Overview (4)

Born July 3, 1962 in Syracuse, New York, USA Birth Name Thomas Cruise Mapother IV Nickname TC Height 5' 7" (1.7 m)

Mini Bio (1)

In 1976, if you had told fourteen-year-old Franciscan seminary student Thomas Cruise Mapother IV that one day in the not too distant future he would be Tom Cruise, one of the top 100 movie stars of all time, he would have probably grinned and told you that his ambition was to join the priesthood. Nonetheless, this sensitive, deeply religious youngster who was born in 1962 in Syracuse, New York, was destined to become one of the highest paid and most sought after actors in screen history.



Tom is the only son (among four children) of nomadic parents, Mary Lee (Pfeiffer), a special education teacher, and Thomas Cruise Mapother III, an electrical engineer. His parents were both from Louisville, Kentucky, and he has German, Irish, and English ancestry. Young Tom spent his boyhood always on the move, and by the time he was 14 he had attended 15 different schools in the U.S. and Canada. He finally settled in Glen Ridge, New Jersey with his mother and her new husband. While in high school, Tom wanted to become a priest but pretty soon he developed an interest in acting and abandoned his plans of becoming a priest, dropped out of school, and at age 18 headed for New York and a possible acting career. The next 15 years of his life are the stuff of legends. He made his film debut with a small part in Endlose Liebe (1981) and from the outset exhibited an undeniable box office appeal to both male and female audiences.



With handsome movie star looks and a charismatic smile, within 5 years Tom Cruise was starring in some of the top-grossing films of the 1980s including Top Gun - Sie fürchten weder Tod noch Teufel (1986); Die Farbe des Geldes (1986), Rain Man (1988) and Geboren am 4. Juli (1989). By the 1990s he was one of the highest-paid actors in the world earning an average 15 million dollars a picture in such blockbuster hits as Interview mit einem Vampir (1994), Mission: Impossible (1996) and Jerry Maguire: Spiel des Lebens (1996), for which he received an Academy Award Nomination for best actor. Tom Cruise's biggest franchise, Mission Impossible, has also earned a total of 3 billion dollars worldwide. Tom Cruise has also shown lots of interest in producing, with his biggest producer credits being the Mission Impossible franchise.



In 1990 he renounced his devout Catholic beliefs and embraced The Church of Scientology claiming that Scientology teachings had cured him of the dyslexia that had plagued him all of his life. A kind and thoughtful man well known for his compassion and generosity, Tom Cruise is one of the best liked members of the movie community. He was married to actress Nicole Kidman until 2001. Thomas Cruise Mapother IV has indeed come a long way from the lonely wanderings of his youth to become one of the biggest movie stars ever.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Tom McDonough, Grant failor

Spouse (3)

Trade Mark (7)

Often plays romantic leading men with an edge



Often plays characters caught up in extraordinary circumstances



Frequently plays intelligent yet laidback and likeable characters



Beaming smile and intense eye contact



Boundless off-stage energy



Many of his films feature scenes of him running



Known for doing many of his own stunts, even exceptionally dangerous ones



Trivia (177)

Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#41). [1995]



Ranked #3 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997]



Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World. [1997]



Voted Best Dressed Male Movie Star. [1997]



Stopped to help a hit and run victim and paid her hospital bills. The victim was aspiring Brazilian actress Heloisa Vinhas (1996).



Caused a stir in the medical community when he claimed, in an interview, that Scientology cured him of his dyslexia (1992).





Has three sisters: Marian, Lee Anne De Vette and Cass. Lee Anne became his publicist in 2004 after he left Pat Kingsley and left in 2005 to concentrate on production matters for his production company.

Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World, two years in a row (1990, 1991).



Attended and graduated from Glen Ridge High School in New Jersey. [June 1980]



At age 14, he enrolled in a seminary to become a priest. He dropped out after one year.



He took up acting after losing his place on a high school wrestling team due to a knee injury.





He has two adopted children with Nicole Kidman : Isabella Jane Cruise (born December 22, 1992) Connor Antony Cruise ( Connor Cruise ) (born January 17, 1995).



Mission: Impossible (1996) gave him a total of $70 million with percentage of gross included.

