26 Untold Tom Cruise Facts that No One Knows

Little fact lovers, let me introduce you to Thomas Cruise Mapother IV or Tom Cruise.

He is an American actor and producer😲!! 

Famous as one of the world’s highest-paid actors, Cruise has received many accolades, including three Golden Globe Awards and an Honorary Palme d’Or. 

He has even got four Academy Awards nominations.

So, let us discuss some interesting facts regarding the life and works of this amazing actor!

Interesting Tom Cruise Facts

Tom Cruise was born in Syracuse, N. Y.

Hey there, little fact-lovers, did you know that Tom Cruise was born in Syracuse, N. Y., on July 3, 1962?

His dad, Thomas Cruise Mapother III, was an electrical engineer, and his mom was Mary Lee Pfeiffer👩‍👦. Both of his parents were from Louisville, Ky. 

Another interesting thing is that both Tom’s grandfather and great-grandfather were Thomas Cruise Mapother, as well.

Tom has two older sisters, Lee Anne and Marrian, and one younger sister called Catherine or Cass.

In 1975, Tom’s parents divorced

In 1974, When Tom’s family was residing in Ottawa, his mother packed up and took the children back to Louisville!

Later in August 1975, Mary officially divorced Tom’s father! Six weeks later, Tom’s father remarried Joan Lebendiger, a widow with four kids!

Later, one of those kids told biographer Andrew Morton that they never saw Tom, their stepbrother, again after the wedding.

In 1994, Cruise recalled to Vanity Fair, saying, “As a kid, I had a lot of hidden anger about that. I’d get hit, and I didn’t understand it.”

Cruise wanted to act from a very young age

I am really surprised to learn this interesting fact about Tom Cruise!! What about you, my friends??

This top actor wanted to act from around the time he was just 4! 🧒! Amazing, right?

Hence, he started making impressions of everyone, including Donald Duck, Humphrey Bogart, and even Elvis Presley!!

Tom’s mother got remarried to Jack South

In the year 1978, when Tom was 16, his mother got remarried to Jack South. Hence, the entire family moved to New Jersey!

He said to Rolling Stone, “In the beginning, I felt threatened by my stepfather.” 

He also added, “There’s a part of you that’s in love with your mother. But he is such a wise, smart man. He loved my mother so much that he took us all in, four young people.”

Cruise was raised Catholic

Tom Cruise was raised Catholic⛪. He spent his freshman year of high school at St. Francis Seminary, Cincinnati. 

It happened after a priest named Ric Schneider gave a talk at his school in Louisville!

In 2013, Schneider told the New York Daily News, “He was a typical teenager, trying to find his way in life.”

He further added, “We would give them an IQ test, and he just about made the cut.”

According to him, Tom scored exactly 110 when the cutoff was also 110!!

There was a time when Tom even wanted to become a priest!

Tom got kicked off the football team in high school

Have you heard this interesting secret about this famous heartthrob of Hollywood??

Tom got kicked off the football⚽ team during his senior year of high school!!

It happened after he was caught drinking!

However, according to Morton, that left Tom enough time to audition for the school musical Guys and Dolls!

Tom portrayed the role of Nathan Detroit, and a commercial director happened to see his performance!

The director told him to pursue acting professionally!

Hence, later Tom started going to New York on weekends to audition for musicals. He even missed his graduation ceremony👨‍🎓 while performing!

Tom Cruise suffered from dyslexia

This world-famous actor could not read until he was an adult! 

On several occasions, Cruise revealed that he could not read due to a debilitating case of dyslexia.

He even said that “All through school and well into my career, I felt like I had a secret.”

 He also said that “When I’d go to a new school, I wouldn’t want the other kids to know about my learning disability.” 

He even called himself “a functional illiterate” in school, though he liked learning.

Cruise was always a daredevil

If you are a fan of Cruise, like me, then you will definitely enjoy this interesting fact about this handsome actor!

Tom was always a daredevil! He loved riding his bike really fast, and sometimes even broke his bones! 

