Full name: Thomas Cruise Mapother IV
Occupation: Actor, Director, Producer
Date of Birth: July 3, 1962
Place of Birth: Syracuse, N.Y., USA
Sign: Sun in Cancer, Moon in Leo
Relations: Wife (separated): Nicole Kidman (actress); ex-wife: Mimi Rogers (actress); kids: Isabella, Connor Anthony (both adopted); father: Thomas Cruise Mapother III (electrical engineer; deceased); mother: Mary Lee Mapother; siblings: Lee Anne Mapother (publicist), Marian Mapother (teacher), Cass Mapother (restaurateur)
Education: High school

Facts about Tom Cruise:

Lack of privacy was one of many themes that resonated with Cruise and Spielberg in MINORITY REPORT. The film presents a world where, along with psychics peering into people's unconscious thoughts, police can monitor the whereabouts of everyone by eye scans.

Tom Cruise and Lea Thompson had body doubles for the sex scene in ALL THE RIGHT MOVES (1983).

Tom Cruise began filming MINORITY REPORT (2002) only days after completing work on VANILLA SKY (2001).

Cruise wanted a private set in INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE (1994), and hence tunnels were built to escort the actors to and from the set. This was done so that the vampire's makeup effects would remain a secret.

Disguised with a beard and mustache and appears as a bad guy that walks out of a door and is shot in YOUNG GUNS (1988). He was added because he was visiting the set and said he had never been in a film gunfight.

For the 'knife-in-the-eye' scene in MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2 (2000), he insisted that a real knife be used, and that it stop exactly quarter inch from his eyeball, instead of somewhere vaguely near his eye, as John Woo suggested.

Cruise has filmed a cameo role in AUSTIN POWERS IN GOLDMEMBER alongside Steven Spielberg, Kevin Spacey, Danny DeVito and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Having been friends with Steven Spielberg since the actor shot to stardom with 1983's RISKY BUSINESS, now joins the director as one of the demigods of modern Hollywood — spent years kicking around ideas for a joint project.

Says working with Steven Spielberg has inspired him to try his hand at directing.

It wasn't until Cruise came across an early script for the sci-fi thriller MINORITY REPORT that they found something that grabbed them both.

Cruise has a third MISSION IMPOSSIBLE film in the works. He also is producing and might star in a remake of H.G. Wells' WAR OF THE WORLDS.

JERRY MAGUIRE (1996) was his fifth consecutive $100-million-plus film, a new record.

Cruise and Spielberg are determined to try to collaborate again on future projects.

Tom Cruise was considered to play Nash in A BEAUTIFUL MIND (2001).

In INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE he was placed on an elevated platform during some scenes to reduce the height difference between his character and other vampires (such as Brad Pitt and Antonio Banderas).

Wanted the part of Bud Fox in WALL STREET (1987), but Oliver Stone had already agreed to Charlie Sheen. Oliver Stone later promised Cruise with a role in another picture, BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY (1989).

In the very beginning of RAIN MAN (1988), a red sports car has MI 3762 4 written on its windshield. The numbers 3762 spell out Cruise's birthday: 3 July 1962.

In-joke: in MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE he goes online with his laptop by typing in, not Usenet, but Cruisenet.

Cruise said his only problem was getting the people on the other end of the line to believe it was really him.

In Tom Cruise's bedroom, there is a poster for JULES ET JIM (1961), a French movie in which the climactic scene involves the female star driving a car with her and her lover off a bridge (like in VANILLA SKY).

In TOP GUN (1986), he is an inch too short to be a Navy pilot (minimum height 5'8, based on minimum sitting height 32 and minimum leg length 36).

Initially offered to return to the role of Lestat in QUEEN OF THE DAMNED (2002), but he declined.

Cruise did his own trick shots for THE COLOR OF MONEY (1986), except for one in which he had to jump two balls to sink another. Scorsese said he could have let Cruise learn the shot, but it would have taken two extra days of practice, holding up production and costing thousands of dollars. The shot was instead performed by professional player Mike Sigel.

At the party to begin EYES WIDE SHUT (1999), two seducing women promise to take Cruise to the other end of the rainbow. Later, while in the costume shop, Cruises' head is depicted just underneath the near side of the rainbow sign in the shops window.

It was during the filming of DAYS OF THUNDER (1990) that he, then married to Mimi Rogers, fell in love with Nicole Kidman. They were married later the same year.

Cruise and Nicole Kidman were both considering roles in COLD MOUNTAIN (2003), yet Cruise was unaware of Kidman's involvement. Cruise backed out but Kidman immediately signed up.

Was nominated for Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in 2000 for MAGNOLIA.

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

(2000) Cruise and his wife Nicole Kidman donated to Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign for a seat in the U.S. Senate representing New York.

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

(1997) Voted Best Dressed Male Movie Star.

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

While he was working with Paul Newman in The Color of Money he engaged in much conversation with the politically active actor. The resulting conscious raising changed him from an actor who ignored the jingoistic tone of Top Gun (1986) to a performer who chose a film with a strong anti-war tone, Born on the Fourth of July (1989) to counter his contribution to the former film.

In early drawing of ALADDIN (1992), Aladdin resembled Michael J. Fox. As the story developed, Jeffrey Katzenberg didn't think Aladdin had enough appeal to women, so he asked Aladdin to be beefed up a bit to resemble Tom Cruise.

Has three sisters: Marian, Lee Anne and Cass

(June 1980) Graduated from Glen Ridge High School.

He has thrown a massive secret party to celebrate his 40th birthday in July 3rd, 2002. He hosted his own bash at Santa Monica's Museum Of Flying in California on Saturday, where he keeps some of his plane collection. Cruise and his actress girlfriend Penelope Cruz partied with 200 friends and family at the party, which was kept so quiet there were no paparazzi in sight. One way he threw the paparazzi off the trail was by having the party nearly 2 weeks before his actual birthday.

He has been sporting railtrack-like braces on his famous grin after knocking out a front tooth, smashing another in half and chipping an upper molar while playing with his and Nicole Kidman's adopted son.

He has jetted into London for the UK premiere of his latest film, MINORITY REPORT - and fans are hoping for a repeat of his crowd-pleasing appearance for the premiere of VANILLA SKY in January when he delighted the crowds in London's Leicester Square by going on extended walkabouts and making calls on their mobile phones.

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.

Is right handed when writing, but does most things left handed.

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

(1990) Chosen as People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive

Was considered for the lead in The Matrix (1999).

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.

The tremendous hype around the release of EYES WIDE SHUT (1999) resulted in several rumors about the plot. The most widely circulated was the mistaken rumor that in the film, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman played married psychiatrists having affairs with their patients.

SALARY:

Interview with the Vampire	$15,000,000
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)	$20,000,000
Mission: Impossible II (2000)	$75,000,000 (gross participation)
Vanilla Sky (2001)	$20,000,000 + 30% of Profits
Jerry Maguire (1996)	$20,000,000 against 15% (USA)
Minority Report (2002)	$25,000,000+
Risky Business (1983)	$75,000
Top Gun (1986)	$2,000,000
Far and Away (1992)	$13,000,000