Enjoys skydiving, scuba diving, and piloting his Pitts Special S-2B stunt plane



Recently restored an older home in the township of Biltmore Forest, a town within the city limits of Asheville, North Carolina. [2000]



Chosen as People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive". [1990]





Received the John Huston Award for Artists Rights in 1998.



Was considered for the lead role in Matrix (1999), which went to Keanu Reeves



Cruise earned roughly $75 million for Mission: Impossible II (2000). He did this by turning down any upfront salary, for instead taking a back-end deal that landed him 30% of the film's gross for both his producing and acting duties.

Attended Packanack School in Wayne, New Jersey from first through third grade.



Filed a $100 million defamation lawsuit against Michael Davis, a man who allegedly offered to sell videotapes of himself having sex with the actor. The lawsuit accuses Davis of making the statements "in order to hurt the plaintiff and gain widespread publicity for himself". [May 2001]



In 1994, Tom received his pilot licence north of Toronto in Markham, Ontario, Canada.





He did not stay for the remainder of the 2002 Academy Awards after opening them because it was his turn to look after his and ex-wife Nicole Kidman 's children. He reportedly left the Kodak Theatre by a back door after opening proceedings and dashed home to watch the rest of the event on television with his kids Conor and Isabella.



For 1988, he became the first actor to have the distinction of starring in both the year's Oscar winner for Best Picture, Rain Man (1988) and the year's Razzie "winner" for Worst Picture, Cocktail (1988).

Ranked #14 in Premiere magazine's 2003 annual Power 100 List. Had ranked #16 in 2002.



Ranked #4 in Star TV's Top 10 Box Office Stars of the 1990s. [2003]



Born to Thomas Mapother III (October 15, 1934 - January 1984), an electrical engineer, and his wife Mary Lee Pfeiffer (Sept. 22, 1936 - Feb. 2017), a special education teacher.



Has two dogs called Basil and Murray and a cat called Harvey.



Briefly attended St. Xavier High School in Louisville, Kentucky and was a paperboy for the Louisville Courier-Journal.



Wore braces on his flashy, million-dollar smile in 2002 to correct a misaligned bite.





Announced that his relationship with Penélope Cruz had ended in January 2004. [March 2004]

Will not allow his likeness to be used in video games or for action figures.





While filming Tage des Donners (1990) at Daytona International Speedway, he drove one of the Hendricks Motorsports R&D cars around the track. The best time recorded was a lap at 205 MPH.

He was voted the 31st Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.



Lives with his sister Cass and her three children in Los Angeles, California. [September 2004]





Spoke at his niece's, Lee Anne De Vette 's daughter, graduation from the Delphian School.

Ranked #18 on VH1's 100 Hottest Hotties



Attended the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City.





Channel 4's "Ultimate Film" show states that, in terms of British cinema audience rather than revenue, Cruise's most successful film in the United Kingdom was Austin Powers in Goldständer (2002).



While a student at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre, he studied one of his courses under legendary acting teacher Sanford Meisner

Studied drama at the prestigious Neighborhood Playhouse, in conjunction with the Actors Studio, New School University, New York.





Was named the #1 top moneymaking star at the box office in Quigley Publications annual poll of movie exhibitors a record seven times between 1986 and 2005. Being crowned the top box office champ in 2005 put Cruise one title ahead of Tom Hanks , who has been named #1 at the box office six times. Bing Crosby and Burt Reynolds both were named #1 for five consecutive years, and Clint Eastwood also has been #1 five times, but non-consecutively.



Has been named to the Top 10 Poll of Moneymaking Stars 18 times, as ranked by Quigley Publications' annual poll of movie exhibitors. With his 18th appearance on the box office list, he moved out of a tie for fourth place tie with Paul Newman (17 appearances on the list) into a tie for #3 with Gary Cooper John Wayne is #1 on the all-time list, with 25 appearances in the Top 10, followed by Clint Eastwood with 21 appearances on the list. Gary Cooper rounds out the top three. Due to his young age and continued popularity, it is conceivable that within 10 years, he will exceed Wayne as the #1 box office champ ever.