In high school, he joined the glee club, and dd plays! 

Also, Tom was an athlete. Over the years, he played baseball, soccer⚽, basketball🏀, and ice hockey! He even wrestled!

Acting and sports were the two fields where he really stood out!

Cruise and his acting debut

Tom Cruise made his acting debut in films in the 1981 drama Taps! He had done a role that was bigger than the one he was initially cast in.

According to the former Paramount head Sherry Lansing, it happened because “you could see right away that he had a giant talent.: 

Lansing even said in Stephen Galloway’s 2017 biography Leading Lady that “He was always extremely focused and exceptionally polite.”

Cruise dated his co-star Rebecca De Mornay

Cruise dated his co-star in Risky Business, Rebecca De Mornay. According to Rebecca, Tom was a ‘pure person.’

In 1986, She even told Rolling Stone, “There’s something earnest and virtuous about his that’s quite rare.”

In the summer of 1983, Tom and Rebecca started dating💞 and maintained a long-distance relationship while, in London, he shot Ridley Scott’s Legend!

However, these two broke up when Tom returned to the United States to start making Top Gun.

Tom married Mimi Rogers in 1987

Little friends, did you know this surprising fact about Cruise? No?? Let me tell you.

Although in 1986, Cruise told Rolling Stone that he wasn’t sure if he would be able to get married in his present “state of mind,” he did marry Mimi Rogers on May 9, 1987. 

It happened just two years after he met her at a dinner party! At the wedding💒, Emilio Estevez was Tom’s best man!

Tom Cruise was the one and only Maverick

Producers of Top Gun, Don Simpson, and Jerry Bruckheimer envisioned no one other than Tom portraying the role of Maverick✈️!

This happened after they saw a magazine story about the elite flying school at San Diego’s Miramar Naval Air Station.

Bruckheimer told Rolling Stone, “From the first time we went down to Miramar-even before the script was written-we said,” “These guys are Tom Cruises.”

Tom Cruise loves speed

In 1987’s movie The Color of Money, Cruise’s co-star Paul Newman turned Cruise on to race car driving and after that, Cruise has ben feeling the need for speed both in the air and on land. 

Years later, in 2010, Cruise even taught Zac Efron about motorcycles 🚴‍♂️. When Details asked why Cruise did that, Efron answered, “I don’t know.” 

He even added, “I don’t even want to know. It’s just so cool that he gave a s—t, the fact that he cared at all.”

Cruise and the Church of Scientology

Mimi Rogers and her first husband were both members of the Church of Scientology. 

Later, Mimi introduced Cruise to the organization. She even gave Tom L. Ron Hubbard’s Dianetics and other literature.

Tom’s immersion in Scientology coincide with the release of Top Gun; hence, the actor became one of the biggest stars in the world. 

Still to this day, Tom Cruise remains the most famous member of the church!

Tom Cruise, the Sexiest Man Alive

Did you know this amazing fact about Cruise, my friends? No? Let me explain.

In the year 1990, People named Tom Cruise its “Sexiest Man Alive.” 😲

At that time, he and Rogers divorced!

In 1994, when Vanity Fair asked Cruise about his first marriage, he replied, “It was a long time ago. I really don’t think about it.”

Director Oliver Stone wanted to paralyze Tom

As per Morton’s biography of Tom Cruise in 2008, director Oliver Stone wanted to inject Tom with a chemical! 

That would have rendered Tom temporarily paralyzed so that he (Tom) could better identify with the role of Ron Kovic!

Kovic was a real-life Vietnam War veteran and activist, Born on the Fourth of July in 1989.

However, the idea was actually shut down by the insurance company!

Still, the movie won two Oscars for best director and best editing. So, all things worked out perfectly!

Cruise married Nicole Kidman

During the days of casting for the racing movie Days of Thunder! Later, they tied the knot on December 24, 1990.

They adopted two kids, Isabella and Connor.

Cruise and Kidman starred in two more films together Far and Away and Eyes Wide Shut.

