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Tom Cruise

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File:Vanilla Sky poster.jpg
Tom Cruise as seen on the poster for the 2001 film Vanilla Sky

Tom Cruise (born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV July 3, 1962 in Syracuse, New York, USA) is an American film actor and producer who has starred in a number of top-grossing movies. His first leading role in a blockbuster movie was in 1986's Top Gun.

Biography

Cruise's parents moved frequently when he was a child, residing in a number of locations throughout the United States and Canada, including Ottawa, Louisville, Kentucky, Glen Ridge, New Jersey, where he attended Glen Ridge High School, and Wayne, New Jersey. Before going into acting, Cruise attended a Franciscan seminary and aspired to become a Catholic priest.

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. 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), The Firm (1993), Interview with the Vampire (1994), Mission: Impossible (1996) and Jerry Maguire (1996).

Cruise teamed with producer Paula Wagner to form Cruise/Wagner Productions, which has co-produced several of Cruise's films such as Mission: Impossible and its sequels, Vanilla Sky (2001), and The Last Samurai (2003). The company also co-produced The Others (2001).

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. He has reportedly endeavored to chase challenging roles in hope of academy success.

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 egoist 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, Jerry Maguire, Cocktail, Vanilla Sky, The Last Samurai, War of the Worlds, and others. His most recent film, War of the Worlds, achieved USD $34.6 million in ticket sales around the world on its debut, more than any other of his films on opening day. [1]

He has been married twice, to Mimi Rogers (May 9, 1987 - February 4, 1990) and later Nicole Kidman (December 24, 1990 - August 8, 2001). He and Nicole Kidman adopted two children, Isabella (born 1993) and Connor (born 1995). Cruise recently discussed his bi-racial son with the TV talkshow host Oprah Winfrey. Oprah asked Cruise if the issue of his race was ever discussed in the household. "We’re from the human race, human kind,” he clarified. “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." Cruise was next romantically linked with Penelope Cruz, the lead actress in his film Vanilla Sky. In March 2004, he announced that his relationship with Penelope Cruz had ended in January. In April 2005, he 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 [2]. She accepted his offer, but the couple have yet to decide on a wedding date.

During his marriage to actress Nicole Kidman, the couple endured public speculation about their sex life and rumors that Cruise was gay. In May 2001 he filed a lawsuit against gay porn actor Chad Slater. 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 defaulted on the lawsuit.[3]

On June 19, 2005 at the London premiere of War of the Worlds Cruise was squirted in the face with water (via a joke microphone) by a man posing as a reporter. The intended comedy sketch was to be included in an upcoming reality show on London's Channel 4. Cruise was not humoured by the prank as he claimed that it was "disgusting" that someone should act in such a way. His pranksters are in jail for assault.[4]

Church of Scientology

Cruise is arguably Hollywood's most outspoken member of the controversial Church of Scientology. He joined in 1986, while married to Mimi Rogers. In March 2004, Cruise fired his publicist of 14 years, Pat Kingsley, prompting speculation that the rift occurred over Cruise's very public promotion of Scientology. Kingsley wanted Cruise to concentrate on his films. However, she said it was an "amicable parting." Cruise's current publicist is his sister, Lee Anne DeVette, who is a Scientologist. [5]. Cruise's fiancée, Katie Holmes, recently has begun studying Scientology, which Cruise says does not conflict with her Roman Catholicism parental religion. Cruise himself says that Scientology has helped him overcome his problems, especially his dyslexia. He said as a result of joining Scientology "I realized I could absolutely learn anything that I wanted to learn," and says it has improved his communication. [6] During the filming of War of the Worlds, Cruise said he was "honored" to have "volunteer Scientology ministers on the set." [7]

Because Cruise's religion maintains that vitamins, exercise and behavioral changes can play a part in overcoming depression and many other illnesses, in May 2005 Cruise publicly criticized actress Brooke Shields for using the drug Paxil, an anti-depressant, which Shields claims helped her recover from depression after the birth of her daughter in 2003. Cruise also said, "Here is a woman, and I care about Brooke Shields because I think she is an incredibly talented woman, you look at and think, where has her career gone?" At the time, Shields was starring in a London revival of the musical "Chicago". Shields responded that Cruise's statements about anti-depressants were "irresponsible" and "dangerous." She said he should "stick to fighting aliens" (a reference to Cruise's starring role in War of the Worlds, and let mothers decide the best way to treat postpartum depression.

This was further referred to on The Today Show in an interview with Matt Lauer. The two debated the use of modern psychiatric treatments, especially medications such as Ritalin. The American Psychiatric Association President Dr. Steven Sharfstein publicily criticised Cruise's comments, saying "It is irresponsible for Mr. Cruise to use his movie publicity tour to promote his own ideological views and deter people with mental illness from getting the care they need," [8]

This debate has led to several petitions against Cruise, [9] and an outcry from people who advocate medication drugs. Brooke Shields responded to the second attack by Tom Cruise in an essay on postpartum depression published in The New York Times on July 1, 2005.[10]

Oprah appearance, Katie Holmes, and Today Show appearance

File:Cruiseonoprah.jpg
Tom Cruise jumps ecstatically on Oprah's couch
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On May 23, 2005, Cruise raised some eyebrows with a frenzied 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, the actress Katie Holmes."

The legitimacy of the Holmes-Cruise romance was openly questioned in many mainstream media outlets,[11][12] with 63% of respondents in an informal People magazine poll calling the affair a "stunt".

This short, yet very public love affair took a dramatic turn when Cruise and Holmes got engaged in Paris [13] while on a world publicity tour for their two most recent movies (War of the Worlds for Cruise and Batman Begins for Holmes).

On June 24, 2005, Cruise appeared in an interview with Matt Lauer on the Today Show. Lauer asked Cruise about his recent controversial comments towards actress Brooke Shields and psychiatry. Cruise then entered into a debate with Lauer about the dangers and side-effects of antidepressants and drugs such as Ritalin [14]. He explained "Here's the problem. You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do." [15] He went on to say "There's no such thing as a chemical imbalance in the body". He added that Lauer was "glib" and that he should be more "responsible" in how he talked about anti-depressants on the show. The incident garnered intense scrutiny and led to several national debates on the pros and cons of antidepressants and the role they play in treating mental ills.

Selected filmography

Trivia

  • Although resident in the U.S., Cruise also maintains a home in London and is a frequent visitor to the UK.
  • Cruise wore braces in 2002 "to correct a bite problem" (He removed them during filming). [16]
  • Cruise enjoys signing autographs.


Salary:

  • War of the Worlds (2005) (20% profit participation)
  • The Last Samurai (2003) $25,000,000 + % of profits
  • Minority Report (2002) $25,000,000+
  • Vanilla Sky (2001) $20,000,000 + 30% of Profits
  • Mission: Impossible II (2000) $75,000,000 (gross participation)
  • Eyes Wide Shut (1999) $20,000,000
  • Jerry Maguire (1996) $20,000,000 against 15%
  • Mission: Impossible (1996) $70,000,000 (gross participation)
  • Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) $15,000,000
  • Far and Away (1992) $13,000,000
  • Rain Man (1988) $3,000,000+% of gross
  • Top Gun (1986) $2,000,000
  • Risky Business (1983) $75,000
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