Has donated to charities such as The Ashley Flint Fund, The Tsunami Relief Fund, Themoms.biz Diabetes Fund, Hillary Clinton 's Campaign and The Church of Scientology.

Premiere magazine ranked him as the #3 Greatest Movie Star of All Time in their Stars in Our Constellation feature. [2005]



Studied with renowned acting coach Phil Gushee at Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, New York.





His character Lt. Daniel Kaffee in Eine Frage der Ehre (1992) was based on real life United States Navy JAG Corp Donald Marcari, who now works as an attorney with Marcari, Russotto, and Spencer P.C. in Chesapeake, Virginia.

The name Mapother is pronounced like "MAY bother", only with a P.





Time magazine once described him as a "baby-faced Christopher Reeve ".

Ranked #14 on Premiere magazine's 2005 Power 50 list. He was the highest ranked actor on the list.





(June 17, 2005) Engaged to actress Katie Holmes



Proposed to Katie Holmes at the Eiffel Tower in Paris



Was the original choice for the role of Tom Ripley in Der talentierte Mr. Ripley (1999).



Celebrated his 43rd birthday atop the holiday box office with Krieg der Welten (2005).



His May 2005 appearance on Die Oprah Winfrey Show (1986) was named the #1 "Celebrity Meltdown Ever" by TV Guide magazine.

Owns and operates "Montana Miss" a World War II P-51 Mustang.





While attending the London premiere of Krieg der Welten (2005), he was squirted in the face with water during a prank interview. His reaction on camera was stern but not livid. The culprit was charged with assault.



Is a huge fan of British singer Joss Stone



Tom and Katie Holmes became the parents of Suri Cruise , who was born on April 18, 2006 in Los Angeles, California. Suri weighed 7 lbs. 7 oz. and was 20 inches.



In the past twenty years since his first hundred million dollar grosser ( Top Gun - Sie fürchten weder Tod noch Teufel (1986)), only six of his films have failed to reach that status.



He wears a mask in six movies. In all of the first three Mission: Impossible movies, Eyes Wide Shut (1999), Vanilla Sky (2001) and Minority Report (2002), where the injection that makes his face disfigured can be considered as a futuristic mask.

Ranked #14 on Premiere magazine's 2006 "Power 50" list. Had ranked #14 in 2005 as well. He was the highest ranked actor on the list.





Stepfather of his children Isabella and Connor is Keith Urban



Is talked about in the song "Though the Wire" by Kanye West

Ranked #1 in Forbes magazine's Celebrity 100 Who Made Bank. [2006]





(August 22, 2006) Viacom Chairman Sumner Redstone announced through the "Wall Street Journal" that Viacom' Paramount subsidiary was terminating its development deal with Cruise after 14 years. Redstone said the firm terminated its deal with Cruise due to the under-performance of Mission: Impossible III (2006) (which had been expected to gross $100-150 million more than it did), which he attributed to Cruise's "bad behavior". Movie pundits were somewhat surprised by the announcement, as Cruise remains the top box office draw in North America and was Paramount's cash cow. Cruise's films reportedly have accounted for 32% of Paramount Pictures' revenues in the last six years, and he was named the Top Box Office draw for a record seventh time by Quigley Publications for the year 2005. As part of its machinations before severing its connections with Cruise, Paramount leaked to the press the information that the deal was worth $10 million annually; however, the development deal actually was for $3 million per annum. At the time of the announcement, Cruise and his advisers were considering Paramount's new offer of $2 million per year in development money when Redstone dropped this bombshell. The news gave rise to speculation that Paramount has run out of cash as it reportedly has told other development partners with which it has deals to use their own cash for the rest of the year, with the proviso they will be reimbursed come 2007.



Tom visited actress Brooke Shields at her home and personally apologized to her for criticizing her in 2005 about her use of prescription medication to overcome her postpartum depression. Touched by the gesture, Brooke accepted his apology. [September 2006]



He once shared a record with Tom Hanks as the actor to star in the most consecutive $100 million-grossing movies (7). Both were surpassed by Will Smith who reached eight in 2008.

Resurrected United Artists together with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer executives to produce and star in some of the company's projects. [November 2006]





He and Katie Holmes both wore Armani at their wedding.



