernize the Imperial army, only to be captured by a rebellious samurai leader (Ken Watanabe). He eventually embraces the ways of the bushido code, finding his lost honor along the way. Although the film followed the slightly patronizing white-man-embraces-and-improves-indigenous culture template, Cruise's initial anguish and subsequent reclaiming of his soul was skillfully and subtly conveyed by the actor, earning him a Golden Globe nomination. His hot streak continued unabated with another of his finest roles, the cold-hearted assassin Vincent, who hijacks a good-hearted L.A. cabbie (Jamie Foxx) to drive him on his deadly rounds in "Collateral" (2004). Wearing a grey wig and beard stubble, Cruise used his trademark intensity to his advantage in a rare villainous role, while his inherent charm also gave the character a compelling quality. In 2005, Cruise's personal life began to overshadow his professional career in a PR nightmare that would taint the leading man’s reputation for years to come. After breaking things off with Penelope Cruz, for better or worse, he replaced his publicist of 14 years, Pat Kingsley, with his older sister Lee Anne DeVette, an active Scientologist. Since 1990, Cruise had been a proponent of the often mysterious, Hollywood-based Church of Scientology founded by science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard, having credited his studies there with "curing" him of the dyslexia, among other benefits. But Cruise’s affiliation was generally accepted as a movie star eccentricity – that is, until he used his faith to back an attack on "Endless Love" co-star Brooke Shields, who had recently released a biography that described taking antidepressants to relieve her post-partum depression. Based on the Scientology belief that psychiatry is a “pseudo science” that “kills,” Cruise publicly criticized Shields and suggested that vitamins would have been a suitable treatment for her diagnosis. Shields – not to mention legions of mothers, mental illness sufferers and the psychiatric community – were outraged. The incident was followed by a curiously timed announcement that Cruise and actress Katie Holmes – who was 16 years younger and three inches taller than Cruise – were madly in love – though neither could give a direct answer to just when they had met and how long before declaring undying love to one another. Cruise’s uncharacteristically animated antics and the couple's often unconvincing physical interaction fueled speculations that the romance was a massive publicity stunt, intended to offset the Brooke blunder and highlight the stars’ upcoming summer film releases – Cruise, the Steven Spielberg-directed "War of the Worlds;" Holmes, "Batman Begins." Cruise made a bizarre appearance on Oprah Winfrey's talk show to proclaim his love for Holmes, jumping on the host's furniture and dragging a seemingly reluctant Holmes before the cameras. Holmes, who had been quoted years earlier as saying that as a girl she dreamed of marrying Cruise, presented Cruise with a career achievement award on the MTV Movie Awards. Both appeared separately before David Letterman to further spin their love story. By all accounts, it was showy, uncharacteristic behavior for the actor who had a highly professional reputation onscreen and off. Rumors persisted that Holmes was one of several actresses who had basically auditioned for the role of Cruise girlfriend, in exchange for instant A-list ascension. There was no denying the speed with which the relationship took off – what with meeting in April 2005 and marriage proposal in June. The hard sell of how much “in love” they were with one another, effectively backfired with a very skeptical public. Much to the dismay of everyone involved with “War of the Worlds” – particularly Spielberg, who knew focus was no longer on his film; but more his star’s latest public hijinks – Cruise continued to defend his attack on Brooke Shields in a sharply worded exchange with "Today Show" co-host Matt Lauer. During the infamous exchange in which he continually called Lauer “glib,” he aggressively derided psychiatry as a "pseudo-science," provoking a formal rebuke from the American Psychiatric Association. Around the same time he was also reportedly instrumental in opening up the secretive church and inviting journalists to sample its practices. Holmes began taking Scientology courses, and suspiciously dumped her Hollywood handlers in favor of his. Nearly lost in all of Cruise's public appearances was the release of "War of the Worlds" (2005), the fourth film adaptation of the classic H.G. Wells story. A mostly masterful exercise in cinematic suspense and terror, the film was buoyed by a strong performance by Cruise as Ray Ferrier, a working class deadbeat dad who must protect his two children during a horrific alien invasion. In spite of the media brouhaha (or perhaps
because of it) “War of the Worlds” was Cruise’s top grossing film to date at over $590 million dollars worldwide. The media saturation lasted beyond the run of the summer blockbuster, especially when it was announced in October that Holmes was pregnant with his child. In November, Paul Bloch replaced DeVette as Cruise’s publicist, and though the move was reportedly made to enable his sister to focus on managing her brother’s philanthropic affairs, it was perceived as damage control in light of the hit Cruise’s image had taken since her installment. For a spell, Cruise’s outlandishness seemed quelled until an episode of the animated series “South Park” (Comedy Central, 1997-), which satirized Scientology and made not-so-veiled jokes questioning Cruise’s sexuality – a persistent rumor that had dogged the actor since he sued several parties in 1998 and 2001 for publishing allegations of his homosexuality. Under pressure from its parent company Paramount – also Cruise/Wagner Productions parent company – Comedy Central yanked the episode after only one airing, lead some to speculate that Cruise exerted his star power behind the scenes—an assertion that was publicly denied. Matt Stone and Trey Parker – the show’s fearless creators – were not afraid to call out Cruise on his power play – being dubbed “Closetgate” by
