Biography - Tom Cruise

At the age that most of us celebrate being able to legally enter a bar, Tom Cruise became a worldwide sensation, and after 20 years in the spotlight he still remains one of the most successful and beloved actors in the history of American cinema. Cruise was an unlikely star when he made his debut in director Franco Zeffirelli’s 1981 film "Endless Love". Still, his contagious million-dollar smile and his self-assuredly iconic performance in 1983’s "Risky Business" made him one of the world’s most sought-after screen performers.

Born on July 3, 1962 in Syracuse, N.Y., Cruise had a nomadic childhood that saw him attend more than 10 different schools. As a teenager he briefly attended a Franciscan seminary school, hoping to one day become a priest. But after graduating from high school in Glen Ridge, N.J., Cruise set off for New York City to pursue an acting career. In 1983, at the age of 21, Cruise was simultaneously starring in three films: "Losin’ It", "All the Right Moves", and the wildly popular "Risky Business". With the blockbuster success of 1986’s "Top Gun" and his critically-acclaimed roles in "Rain Man" and "Born on the Fourth of July" (which earned him his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor), Cruise quickly cemented his status as one of the biggest stars on the planet.

On Dec. 24, 1990, Cruise married rising star Nicole Kidman, touching off a widely-publicized ten-year relationship and a decade of extraordinary commercial success. During this period Cruise starred in five consecutive films that all grossed more than $100 million at the domestic box office: "A Few Good Men", "The Firm", "Interview with the Vampire", "Mission: Impossible", and "Jerry Maguire". The latter film earned him another Oscar nomination, as did his off-beat role in Paul Thomas Anderson’s extraordinary 1999 ensemble film, "Magnolia".

The Cruise-Kidman partnership ended in 2000, and the film rumored to have destroyed their marriage, Stanley Kubrick’s hauntingly beautiful final feature "Eyes Wide Shut", will likely be remembered as one of Cruise’s greatest performances. Ironically, it was also one of his few commercial failures. Kubrick’s long, slow-moving art film proved unpopular with audiences expecting a more conventional star vehicle.

The 21st century has been kind to Cruise as well. All of his films since "Eyes Wide Shut" have been sizable hits, and his two collaborations with renowned director Steven Spielberg, "Minority Report" and "War of the Worlds", were commercial and critical successes. His work in Michael Mann’s 2004 film "Collateral" was also some of his best. Cruise began dating Spanish star Penélope Cruz after his divorce in 2001, and they remained together for nearly three years. The pair became an item on the set of Cameron Crowe’s thriller "Vanilla Sky".

In 2005 he began a hotly publicized romance with actress Katie Holmes, and his alien invasion drama "War of the Worlds" became one of the biggest hits of the summer. The tabloids had a field day with Cruise and Holmes’s relationship, ultimately dubbing the pair ‘TomKat’ in the press. The two announced their engagement in June after Cruise’s romantic proposal in Paris.

With an exciting slate of new films (including "M:I-3" and a baby with Holmes on the way, Cruise continues to prove his talent, bankability, and his aptitude at staying in the public eye. The man with the world’s most famous grin is likely to be around for quite a while.