He and Katie Holmes honeymooned in the Maldives.



Best Man at his wedding to Katie Holmes was his best friend David Miscavige



Once lived in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and attended the same high school as Bryan Adams



Donated to Hillary Clinton 's electoral campaign for the U.S. Senate together with his then wife Nicole Kidman (2000).

Mentioned in the song "High School Never Ends" by Bowling For Soup.



According to Forbes magazine, for each dollar he got paid, Cruise's movies averaged $11 of gross income. [December 2007]



Attended St. Raphael the Archangel Elementary School in Louisville, Kentucky.





(December 2, 2007) Although the shooting of Operation Walküre - Das Stauffenberg-Attentat (2008) caused controversy in Germany due to his Scientology membership, he was awarded at the Bambi Awards for "Courage", a category, newly created by the organizers to honor him for "tackling a story that had never been covered by Hollywood before". The decision was also heavily criticized by journalists and politicians.

The Japan Memorial Day Association declared October 10, 2006 "Tom Cruise Day".





Due to his friendship with David Beckham , he became a supporter of Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

When attending a Franciscan seminary in Cincinnati, he aspired to become a priest.



Tom's father was of one quarter Irish and one half German ancestry, with the remainder being English and Welsh, going back to Colonial American times. Tom's mother was of three eighths German and five eighths Irish ancestry.





Was introduced to Scientology by his ex-wife Mimi Rogers

In 2007, Forbes magazine estimated his earnings for the year to be $31 million.



Mentioned in the song "Faudrait leur dire" by the French rap band 3eme oeil.



Listed at Number 7 on "The Top 10 Box Office Moneymakers of 2007".



In 1974, when Cruise was 12, his parents divorced.





Was considered for the role of Frank Roberts in Indian Runner (1991), which went to Viggo Mortensen



His acting idol is Paul Newman . Much to the delight of Cruise, they became good friends during work on Die Farbe des Geldes (1986). Newman got him into racing, and Cruise ultimately raced on his team.



From late January to early February 2009, he along with wife, Katie Holmes and daughter, Suri, spent several days in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil staying at the famous Copacabana Palace Hotel. They were in town for a vacation (which included a helicopter tour over Rio) as well as to promote his film Operation Walküre - Das Stauffenberg-Attentat (2008).

On January 25, 2009, he visited Moscow, Russia for the first time. He told the press that since he was a boy he had always dreamed of visiting the city. He stayed at the prestigious Ritz-Carlton which offered sweeping views of the Red Square, Bolshoi Theatre and the History Museum.



Still owns a P-51D Mustang, but changed the nose art from "Montana Miss" to "Kiss Me Kate". Airplane is very rarely spotted out of hanger.





In both Rain Man (1988) and Die Firma (1993), he portrays a man with an older brother named Raymond, who he helps free from a confined environment.



On January 28, 2010, he hired Amanda Lundberg as his new publicist, replacing the public relations firm Rogers & Cowan.

Even though the Mission: Impossible series is his signature action series, he never actually fires a gun in the original film.





It was announced on June 29, 2012, that, after five years of marriage, Cruise and his wife, Katie Holmes , are divorcing for personal and private reasons.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6912 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on October 16, 1986.





His attorney is Bert Fields



Insists on preforming many of his own stunts in his films, including climbing the exterior of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, during the filming of Mission: Impossible - Phantom Protokoll (2011), and driving during the car chases in Jack Reacher (2012).



His features and good looks were the model for the Disney character Aladdin (1992).

On April 3, 2013, Tom was presented with a Certificate of Irish Heritage by the Irish government in Dublin, Ireland. His Irish roots can be traced back 840 years to the arrival of the Norman lord Strongbow in Ireland. The knights in Tom's family were among the first wave of Anglo-Normans to invade Ireland between 1169 and 1176. Because the family-held land directly of the King, they were royal tenants, and by the early 1200s the de Cruise family were Barons in Ireland. Sir Maurice Cruys, a knight who died in 1216, is a direct ancestor of Tom's family. One of the lands they owned was called Hollywood in North County Dublin. They also had land in Meath; the civil parish of Cruicetown (in the parish of Nobber) was named after them.





