And while it seems as if he became a big-name actor overnight, that isn’t exactly true.
Tom Cruise faced childhood hardships and even as an adult, it hasn’t been all smooth sailing.
What has always set the star apart though is a clear vision for his future.
“I’ve wanted to make movies since I was 4 years old,” Tom Cruise toldPeople.
He noted, “To be able to entertain an audience, that was my dream.
And here I am.”
Read on for the biggest twists in Tom Cruise’s stunning transformation into one of Hollywood’s true superstars.
I would go blank, feel anxious, nervous, bored, frustrated, dumb.
I would get angry.
My legs would actually hurt when I was studying."
Regarding his high school years, he described himself as a “functional illiterate.”
), which aims to provide free tutoring.
It was there that the would-be superstar got his first taste of acting.
“You could tell there was some talent.”
“He played the Sun,” teacher Wendy Santo shared with theOttawa Citizen.
You knew he was different."
Talk about a transformation.
“It’s something that has helped me incredibly in my life,” he told ITV (viaE!
“I’ve been a Scientologist for over 30 years.
Without it, I wouldn’t be where I am.”
He called it a “beautiful religion,” noting he is “incredibly proud” of his faith.
Hard as it is to believe, Cruise was once a devout Christian who was raised Roman Catholic.
“He had a very strong Catholic faith,” classmate Shane Dempler told theNew York Daily News.
“We went to Mass, spent time in the chapel and enjoyed hearing stories from the priests.
We thought the priests had a great lifestyle and we were really interested in priesthood.”
The production was fraught with problems and delays, but it still went on to find success.
It’s been pedal to the floor from that point on."
The same can be said of his career.
“It was that special connection when you recognize your soul mate,” he toldVanity Fair.
“She is a person who understands.
It was as if a whole new life had started for me.”
The two married in 1990 (viaHello!).
It was her first and his second, as he’d previously married and divorced first wife Mimi Rogers.
We would go go-kart racing after those scenes.
I don’t know what else to say."
Eventually though, the real-life couple would crumble, with Tom Cruise filing for divorce in 2001.
Instead he jumped off things becoming even more famous for performing the majority of his own stunts.
“It has to do with storytelling … “Tom is weaving in and out of canyons and gullies,” he explained.
It was like flying through a broom closet.”
Ironically the star broke his ankle while performing what hetold Jimmy Fallonwas an “easy” jump during filming.
For Cruise, it’s all in good fun.
“I have been told a few times during shooting a stunt to stop smiling.”
The relationship raised eyebrows from the get-go.
Before they tied the knot in 2006, she gave birth to their daughter, Suri.
After her arrival, things settled down a bit.
We play Quick Scrabble, and then it’s usually movie night."
In 2012, the actress filed for divorce.
First, there was the couch jump seen around the world in May.
Eventually her astonished response was simply, “You’re gone.”
And that’s how it felt for people watching at home.
The actor’s image was quickly being tarnished.
AsThe Guardianreported, Paramount even considered stopping work on the third “Mission: Impossible” movie.
Ultimately, Cruise bounced back but his star never shone quite so brightly.
First up was the part of Les Grossman in the action comedy “Tropic Thunder.”
The character was a loud, unattractive, disgusting movie studio executive.
It was a small role, not the kind such a superstar would normally take on.
But, as theObservernoted, it got people talking in a good way.
Then, in 2012, Cruise appeared in, of all things, a musical.
He played Stacee Jaxx, a womanizing hair-metal singer in “Rock of Ages.”
“It was so different.
The performance was ridiculous and over the top, but that was the point.
The most delicious Cruise story, though, is truly sweet.
He reportedly often sends awhite chocolate coconut bundt cakefrom Doan’s Bakery in California to celebrity friends.
Recipients,Yahoo!reported, include Jimmy Fallon, Kirsten Dunst, and Henry Cavill.
“They’re back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us.
She toldHarper’s Bazaar, “I was so scared of Tom.
He was a very dominant individual.
He tries super hard to be a nice person.
He takes on a lot.
Is Tom Cruise trying to reclaim some of the glory from his younger days?
Tom Cruise’s latest projects are all highly anticipated … but also seem rather familiar.
“I don’t know if there ever will be again, to be honest.”
There are also rumors of a sequel for his 2014 sci-fi flick “Edge of Tomorrow.”
Elon Musk’sSpace Xprogram is also involved,CNETreported.
The big question now is:Can he runin outer space?
