What cruise site would be complete without a mention of one of the ultimate cruises, Tom Cruise!
“I’m going to work my a** off and do whatever it takes — blood, sweat, and tears…” And with that statement, Tom Cruise began his fight to the top over a decade ago.
Born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, NY, actor Tom Cruise didn’t have a typical Hollywood youth. His parents were always on the move, so that by the time TOm Cruise was 13, he had already changed schools over a dozen times. At 14, he wanted nothing more than to become a priest, and by 16 his sights were set on winning the state wrestling championship with his high school team. A bad knee injury put Cruise out of the running for a wrestling career and gave him a chance to focus on theater as a way of dealing with teen angst. By 18, Cruise had dropped out of school and was on his way to New York City to try his luck on the big screen.
He made his film debut with a small role in Endless Love (1981), alongside Brooke Shields. While this film did little for his public recognition, it did open the doors to another movie, Risky Business (1982). As soon as the second film hit the theaters, critics everywhere started talking about this newcomer. From then on, Cruise’s career has been characterized by his refusal to be pigeonholed. Where other actors have chosen to stay within the genre that made them famous, Cruise has played a plethora of diverse roles, including dramatic parts (Born on the Fourth of July, 1989; Rain Man, 1987), action (Top Gun, 1985; Mission Impossible, 1996; MI:2, 2000), romantic (Jerry Maguire, 1996), and even alternative films that defy definition (his Oscar-nominated role in Magnolia, 1999; Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut in 2000, in which he starred with his then-wife Nicole Kidman).
Even his former critics have embraced Cruise on his way up. While filming Anne Rice’s “Interview with the Vampire”, he received severe criticism from the author for being chosen to play the part of the vampire Lestat. But Cruise persevered and by the time the film was out, Rice herself had been smitten with Cruise’s portrayal of her famous vampire.
Married to Nicole Kidman until 2001, Cruise is the adoptive parent of their two children, Connor and Isabella. Following his break-up with Nicole Kidman, Cruise started dating actress Katie Holmes, had a whirlwind romance and engagement, and as of the writing of this article, they are expecting their first child.
A fervent advocate of the Church of Scientology, Cruise has recently become the object of harsh criticism for claiming that Scientology teachings allowed him to overcome his dyslexia, and for his public denouncement of, ironically, Brooke Shields for her use of medication to treat post-partum depression. A well-liked actor among his peers, however, Cruise is also active in charity projects and philanthropic projects.
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