Attended the premiere of Mission: Impossible - Phantom Protokoll (2011) premiere at the Cine Lagoon in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on December 14, 2011.



Attended the premiere of Operation Walküre - Das Stauffenberg-Attentat (2008) in Mexico City, Mexico in February 5, 2009.



Attended the premiere of Mission: Impossible III (2006) in Paris, France. [April 2006]



Along with Cameron Diaz , he attended the premiere of Knight and Day (2010) at Roppongi Hills in Tokyo, Japan on September 28, 2010.

Attended the second Rome Film Festival in Italy. [October 2007]





Attended the premiere of Mission: Impossible III (2006) in Tokyo, Japan. [June 2006]



Attended the international premieres for Operation Walküre - Das Stauffenberg-Attentat (2008) in Rome, Italy (Jan. 28th); Madrid, Spain (Jan. 27th); Moscow, Russia (Jan. 26th); Amsterdam, Netherlands (Jan. 22nd); London, England (Jan. 21st); Berlin, Germany (Jan. 20th), and Seoul, South Korea (Jan. 18th). [January 2009]



Along with co-star Cameron Diaz , he visited Rio de Janeiro, Brazil briefly (less then 24 hrs) to promote their latest film, Knight and Day (2010) on July 6, 2010.



Attended the premiere of Knight and Day (2010) at the Cinemex Santa Fe in Mexico City, Mexico on July 7, 2010.

His huge fans call themselves "Cruisers".





Both Tom Cruise and Ving Rhames are the only actors to have appeared in all five installments of the Mission: Impossible films series from 1996 through 2015.

As a child, he was used as kissing practice by his sister Lee Anne's friends.



Sky Movies dedicated a whole channel to his movies in 2015, which was a world first.





He was offered the lead role in Footloose (1984), but turned it down in order to star in Der richtige Dreh (1983).



It was his idea to do three film premieres for Edge of Tomorrow - Live. Die. Repeat (2014) all in one day; his co-star Emily Blunt said it was harder on her because she needed a different dress, makeup and hairdo for each one, while all he needed was a new suit, but still said they were a lot of fun. One of the premieres was at 5am and it was wet; director Doug Liman said that was a testament to Cruise's star power. For the film's London premiere, Cruise landed a helicopter in Trafalgar Square.



In the novel that inspired Edge of Tomorrow - Live. Die. Repeat (2014), the author used the word Valkyrie, and Cruise was in the film of the same name; also, his character in the book won the order of the Valkyrie.



Was considered for the role of Vincent Mancini in Der Pate 3 (1990).



He was originally wanted for the film, Unterwegs nach Cold Mountain (2003).



In the film, Rain Man (1988), the number "3762", seen on the windscreen of a car, is Tom's birthday - 3 July '62.

His mother Mary Lee South in her sleep. [February 2017]





Says Vanilla Sky (2001) is the best film he's done.



He is the only actor to have worked with both Steven Spielberg , and Stanley Kubrick



In 2000, he bought the screen rights to "Heartswap", Celia Brayfield 's book about partner-swapping, for his wife, Nicole Kidman , to star in.

All three of his ex-wives were 34 when they divorced him.



He was nominated for the 2017 New Jersey Hall of Fame in the Performing Arts category.





During the Tage des Donners (1990) shoot in Florida on Mother's Day, Tom took his mom on a skydiving expedition where he was training in DeLand (FL) where they both jumped in tandem and had the entire descent recorded on video. Nobody in his family were ever told about the planned dive until they each received a Fedexed copy of the VHS tape.



Was the first choice for the Bollywood film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), when it was supposed to be made in English. The role eventually went to Shah Rukh Khan



He has appeared in one film that has been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Top Gun - Sie fürchten weder Tod noch Teufel (1986).

He and Jack Nicholson are the only actors to have worked with both Stanley Kubrick and Martin Scorsese.



Personal Quotes (54)

The thing about filmmaking is I give it everything, that's why I work so hard. I always tell young actors to take charge. It's not that hard. Sign your own checks, be responsible.





[to Jay Leno regarding his topless Vanity Fair cover shoot] I don't drink but I had a beer that night and they only did one setup like that. I'm a cheap date. What can I say?