The L.A. Times – even taking out ads, proclaiming tongue-in-cheek that they themselves were "servants of Xenu" and that the "million-year war for Earth" had only just begun, presumably now that their show had been screwed with backdoor deals. After months of fawning and speculation, Cruise and Holmes — dubbed “TomKat” by a smug media – had a baby girl named Suri on April 18, 2006. The high profile pregnancy was followed by the virtual disappearance of Holmes from public and an absence of baby photos, inspiring conspiracy theories that perhaps there had never been a baby at all. Meanwhile, Cruise began making the media rounds for his next film, “Mission: Impossible 3” (2006). The third installment in the franchise depicted a retired Ethan Hunt (Cruise) living a slower-paced life while training new IMF agents until he is called back to action to do battle with Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman), an international weapons dealer who may turn out to be Hunt’s toughest adversary yet. The film’s opening weekend box office receipts fell short of expectations, and a
USA Today/Gallup poll showed that only 35 percent of those surveyed held a “favorable opinion” of the actor, the vast majority voicing disapproval over his Scientology proselytizing and the incident with Brooke Shields. Citing an apparent wane in Cruise’s popularity, Paramount Pictures announced an end to its 14-year relationship with Cruise/Wagner Productions on Aug. 22, 2006. In a bombshell heard round the world, Sumner Redstone, Chairman of Viacom, (Paramount's parent company), declared Cruise's “recent conduct has not been acceptable to Paramount." Hollywood insiders surmised that Paramount’s decision was purely financial, as the Cruise/Wagner cut of box office and DVD sales was well above the norm and affecting the studio’s profit. Meanwhile Cruise/Wagner Productions claimed that they had recently landed financing from a private investor and had been planning to split from Paramount anyway. In September, another bit of coincidentally-timed publicity took attention away from Cruise’s business woes when
Vanity Fair gave the public their first view of Suri in a 22-page Cruise family photo spread, shot by famed celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz. In November, the couple were finally wed in a ceremony in Italy, and news of the wedding was paired with another happy ending — Cruise/Wagner productions had struck a deal with MGM to run the ailing United Artists Films. Back at work and with his nuclear family firmly in place, Cruise seemed poised to put the previous 18 months of turmoil behind him and resume his status as one of the most powerful men in Hollywood. The first release from CEO Wagner and producer Cruise was Robert Redford’s November, 2007, release “Lions for Lambs.” Cruise took a co-starring role as an ambitious senator in the highly-anticipated film, which sought to explore tough issues about the war in Afghanistan and war in general through three interconnected storylines. Despite the timely subject matter and the additional star power of Redford and Meryl Streep, “Lions for Lambs” came and went without much fanfare. Cruise then delivered a finely tuned comic performance in a small, but memorable role as a foul-mouthed studio executive in “Tropic Thunder” (2008), which earned him a surprise Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a motion picture. He then had his first starring role in a major studio release in some time, playing real-life Nazi conspirator Claus von Stauffenberg, who plots with other high-level members of the German Resistance to assassinate Adolf Hitler, in “Valkyrie” (2008), directed by Bryan Singer. Though Cruise was seemingly perfect – he was a dead-ringer for Stauffenberg –there were considerable risks for playing the part; namely trying to make a Nazi empathetic on-screen while rehabilitating his shattered public image off-screen.
- Also Credited As:
Thomas Cruise Mapother, Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, Thomas Cruise Mapother, IV
- Born:
Thomas Cruise Mapother, IV on July 3, 1962 in Syracuse, New York
- Job Titles:
Actor, Producer, Director
Family
- Cousin: William Mapother. Born in 1965; appeared in Mission: Impossible II (2006)
- Daughter: Isabella Jane Kidman Cruise. Born Dec. 22, 1992; adopted by Cruise and Kidman in January 1993
- Daughter: Suri Cruise. Born April 18, 2006; mother, Katie Holmes
- Father: Thomas Cruise Mapother III. Worked with the Canadian Army; divorced cruise s mother in 1974; Cruise told Parade Magazine his father was a bully and a merchant of chaos ; Cruise reconciled with his father before his death of cancer in 1984
- Mother: Mary Lee Mapother South. Left Cruise s father in 1974; raised Cruise and his sister with no financial help from their father; re-married to a plastics salesman named Jack South
- Sister: Cass Mapother. Born c. 1963
- Sister: Lee Anne DeVette. Born c. 1959; works in publicity and marketing for Cruise s company; took over as Cruise s publicist in 1994; dropped as publicist in order to oversee the day to day operations of Tom Cruise s philanthropic activities in 2005
- Sister: Marian Mapother. Born c. 1961
- Son: Connor Anthony Kidman Cruise. Born Jan. 17, 1995; adopted by Cruise and Kidman in February 1995
- Step-father: Jack South.