Cruise married Kidman to protect his reputation

I am really surprised to learn this unique fact about Cruise!!

According to several reports, Cruise married Kidman to protect his reputation at the time. Because that time, several tabloids claimed that Cruise was gay😲!

Actually, these rumors started when gay porn star Chad Slater stated that he and Cruise had a relationship!

However, later, it was proven that these rumors were false😲!

In 2001, Tom filed for divorce from Kidman

Tom Cruise filed for divorce from Nicole Kidman in February 2001. 

At that time, Kidman was unknowingly pregnant 🤰; however, unfortunately, the pregnancy ended in a miscarriage!

Later the year, Cruise cryptically told Vanity Fair, “She knows why, and I know why.” He even added, “She’s the mother of my children, and I wish her well.”

Tom Cruise saved Ray-Ban

Love Ray Ban sunglasses!!? Then you will surely love this fact!

In 1981, the company Ray-Ban was in the grip of financial turmoil, as it could only sell 18,000 units of its now popular wayfarers!

Tom Cruise donned these sunglasses in a few of his most famous movies 🎬 like ‘Top Gun,’ ‘Risky Business,’ and ‘Rain Man.’ 

Also, some of his smart product placements were funded by Ray-Ban; thus, Tom Cruise was solely responsible for saving the company!

Later, in the year 1986, Ray-Ban saw a 40% increase in sales when Top Gun was released!

The shooting of Eyes Wide Shut lasted for 18 months

Initially, the shoot 🎬 of Eyes Wide Shut was scheduled to last for just four months!

However, it ended up keeping Cruise and Kidman in London for around 18 months.

During their time in England, they attended Princess Diana’s funeral in September 1997. 

Also, Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks attended the funeral as well!

Tom Cruise and His Mission Impossible

If you are a fan of the movie Mission Impossible, then you will surely love this wonderful secret about Cruise!

Tom wanted Brian de Palma to direct Mission: Impossible.

In that case, it would mark his debut as a producer with his partner Paula Wagner!

Cruise even deferred his salary of 20 million dollars so that they could raise the budget for the film. 

Later, Mission Impossible made about 500 million dollars worldwide and even spawned a franchise!

Tom Cruise was supposed to play Iron Man

Little friends, have you heard this surprising fact about Cruise??

The character of Tony Shark, or our favorite Iron Man, was reportedly first offered to Tom Cruise prior to Robert Downy Jr. was being cast!! Really interesting, isn’t it??

However, Tom declined the offer!!

The YouTube video scandal

In 2008, the Church of Scientology produced a video that featured an interview with Tom! It was posted on YouTube by the Anonymous Group. 

However, the video was taken down on claims of being edited and prated.

Later, the video was reinstated as investigations revealed that it didn’t breach the copyright law!

As of June 2020, the video got more than 15 million views, and YouTube didn’t want to remove it again due to its incredible popularity!

Cruise and Katie Holmes and their daughter

In April 2005, Tom and Katie started dating!

On May 23, 2005, Cruise jumped up on Oprah Winfrey’s couch on a talk show and talked about his love for Katie Holmes!

At that time, media coverage implied that Oprah was actually taken aback by Tom’s outburst!

Later, Tom and Katie had a daughter, Suri, on April 2006, and they even got married! 

However, On July 9, Katie filed for divorce from Tom! 

Another interesting fact is that all three of Cruises’ ex-wives were 33 years of age at the time of divorce!! Interesting, isn’t it?

Cruise has never got an Oscar

I am really sad to learn this fact about Cruise!!

Surprisingly this amazingly talented and handsome actor has never won an Oscar, even after being nominated three times!

He got nominations for movies like ‘Magnolia;’, ‘Jerry Maguire,’ and ‘Born on the Fourth of July.’

Summing up

So, little fact explorers, how are you feeling after knowing so many surprising facts about Tom Cruise?

We have tried to collect as much information about him as possible😲…and we are sure you are quite happy.

Looking forward to getting your answer! 😊!