[on Eyes Wide Shut (1999)] We knew from the beginning the level of commitment needed. We felt honored to work with Stanley Kubrick . We were going to do what it took to do this picture, whatever time, because I felt - and Nic [ Nicole Kidman ] did, too - that this was going to be a really special time for us. We knew it would be difficult. But I would have absolutely kicked myself if I hadn't done this.

I have cooked turkeys in my day but when Mom's around I let her do it.





I was 18 when I saw Akira Kurosawa 's Die sieben Samurai (1954). After about 30 seconds, I realized that this was not just a cultural thing, it was universal. Years later, I read Bushido. It talked about many things that I strive for in my own life: loyalty, compassion, responsibility, the idea of looking back on your life and taking responsibility for everything you've ever done. I'm fascinated by the samurai and the samurai code - it's one of the main reasons I wanted to make Last Samurai (2003).

Awards are wonderful. I've been nominated many times and I've won many awards. But my journey is not towards that. If it happens it will be a blast. If it doesn't, it's still been a blast.



I believe in life. I know that life comes in at your heart and it doesn't matter if you're an actor, a filmmaker or a gentleman on the street, it comes at you. What Scientology gives me is the tools to deal with that, to better enjoy my life and to be able to contribute more.





[on his role as the hit man in Collateral (2004)] I've never played a character like this before. Vincent interested me because he is such an anti-social personality, bringing destruction and chaos with him wherever he goes. He's a force of nature.



I remember getting through high school and thinking, "Boy, I'm glad I got that behind me!". Then, when I was 19, I got Lockere Geschäfte (1983), and I realized, "Ah, so this is life - it's a little bigger than I thought!".

As a young actor, people were trying to define who I was before I really knew that for myself. But I still remember thinking, "This is what I love doing, and I hope I'm going to be able to do it forever.".



I've had a very interesting life. There are ways of handling the complexities. I'm willing to take on responsibilities as a father, as a producer, as an actor - and I enjoy that. I've always been changing and evolving and growing. There's no pinnacle of power where you can sit back and rest.



Because I grew up in so many different places, I was used to rumors [about me]. You know, I didn't have the right shoes, I didn't have the right clothes. I even had the wrong accent.





Nic [ Nicole Kidman ] and I don't talk publicly about custody but, definitely, both of us share the kids back and forth. They're amazing kids.

I would live with all of my sisters if I could. We've always been very close, my sisters and me.





The important thing with a child is that you love them, you protect them and you help them to grow and find out who they are. And as a parent, it's my responsibility to help them to become independent and get all the knowledge and a broad view of the world and life. I know that Nic [ Nicole Kidman ] absolutely agrees with that. And that's what's important: being there.

I'd like to be with a woman who goes [he switches into a woman's voice], "I've reviewed your schedule, and I'm going to set up this motorcycle trip for you, because you've been working really hard. And I'm going to go with you. We're going to go riding together. And I've already been working on it for a couple days so it can be special.".



I don't really keep counsel with others. I'm the kind of person who will think about something, and if I know it's right I'm not going to ask anybody. I don't go, "Boy, what do you think about this?" I've made every decision for myself - in my career, in my life.



SAT (exam) scores have gone right down the toilet. The parents are blaming the teachers, the teachers are blaming the parents and the psychs are putting everyone on drugs.





[on the relationship with Katie Holmes , about other people thinking it's a publicity stunt] It's amusing at first. It's funny. But then you sit back and realize how sad it is that there are people who can't even imagine feeling like this. But my friends are happy for me. The people who know me are happy. My mom is happy. My family is happy.

I've never agreed with psychiatry, ever. Before I was a Scientologist, I never agreed with psychiatry. Here's the problem. You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do.



I'm passionate about learning. I'm passionate about life.





[on the invasion of Iraq] Personally, I don't have all the information President [ George W. Bush ] has. But I believe [ Saddam Hussein ] has committed many crimes against humanity and his own people.

Every single time I start to do a picture, without fail, I feel as if I don't know what I'm doing.