Significant Others
- Wife: Katie Holmes. Began dating in April 2005; Cruise proposed on June 17, 2005 atop the Eiffel Tower in Paris; married Nov. 18, 2006 in a 15th-century castle outside of Rome in Bracciano, Italy; they had officialized their marriage in Los Angeles prior to their departure for Italy
- Companion: Melissa Gilbert. dated in 1982
- Companion: Penelope Cruz. worked together on Vanilla Sky ; went public with relationship in July 2001
- Companion: Rebecca De Mornay. involved during and after filming of Risky Business ; lived together for 2 1/2 years (c. 1983-85)
Milestones
- 1974 Briefly lived in Canada, before moving back to the US with his mother and three younger sisters
- 1981 Feature acting debut, a small role in Endless Love starring Brooke Shields
- 1981 Had a more substantial role in Taps opposite George C. Scott, Timothy Hutton and Sean Penn
- 1981 Met Paula Wagner, then an agent at Creative Artists Agency
- 1983 Breakthrough film role, as high school student Joel Goodson in Risky Business ; earned a Best Actor Golden Globe nomination
- 1983 Persuaded director Francis Ford Coppola to cast him in The Outsiders
- 1983 Played a goal-oriented high school football player in All the Right Moves
- 1985 Starred in the Ridley Scott directed fantasy film Legend
- 1986 Rose to star status as American fighter pilot, LT Pete Maverick Mitchell, in Tony Scott s blockbuster film Top Gun
- 1986 Starred in Martin Scorsese s The Color of Money along with Paul Newman
- 1988 Played a sexy bartender in the lighthearted drama Cocktail
- 1988 Received critical praise for his performance opposite Dustin Hoffman in Barry Levinson s Rain Man
- 1989 Portrayed paralyzed Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic in Oliver Stone s Born on the Fourth of July ; garnered first Best Actor Academy Award nomination
- 1990 First story credit (shared with Robert Towne), the Tony Scott directed Days of Thunder ; first film with future wife Nicole Kidman
- 1992 Along with former CAA agent Paula Wagner, signed an exclusive production pact with Paramount Pictures to produce his films
- 1992 Re-teamed with Kidman for the Ron Howard directed Far and Away ; played Irish settlers in the American West
- 1992 Starred in the military thriller A Few Good Men with Jack Nicholson and Demi Moore; earned another Best Actor Golden Globe nomination
- 1993 Made TV directorial debut with Frightening Frammis, an episode of Showtime s Fallen Angels
- 1993 Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
- 1993 Starred in Sydney Pollack s The Firm along with Gene Hackman and Ed Harris; based on the best selling novel by John Grisham
- 1994 Starred along with Brad Pitt and Christian Slater in Neil Jordan s Interview with the Vampire, based on Anne Rice s best-selling novel
- 1996 Feature producing debut (with partner Wagner), Brian de Palma s Mission: Impossible ; also played the lead role of Ethan Hunt
- 1996 Played the title role of a sports agent in the Cameron Crowe directed Jerry Maguire ; received second Best Actor Academy Award
- 1999 Acted in Paul Thomas Anderson s ensemble drama Magnolia ; played a misogynistic male guru; earned Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination
- 1999 Played the lead role in Stanley Kubrick s final film, Eyes Wide Shut ; re-teamed with then wife Nicole Kidman and Sydney Pollack (took two years to complete)
- 2000 Returned as Ethan Hunt for the John Woo directed sequel Mission: Impossible II ; also produced with Wagner
- 2001 Re-teamed with director Cameron Crowe for Vanilla Sky, a loose remake of the Spanish film Abre Los Ojos
- 2002 Starred in the science fiction thriller, Minority Report, which was directed by Steven Spielberg
- 2003 Starred in Edward Zwick s historical drama The Last Samurai ; earned third Best Actor Golden Globe nomination
- 2004 Played against type as a contract killer in Michael Mann s Collateral
- 2005 Re-teamed with Spielberg for War of the Worlds, based on the H.G. Wells novel
- 2006 On Aug. 22, 2006, Paramount Pictures announced it was ending its 14-year relationship with Cruise/Wagner Productions
- 2006 Partnered with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to resurrect United Artists; will star in and produce films for the studio, and production partner Paula Wagner will serve as chief executive officer
- 2006 Reprised role of Ethan Hunt for Mission: Impossible III, with J.J. Abrams making his feature-film directorial debut
- 2006 With business partner Paula Wagner, signed a two-year development deal with an investment partnership headed by Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder
- 2007 Portrayed Presidential hopeful, Senator Jasper Irving in Robert Redford s Lions for Lambs
- 2008 Had a small role as a studio head in the Ben Stiller directed comedy Tropic Thunder
- 2008 Nominated for the 2008 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (“Tropic Thunder”)
- 2008 Portrayed the leader of German army officers, Colonel Stauffenberg, who plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler in Valkyrie ; directed by Bryan Singer
- Took up acting in high school after losing his place on wrestling team due to a knee injury
