does tom cruise have an actor brother

Biographies

Tom Cruise Brother: Exploring the Family Ties of a Hollywood Icon

By Alexander

February 12, 2024

Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, widely known as Tom Cruise, is an esteemed American actor renowned for his roles in several blockbuster films. Born on July 3, 1962, Cruise’s extensive career has spanned decades, establishing him as one of Hollywood’s most prominent figures. His dedication to performing his own stunts and his versatility in playing diverse characters have greatly contributed to his fame and critical acclaim.

Among the lesser-known facts about Tom Cruise is the identity of his siblings, specifically his brother. William Mapother is Cruise’s paternal cousin, not a biological brother, and is also an actor. William was born on April 17, 1965, in Louisville, Kentucky. While not as widely recognized as Tom Cruise, William has appeared in a number of films and television series, carving out a successful acting career of his own. His most notable work includes a role in the television series “Lost” and his involvement in the film industry as a co-founder of the film finance marketplace Slated. So, while people continue asking about Tom Cruise brother, we can only talk about his cousin.

Content Compass

Early Life and Background

This section delves into the formative years of Tom Cruise’s life, with an emphasis on his birth and upbringing, challenges with dyslexia, and his educational journey.

Birth and Family

Tom Cruise was born on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, New York. He hails from a family with roots in Louisville, Kentucky and is of English, German, and Irish ancestry. His parents are Thomas Cruise Mapother III, an electrical engineer, and Mary Lee, a special education teacher.

Struggles with Dyslexia

From a young age, Cruise faced the challenge of dyslexia which affected his academic life. Despite his struggles with reading and writing, he persevered and found ways to cope with the learning disorder.

Cruise’s education included time spent at a Franciscan seminary with the intention of becoming a priest, a path not commonly known to many. However, his passion for acting eventually led him to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.

Acting Career

Tom Cruise’s acting career, marked by a series of successful films, has made him a formidable figure in Hollywood. His early roles set the stage for memorable performances in blockbuster hits, establishing him as a leading actor.

Early Roles

Cruise’s career in front of the camera began in the early 1980s with small parts in films such as Endless Love (1981) and Taps (1981). These roles carved a path for Cruise, displaying his potential for more significant cinematic opportunities.

Breakout with Risky Business

In 1983, Cruise starred in Risky Business , playing the character Joel Goodson. This film proved to be a turning point, transforming him from a newcomer to a recognized face in Hollywood. Risky Business is often credited with launching Cruise’s career as a leading man.

Rise to Stardom

Following the success of Risky Business , Cruise solidified his stardom with lead roles in several critically and commercially successful films. In 1986, he starred in Top Gun , which became a cultural touchstone and a box office sensation. He followed this with notable performances in Rain Man (1988) and Born on the Fourth of July (1989), the latter earning him an Academy Award nomination. Cruise continued to build his career with movies like The Color of Money (1986), and by the time he began his long-running role as Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible series (first released in 1996), he was an indisputable heavyweight in the cinematic world.

Key Filmography

Tom Cruise’s film career showcases a range of collaborations with top directors, iconic roles that have defined popular culture, and a collection of recent works that demonstrate his enduring appeal and versatility in the film industry.

Collaborations with Renowned Directors

Throughout his career, Cruise has worked with a plethora of esteemed directors, enhancing his filmography with varied and pivotal roles. Notable collaborations include his work with Barry Levinson in Rain Man , which starred Cruise alongside Paul Newman , earning critical acclaim and solidifying his status as a serious actor. His project with Steven Spielberg , Minority Report , added a seminal science fiction movie to their combined legacies. In Eyes Wide Shut , Cruise explored psychological and dramatic depths under the guidance of the auteur director Stanley Kubrick .

Iconic Roles

Cruise’s capacity for taking on challenging roles is evident in films like Jerry Maguire , where his performance as a sports agent garnered vast popularity and quotable moments in film culture. In Magnolia , he delivered a compelling performance, which displayed his range and commitment to complex characters. His depiction of a military officer in The Last Samurai provided an impressive portrayal that has been remembered as one of his most distinguished roles.