(on his father) He was a bully and a coward. He was the kind of person where, if something goes wrong, they kick you. It was a great lesson in my life - how he'd lull you in, make you feel safe and then, bang! For me, it was like, "There's something wrong with this guy. Don't trust him. Be careful around him." There's that anxiety.





[on Geboren am 4. Juli (1989)] When I made that film people said, "This is going to ruin your career. Why are you doing this after you did Top Gun. Why not just do Top Gun 2?". I wanted to challenge myself.

(1992 quote) I'm very careful in choosing things. I'm not one of those people that's in, that's out. Once I make a decision, nothing will stop it. It's not something that takes me months to make a decision either, but I evaluate it very carefully, specifically, at the time, taking into account a lot of things.





(1992 quote) I really enjoy talking to other actors and directors. Sometimes, if I see their movies, I'll call them up or write them a note saying, "I enjoyed it," or asking, "How did you do that? How did you make that work?". I just saw Billy Crystal 's movie Mr. Saturday Night a couple of weeks ago - he did a phenomenal job directing this-and afterwards, I talked to him for a couple of hours. It's true, I can be very shy around famous people. I remember, Sean Penn and Emilio Estevez and I used to drive by Brando's house and Nicholson's house. We'd see a light go on inside and go, "There he is - let's go knock on the door," then go, "Nah, nah, they'll never let us in.".

(1992 quote on fame) In the beginning, when people were looking at me, it could be unnerving. People just start looking at you, staring at you. I used to get nervous. Sometimes, I still get a little nervous when, all of a sudden, so much attention is directed at me just like - [snaps his fingers].



(1992, on career choices) My choices are sometimes dictated by many considerations. I'm interested in making different kinds of movies. My path is very simple: I want to challenge myself, find something that lifts me up and makes me want to get out there and work out. Sometimes, you might look at something I've done and go, "Degree of difficulty: not so great." But, every time, man, it's a new ring with a hell of a lot of work to be accomplished in it.





(1992, on Eine Frage der Ehre (1992) and working with Rob Reiner ) I finished In einem fernen Land (1992) and started immediately on it. So, the first time I met Rob Reiner - I'd been told, "You know, Tom, he's a pretty aggressive guy." He's a big guy. Big hands. Very bright, articulate. When he talks his points, he gets very loud because he gets very excited. He's just so fucking smart. He's very intense, but he's also like a teddy bear you want to hug. We read the script together - I'd already planned on doing it, but we were working on things like structure - and he would read it imagining the nine different characters. And he started imitating Jack Nicholson . That's how he found out that Jack Nicholson should play the role. The character I play, Kaffee, is a very tough, complex role to play. You're either going to hit or miss with this guy. All of the scenes, all the rhythms, come from character and even though Rob worked so hard on it himself, he trusts the actors to breathe life into their roles. You'll look over at him on the set and he's saying the lines along with the actors. You become really bonded with this guy because there's nothing more he wants for you than to be great. And you feel that.



[on his character Jack Reacher in Jack Reacher (2012)] Reacher is such a great character. He doesn't have a cell phone, he doesn't have email. He's off the grid. He pays for things in cash. People look at things through the prism of the colours of their life, but Jack Reacher does things the way we want to sometimes. In that sense, he's sort of a Dirty Harry, a James Bond, a Josey Wales.

I'm not the Stanislavsky kind of actor. I just want to communicate with the people in the scene.





[on Rock of Ages (2012)] Adam Shankman , the director, asked me if I could carry a tune. I said, "We'll see, won't we? This is either going to work or it's going to be dreadful.".

What do I want? I want a world without war. I want a world without insanity. I want to see people do well. And I don't even think that it's as much of what I want for myself. It's more what I want for the people around me.



(2012) I have a standard of what winning is. How do you define winning and losing? If I get beaten in a basketball game, I don't care. How a movie does is based on so many things, including release dates and marketing. I understand the box office game. I was there in the beginning when they started fixating on the number one film and the competition in that. I really came up with promoting films around the world, and studios fought me, but I mainly did it because I wanted myself and my kids to see the world. But here's the game I'm playing. I want to make great films that entertain an audience and hold up. I can control only the effort I put into it and the experience we all have making it. After that, it is what it is.