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In 2006, actor Tom Cruise was named Forbes magazine’s most powerful celebrity, with three Golden Globe Awards, three Academy Award nominations, and an average paycheck of over $60 million dollars a film. The actor’s flair for dramatic intensity – paired with his on-screen charisma and boyishly handsome smile – were the stuff of bona fide movie stars, harkening back to the matinee idols of Hollywood's Golden Age. He had come a long way since 1983’s “Risky Business,” when his exuberant fit of dancing in his boxer shorts made film history. That underwear-clad breakout ignited a career which rapidly bypassed the teen arena and his fellow actors of the time – especially after the release of the testosterone-injected film "Top Gun” (1986). Not only did Cruise become the sex symbol du jour with his shirtless portrayal of Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, he inspired a whole generation of young boys to want to become elite Navy fighter pilots. Despite a few missteps such as “Cocktail” (1988) and “Days of Thunder” (1990), Cruise proved the critical naysayers wrong when be began nailing performances of real depth in films like “The Color of Money”(1986), “Rain Man” (1988) and “Born on the Fourth of July” (1989). Audiences of both genders flocked to see him play the hotshot-on-the-brink-of-transformation in “The Firm” (1993) and “Jerry Maguire” (1996), as well as the polished hero of the “Mission Impossible” franchise and “War of the Worlds” (2005). Cruise’s appeal survived even critically reviled films, with mainstream moviegoers flocking to artful outings like Stanley Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut” (1997) and Cameron Crowe’s surreal “Vanilla Sky” (2001) simply because the name above the title was Tom Cruise. But after over a 20-year-run of great professional success – as well as an admired coupling with wife Nicole Kidman – the worlds most bankable star hit a rough patch – to say the least – after a run of high-profile antics turned him into consistent tabloid fodder. Following a brutal divorce from Kidman and a head-scratching hook-up with Spanish actress Penelope Cruz, his Scientology-backed attack on actress Brooke Shields’ pharmaceutical treatment of post-partum depression was followed by uncharacteristically showy pronouncements of love for another unlikely girlfriend, Katie Holmes. In one unfortunate moment – jumping on Oprah Winfrey’s couch to proclaim his sudden love for Holmes – Cruise became a late night talk show punchline literally overnight. The media circus culminated with a “South Park” (Comedy Central, 1997- ) episode skewering his supposed sexual orientation and the severing of ties by longtime studio partner Paramount who unceremoniously and very publicly dumped him, citing his eccentric behavior in the press of late. Ever focused and diligent, Cruise rebounded to become head of MGM’s UA Films, though it remained to be seen whether his stint in PR hell would have a long-lasting effect on his status as the biggest film star of his generation. Thomas Cruise Mapother IV was born on July 3, 1962, the only son of a hardscrabble family that would grow to include three sisters. Mapother III was an electrical engineer, abusive and prone to losing his jobs, which forced the family to move several times a year to look for work. Cruise was born in Syracuse but lived in Louisville, KY; Winnetka, IL; and Ottawa, Ontario, before his mother finally had enough of her “bullying” husband. She left Mapother (and his last name) in 1974 and took her children back to her hometown of Louisville. Cruise was enrolled in a total of 15 schools during his nearly 12 years of education, and his constant outsider status – coupled with a diagnosis of the then little understood disorder, dyslexia – made school life a constant challenge. His mother worked three jobs to support a family of preteens, with many a Christmas coming and going without presents. Her determination to survive rubbed off on her hard-working kids, and her future movie star son would often cite her as the source of his belief that he could make any kind of life for himself that he chose. Cruise spent his freshman year at a seminary boarding school in Cincinnati, OH on a scholarship. Despite appreciating the respite of stability he received at the seminary, however, he concluded that the priesthood was not for him. He settled with his mother and new stepfather in Glen Ridge, NJ, and started to make a go of it as an athlete at his new school – that is, until he suffered a knee injury during a wrestling match. In response to being sidelined, Cruise turned to the drama department, having been a lifelong movie fanatic and the family comedian. He was a natural, appearing in school productions of “Guys and Dolls” and “Godspell,” and with can-do determination, Cruise dispensed with high school during his senior year; instead heading straight to New York in 1980, where he got a job as a busboy and began hitting the audition circuit. Still reeling from the 18-year whirlwind that was his life up to that time, Cruise’s intensity and hunger for success left an overwhelming impression on commercial casting agents looking for fresh-faced, non-threatening teens to repre
sent their products. Within a year, the peripatetic Cruise was in Los Angeles, where he met Paula Wagner, an agent at Creative Artists Agency, who would subsequently guide his film career. After making his feature debut in a small role in the notorious Brooke Shields vehicle "Endless Love" (1981), Cruise gained attention for a supporting role as an increasingly lunatic gung-ho cadet in "Taps" (1981). He had originally been cast in a small three-line role in the film, but the director was so taken with his intensity, that he bumped Cruise up to a more visible role alongside stars Sean Penn and Timothy Hutton. In 1983, a mere three years after bussing tables, Cruise fully burst onto the scene with four major studio Hollywood features. His rough and tumble roots took hold as one in a pack of “greasers” in Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Outsiders,” a melodramatic adaptation, but memorable for its gaggle of up-and-coming heartthrobs like Rob Lowe, Matt Dillon, and Patrick Swayze. Cautious not to limit her client to typecasting as an angry rebel, Cruise’s agent focused on his athleticism and boyish charisma with a role opposite "older woman" Shelly Long in "Losin' It" (1983), a middling teen coming-of-age comedy. “Risky Business” (1983), however, turned Cruise into an overnight sensation. In his portrayal of an anxious, affluent, suburban teen poised precariously on the brink of young adulthood, Cruise created a resonant protagonist for young Reagan-era audiences. He even put on some extra pounds to emphasize the softness and vulnerability of the character who flirts with illicit capitalism. In his star-making scene, Cruise, clad in a button-down Oxford shirt, boxer shorts, and Wayfarer sunglasses, played air guitar and danced wildly to Bob Seger's anthem, "Old Time Rock 'n' Roll." Audiences lapped it up, the Golden Globe awards recognized him with a nomination, and it was enough to woo co-star Rebecca De Mornay, who embarked on a two-plus year relationship with the breakout star. Cruise performed well in a more naturalistic mode in "All the Right Moves" (1983), a sober high school football drama which pitted him against hot-headed coach Craig T. Nelson, and fared modestly at the box office – a brief full frontal nudity shot a la Cruise did not hurt returns either. His next move was not as wise for a growing sex symbol – growing his hair long and donning green tights for Ridley Scott's colossal fantasy flop, "Legend" (1985). Already ready to break the mold, however, Cruise solidified his star status and established his onscreen persona with one of the signature hits of the 1980s – and possibly, the film most heavily identified with him – “Top Gun" (1986). With flying sequences edited to the rhythms of pop tunes, the film functioned as both a Navy recruiting ad and a glossy romantic adventure between Lt. Maverick and his Top Gun instructor, Charlie (Kelly McGillis). No longer the engaging boy-next-door, Cruise's Maverick was a prototype for Cruise roles to come – a cocky loner who plays by his own rules, confronts a crisis, then is triumphantly transformed with his success. While “Risky Business” might have made him a star – it was “Top Gun” that made him the biggest movie star in the world. Cruise selected his next roles and planned his career carefully, teaming with talented directors and co-stars for "The Color of Money" (1986) and "Rain Man" (1988). The former – Martin Scorsese's sharply made, nicely textured sequel to 1961's "The Hustler" – cast him as a talented but arrogant small-time pool hotshot; a younger, greener version of Paul Newman's Fast Eddie Felsen. They made an eclectic pair, with Cruise's boisterous All-American boy versus Newman's seasoned con man, and though the old stud picked up the Best Actor Oscar, he was clearly passing the mantle to the new stud. Off screen, the actor fell in love and married actress Mimi Rogers in what was seen as an odd pairing, not only due to the couple’s age difference. The marriage lasted less than three years (1987-1990) but Rogers’ legacy lived on in Cruise’s lifetime affiliation with Scientology, to which he was introduced by the actress. In 1988, Cruise broadened his serious dramatic credentials with director Barry Levinson’s "Rain Man," playing another self-centered hotshot who begrudgingly forges a relationship with his autistic brother (Dustin Hoffman), only to find it changes his entire outlook on life. Hoffman shone as the idiot savant and again, a Cruise co-star took home the Oscar, but Cruise was equally important to the Oscar-winning Best Picture equation and Hoffman pointed this out to anyone who would listen. Time spent working with the politically-active Newman on “The Color of Money” had had a profound consciousness-raising effect on Cruise, who next chose Oliver Stone's anti-war "Born on the Fourth of July" (1989) to counter his contribution to the jingoistic "Top Gun." For Stone's "Fourth of July,” he earned a Golden Globe win and an Oscar nomination for a hard-hitting portrayal of paraplegic Vietnam veteran activist Ron Kovic. When he did not pick up the gold statue, many people believed he had been robbed. Cruise stumbled a bit with his next two projects, though "Days of Thunder" (1990) introduced him to the next love of his life, Nicole Kidman, and inaugurated a long-term association with screenwriter Robert Towne. Scalded by critics, it still raked in $166 million worldwide, and in December of 1990 the co-stars were married, making the then unkn