(2012) Whether it's making a film or raising my children, personally I'm striving to do the right things and to learn. I'm an all-or-nothing kind of person, and when I become interested in something, I give it my all. In life, I always wanted adventures and to learn different fields of endeavor. The great thing about being an actor is I've gotten to see what a fighter pilot's life is like and a race car driver's. I've gotten to fly airplanes, race cars, learn about motorcycles. In Rock of Ages (2012), I studied music, learned how to sing and see it from a singer's vantage point. I carry those interests and lessons through my own life. I guess I am always striving to be competent.

(2012, on his favorite 'toy') Each one has its different level of freedom. A fast motorcycle is wonderful, but I'd have to say it would be the P-51 Warbird. I have a 1944 Tuskegee Airmen P-51 that was part of their training squadron. When I traveled around as a kid, I had a picture of a Spitfire and a picture of a P-51. P means "pursuit", and you can fly hard through the canyons. It's a beautiful airplane, unlike anything else.





(2012, on learning to fly) I always wanted to fly, and that was one of the reasons I did Top Gun - Sie fürchten weder Tod noch Teufel (1986). I just never had the time to learn. Then I met Sydney Pollack . I was 19 or 20. He was editing Tootsie (1982), and I'd just finished Lockere Geschäfte (1983). I got a meeting with Sydney that was supposed to be 20 minutes and ended up being over two hours. Outside of my admiration for him as a filmmaker, we talked about a big mutual interest that we had in aviation because I knew he flew. Sydney became a lifelong friend, and when we finished Die Firma (1993) together in 1993 or 1994, he gave me flying lessons as a gift. He said, "I know how much you love flying. Take the time, right now, and do it, because otherwise you'll never get to it." I had two kids by then, and I worked all the time. In a few months, I had my instrument rating and, a little while after that, I had my commercial rating. I trained mostly in aerobatics, because I wanted to fly the P-51. I was doing rolls, loops, all kinds of aerobatic maneuvers. My first airplane was called a Pitts, and then I flew a Marchetti. That's a third-world air force trainer they use in the Navy's TOPGUN schools for air-to-air combat. This was all in preparation to fly the Warbird, the P-51. I searched all over the world for my P-51 and found it in 2000. It's called "Kiss Me Kate", which covers two things I love most, my wife and movies.



[on Tony Scott ] He was a creative visionary whose mark on film is immeasurable.



[on preparing for Rock of Ages (2012)] I spent months studying the history of rock 'n' roll for my role as Stacee Jaxx and Queen and Freddie Mercury were a big part of that.

[on this intense passion for his work] I love what I do. I take great pride in what I do. And I can't do something halfway, three-quarters, nine-tenths. If I'm going to do something, I go all the way.



[on what he likes about London, England] I love the fish and chips, the crews are fantastic, it's such a beautiful city, and the people are so easy and cool. I like a good curry, I like it hot, and you have great Indian food here also. I like it very spicy. If I'm not sweating I don't feel like I have had good Indian food.



[on Ireland and his part Irish ancestry] I'm very proud to be Irish. There's a pride in America of being Irish. I can't wait to come back and I want to visit the land of my ancestors and the castle that they had.



In 1988, Tom himself was quoted saying: "I have always been pretty much the same weight, 147 pounds - at 5 feet 9 inches.".





[People magazine - July 5, 2010] My first celebrity crush was Ingrid Bergman in Berüchtigt (1946).



[on Eyes Wide Shut (1999)] I didn't like playing Dr Bill. I didn't like him. It was unpleasant. But I would have absolutely kicked myself if I hadn't done this.

Action is action, but if it doesn't have story and character it's not involving.





[on Edge of Tomorrow - Live. Die. Repeat (2014)] I hope you enjoyed it. I can't wait for you to see the film. I think you're gonna love it. So thank you very much for coming on this adventure with us.



[on Edge of Tomorrow - Live. Die. Repeat (2014)] It's a very ambitious movie, it takes you on a journey and its enormously entertaining.

Flying is something that has always been a lifelong passion. As a kid I used to have a photo of a Spitfire and a photo of a P-51. I'd put them up on the wall right where my bed was so that I could stare at them, because I just wanted to fly.



So, have you met an SP?



Salary (27)