own Aussie actress a star overnight. But there was no upside to "Far and Away" (1992), a goofy period romance also co-starring Kidman. Cruise returned to box office clover by successfully confronting an iconic Jack Nicholson in Rob Reiner's court-martial drama, "A Few Good Men" (1992). Cruise's wunderkind lawyer bent on toppling his corrupt bosses in "The Firm" (1993) could have been a brother to his character in "A Few Good Men.” Despite a stellar supporting cast (Gene Hackman, Hal Holbrook, Holly Hunter), he carried the smooth adaptation of John Grisham's giant bestseller, tackling the deceptively difficult character with a vibrancy that led to box office success. Director Sydney Pollack and scriptwriters Towne, David Rabe, and David Rayfiel brought a few extra plot twists and added dramatic and ethical complexity to the attractive and entertaining tale. The same year, Cruise and his agent Paula Wagner formed Cruise/Wagner productions in an effort to garner the actor more creative and financial control over his projects. The production company negotiated an exclusive partnership with Paramount Pictures – a rarity at that time. Cruise raised eyebrows – and more than a few hackles – by accepting the central role of the vampire Lestat in Neil Jordan's "Interview with the Vampire" (1994). Many balked at the idea of the All-American go-getter playing the decadent, ambisexual European predator of Anne Rice's novel. Rice herself was the harshest critic, as she traveled about the country trashing the casting decision while on a book tour. Sporting blond locks and blue contact lenses over his green eyes, Cruise eventually won Rice's approval, and the film earned mixed reviews while doing brisk business. In 1996, Cruise/Wagner Productions rolled out their first feature, the post-Cold War espionage "Mission: Impossible" (1996). Based on the nostalgic 1960s TV show, the project had languished in various development hells before Cruise got involved, and rumors abounded of his clashing with director Brian De Palma over budgetary and story matters. Nonetheless, despite international location shooting, high-tech stunts, computer-generated visual effects and last-minute re-writes by an assortment of writers (including Towne again), "Mission: Impossible" came in on time and under budget at approximately $67 million, with Cruise deferring his $20 million actor's salary. Though many critics deemed it an extravagant but cold vanity production with a confusing storyline, most admired the cinematic technique, and the mixed reviews did not inhibit ticket buyers, proving the actor could attract crowds to a movie that did not even have to entirely make sense. The man could essentially do not wrong. The sweetly offbeat romantic comedy "Jerry Maguire" (1996), in which he played the shallow, back-stabbing sports agent, provided a sort of mid-career breakthrough for Cruise. For years he had portrayed irresistible smoothies, turning the world on with his smile while piloting fighter jets and driving race cars. Though it was a classic Cruise performance, bursting with the usual cocky charm and charisma, there was an added dimension of desperation and a new maturity to his screen persona. He had played characters who were up against the ropes before, but perhaps never so convincingly. Here was a slickster whose powers had failed him, exposing a seldom seen vulnerability which made his character’s eventual comeback that much sweeter. This time, the critics and moviegoers reached consensus, and Cruise garnered a Golden Globe win and his second Best Actor Academy Award nomination. Three years would pass before he returned to the screen – though in 1998, he and Wagner produced "Without Limits," screenwriter Towne's biopic about fabled long distance runner Steve Prefontaine (Billy Crudup). Cruise took himself out of the blockbuster game at the height of his career to work on a series of riskier, more artful ventures, beginning with the legendary director Stanley Kubrick’s "Eyes Wide Shut,” in which he starred opposite his wife for the first time since "Far and Away." The couple relished their time working with the cinematic genius who was known for his perfectionist, obsessive filmmaking vision. Little did they or anyone else know that the erotic thriller would be Kubrick’s final work. The film was controversial for its sexual content, requiring editing to achieve an NC-17 rating in the U.S. Despite the fact that critics were divided over its merit, "Eyes Wide Shut" was a significant notch in Cruise's artistic belt and well worth the tens of millions of dollars he gave up as the 18-week shoot ballooned to 52 weeks over 15 months. Following the arduous shoot and mixed reaction to "Eyes Wide Shut," Cruise took on a pivotal role in Paul Thomas Anderson's ensemble drama, "Magnolia" (1999). Playing a cocky sex guru who runs seminars designed to empower men, the actor offered a charismatic turn that was alternately chilling and humorous and earned him another Golden Globe win and Oscar nomination. Cruise segued back to leading parts in more mainstream work, reprising his heroic role as Ethan Hunt in the big-budget, special effects laden "Mission Impossible: 2" (2000), directed by John Woo. The international espionage thriller centered around the containment of a deadly virus and grossed over $420 million dollars. With the actor’s lucrative production deal, he enjoyed a $75 million pay day. Next, Cruise reunited with Crowe for a remake of the perception-bending Spanish film, "Abre los ojos" (1997). It was during the making of that film, titled "Vanilla Sky" (2001), that Cruise endured a very public and acrimonious split from Kidman as he entered into a relationship with "Vanilla Sky" co-star Penelope Cruz. Cruise and Kidman later amicably worked out their divorce battles for their two adopted children's sake, but to say the initial split was not bitter would be way off, with Cruise simply stating “Nic knows what she did” as his explanation for divorce just shy of 10 years of marriage. "Vanilla Sky" opened to mixed reviews, seen as a competent and often compelling puzzle with a somewhat unsatisfying endgame. Cruise's performance as a successful publisher who finds his life taking a turn for the surreal after a car accident with an obsessive lover, was seen as appropriately intense, but perhaps a little over-the-top in his efforts to subvert his pretty boy looks with Hollywood-made scars. He returned to his more familiar, heroic territory with Spielberg’s "Minority Report" (2002), a crackerjack collaboration filled with skillful action sequences and a thought-provoking expansion of sci-fi author Phillip K. Dick's premise of a future where police use precognitives to prevent murders before they happen. Playing Detective John Anderton, the head of the special unit who finds himself the subject of a manhunt after the psychics predict that he will commit a murder, Cruise was in top form on the run from his own officers. And as usual, Cruise insisted on doing almost all of his own stunts, lending even more authenticity to his action star status. Cruise turned in one of his more nuanced performances for director Ed Zwick in "The Last Samurai" (2003), playing Capt. Nathan Algren, an alcoholic veteran of Custer's battles with Native Americans who travels to Japan to help Westernize the Imperial army, only to be captured by a rebellious samurai leader (Ken Watanabe). He eventually embraces the ways of the bushido code, finding his lost honor along the way. Although the film followed the slightly patronizing white-man-embraces-and-improves-indigenous culture template, Cruise's initial anguish and subsequent reclaiming of his soul was skillfully and subtly conveyed by the actor, earning him a Golden Globe nomination. His hot streak continued unabated with another of his finest roles, the cold-hearted assassin Vincent, who hijacks a good-hearted L.A. cabbie (Jamie Foxx) to drive him on his deadly rounds in "Collateral" (2004). Wearing a grey wig and beard stubble, Cruise used his trademark intensity to his advantage in a rare villainous role, while his inherent charm also gave the character a compelling quality. In 2005, Cruise's personal life began to overshadow his professional career in a PR nightmare that would taint the leading man’s reputation for years to come. After breaking things off with Penelope Cruz, for better or worse, he replaced his publicist of 14 years, Pat Kingsley, with his older sister Lee Anne DeVette, an active Scientologist. Since 1990, Cruise had been a proponent of the often mysterious, Hollywood-based Church of Scientology founded by science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard, having credited his studies there with "curing" him of the dyslexia, among other benefits. But Cruise’s affiliation was generally accepted as a movie star eccentricity – that is, until he used his faith to back an attack on "Endless Love" co-star Brooke Shields, who had recently released a biography that described taking antidepressants to relieve her post-partum depression. Based on the Scientology belief that psychiatry is a “pseudo science” that “kills,” Cruise publicly criticized Shields and suggested that vitamins would have been a suitable treatment for her diagnosis. Shields – not to mention legions of mothers, mental illness sufferers and the psychiatric community – were outraged. The incident was followed by a curiously timed announcement that Cruise and actress Katie Holmes – who was 16 years younger and three inches taller than Cruise – were madly in love – though neither could give a direct answer to just when they had met and how long before declaring undying love to one another. Cruise’s uncharacteristically animated antics and the couple's often unconvincing physical interaction fueled speculations that the romance was a massive publicity stunt, intended to offset the Brooke blunder and highlight the stars’ upcoming summer film releases – Cruise, the Steven Spielberg-directed "War of the Worlds;" Holmes, "Batman Begins." Cruise made a bizarre appearance on Oprah Winfrey's talk show to proclaim his love for Holmes, jumping on the host's furniture and dragging a seemingly reluctant Holmes before the cameras. Holmes, who had been quoted years earlier as saying that as a girl she dreamed of marrying Cruise, presented Cruise with a career achievement award on the MTV Movie Awards. Both appeared separately before David Letterman to further spin their love story. By all accounts, it was showy, uncharacteristic behavior for the actor who had a highly professional reputation onscreen and off. Rumors persisted that Holmes was one of several actresses who had basically auditioned for the role of Cruise girlfriend, in exchange for instant A-list ascension. There was no denying the speed with which the relationship took off – what with meeting in April 2005 and marriage proposal in June. The hard sell of how much “in love” they were with one another, effectively backfired with a very skeptical public. Much to the dismay of everyone involved with “War of the Worlds” – particularly Spielberg, who knew focus was no longer on his film; but more his star’s latest public hijinks – Cruise continued to defend his attack on Brooke Shields in a sharply worded exchange with "Today Show" co-host Matt Lauer. During the infamous exchange in which he continually called Lauer “glib,” he aggressively derided psychiatry as a "pseudo-science," provoking a formal rebuke from the American Psychiatric Association. Around the same time he was also reportedly instrumental in opening up the secretive church and inviting journalists to sample its practices. Holmes began taking Scientology courses, and suspiciously dumped her Hollywood handlers in favor of his. Nearly lost in all of Cruise's public appearances was the release of "War of the Worlds" (2005), the fourth film adaptation of the classic H.G. Wells story. A mostly masterful exercise in cinematic suspense and terror, the film was buoyed by a strong performance by Cruise as Ray Ferrier, a working class deadbeat dad who must protect his two children during a horrific alien invasion. In spite of the media brouhaha (or perhaps because of it) “War of the Worlds” was Cruise’s top grossing film to date at over $590 million dollars worldwide. The media saturation lasted beyond the run of the summer blockbuster, especially when it was announced in October that Holmes was pregnant with his child. In November, Paul Bloch replaced DeVette as Cruise’s publicist, and though the move was reportedly made to enable his sister to focus on managing her brother’s philanthropic affairs, it was perceived as damage control in light of the hit Cruise’s image had taken since her installment. For a spell, Cruise’s outlandishness seemed quelled until an episode of the animated series “South Park” (Comedy Central, 1997-), which satirized Scientology and made not-so-veiled jokes questioning Cruise’s sexuality – a persistent rumor that had dogged the actor since he sued several parties in 1998 and 2001 for publishing allegations of his homosexuality. Under pressure from its parent company Paramount – also Cruise/Wagner Productions parent company – Comedy Central yanked the episode after only one airing, lead some to speculate that Cruise exerted his star power behind the scenes—an assertion that was publicly denied. Matt Stone and Trey Parker – the show’s fearless creators – were not afraid to call out Cruise on his power play – being dubbed “Closetgate” by The L.A. Times – even taking out ads, proclaiming tongue-in-cheek that they themselves were "servants of Xenu" and that the "million-year war for Earth" had only just begun, presumably now that their show had been screwed with backdoor deals. After months of fawning and speculation, Cruise and Holmes — dubbed “TomKat” by a smug media – had a baby girl named Suri on April 18, 2006. The high profile pregnancy was followed by the virtual disappearance of Holmes from public and an absence of baby photos, inspiring conspiracy theories that perhaps there had never been a baby at all. Meanwhile, Cruise began making the media rounds for his next film, “Mission: Impossible 3” (2006). The third installment in the franchise depicted a retired Ethan Hunt (Cruise) living a slower-paced life while training new IMF agents until he is called back to action to do battle with Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman), an international weapons dealer who may turn out to be Hunt’s toughest adversary yet. The film’s opening weekend box office receipts fell short of expectations, and a USA Today/Gallup poll showed that only 35 percent of those surveyed held a “favorable opinion” of the actor, the vast majority voicing disapproval over his Scientology proselytizing and the incident with Brooke Shields. Citing an apparent wane in Cruise’s popularity, Paramount Pictures announced an end to its 14-year relationship with Cruise/Wagner Productions on Aug. 22, 2006. In a bombshell heard round the world, Sumner Redstone, Chairman of Viacom, (Paramount's parent company), declared Cruise's “recent conduct has not been acceptable to Paramount." Hollywood insiders surmised that Paramount’s decision was purely financial, as the Cruise/Wagner cut of box office and DVD sales was well above the norm and affecting the studio’s profit. Meanwhile Cruise/Wagner Productions claimed that they had recently landed financing from a private investor and had been planning to split from Paramount anyway. In September, another bit of coincidentally-timed publicity took attention away from Cruise’s business woes when Vanity Fair gave the public their first view of Suri in a 22-page Cruise family photo spread, shot by famed celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz. In November, the couple were finally wed in a ceremony in Italy, and news of the wedding was paired with another happy ending — Cruise/Wagner productions had struck a deal with MGM to run the ailing United Artists Films. Back at work and with his nuclear family firmly in place, Cruise seemed poised to put the previous 18 months of turmoil behind him and resume his status as one of the most powerful men in Hollywood. The first release from CEO Wagner and producer Cruise was Robert Redford’s November, 2007, release “Lions for Lambs.” Cruise took a co-starring role as an ambitious senator in the highly-anticipated film, which sought to explore tough issues about the war in Afghanistan and war in general through three interconnected storylines. Despite the timely subject matter and the additional star power of Redford and Meryl Streep, “Lions for Lambs” came and went without much fanfare. Cruise then delivered a finely tuned comic performance in a small, but memorable role as a foul-mouthed studio executive in “Tropic Thunder” (2008), which earned him a surprise Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a motion picture. He then had his first starring role in a major studio release in some time, playing real-life Nazi conspirator Claus von Stauffenberg, who plots with other high-level members of the German Resistance to assassinate Adolf Hitler, in “Valkyrie” (2008), directed by Bryan Singer. Though Cruise was seemingly perfect – he was a dead-ringer for Stauffenberg –there were considerable risks for playing the part; namely trying to make a Nazi empathetic on-screen while rehabilitating his shattered public image off-screen. 
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