Recent Works

Cruise continues to be relevant in modern cinema, evident through recent films such as Edge of Tomorrow , where his role in the science fiction realm was further cemented. His return to one of his most famous characters in Top Gun: Maverick showcases his ability to revisit and reinvigorate classic roles for a contemporary audience. This film, in particular, emphasizes his continuous commitment to performing his own high-octane stunts, which has become a hallmark of his recent work.

Personal Life

Tom Cruise’s personal life, especially his marriages and parenting, has attracted significant media attention. He has been through multiple marriages, all with public figures, and his role as a father has been shaped by his beliefs and relationships.

Marriages and Relationships

• Mimi Rogers: Tom Cruise was married to actress Mimi Rogers from 1987 to 1990. She is often credited with introducing him to Scientology
• Nicole Kidman: His second marriage was to actress Nicole Kidman in 1990. The couple adopted two children together before divorcing in 2001
• Katie Holmes: In 2006, Cruise married actress Katie Holmes. They have a daughter together named Suri. Cruise’s relationship with Holmes, as well as their wedding and eventual divorce in 2012, were highly publicized
• Adopted Children: With Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise adopted two children: Isabella Jane and Connor Antony. Both children were raised in the Church of Scientology
• Biological Child: Suri, his daughter with Katie Holmes, was born in 2006. Following his divorce from Holmes, Cruise’s relationship with Suri became a subject of wide speculation in the media

Throughout his marriages and family life, Cruise remained a devoted member of the Church of Scientology, a belief system that has significantly influenced his personal relationships and parenting approach. Raised Catholic, his conversion to Scientology was a notable shift in his life and career.

Scientology Influence

Tom Cruise is arguably the most famous Scientologist in the world. His association with Scientology began in the 1980s and has been a significant aspect of his public persona. As a prominent member of the Church of Scientology, he has often been at the center of discussions regarding the church’s influence in Hollywood and beyond.

Membership and Status:

• High-profile Membership: Recognized as a dedicated and high-ranking member of the Church of Scientology.
• Public Advocacy: Cruise has publicly advocated for Scientology on numerous occasions.

Influence on Personal Life:

• Networking: His status within the church has reportedly connected him with other influential Scientologists.
• Rumored Impact on Relationships: There have been speculations about the influence of Scientology on his personal relationships, including marriages.

Organizational Roles:

• Alleged Roles: While specific positions held by Cruise within the Church of Scientology have not been publicly detailed, his influence is often characterized as significant.

Church’s Support:

• Promotion: The Church of Scientology has purportedly supported Cruise’s career and public image.
• Association with Leadership: He is known to have close ties with the church’s leadership, including David Miscavige, the leader of the Church of Scientology.

The intersection of Tom Cruise’s career and his involvement with Scientology points to a symbiotic relationship, with each aspect of his life influencing the other to some degree. His activities within Scientology continue to be a subject of public interest and discussion.

Does He Have a Brother?

While many people ask who is Tom Cruise brother, the reality is that he doesn’t have a sibling. Instead, he has a cousin who is also part of Hollywood. His name is William Mapother.

Awards and Recognition

Tom Cruise has garnered significant acclaim over his acting career, earning nominations and wins from prestigious bodies like the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes.

Academy Awards Nominations

Throughout his career, Tom Cruise has been nominated for the Academy Awards, more commonly known as the Oscars, on several occasions. His performances have been recognized by the Academy for their depth and complexity, although he has never clinched an Oscar win.

• Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
• Jerry Maguire (1996)
• Magnolia (1999)

Golden Globe Wins

Tom Cruise’s work has been honored with several Golden Globe Awards, a testament to his skill and persistence in the field of acting. His dynamic performances have resonated with both the audience and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

• Born on the Fourth of July (1990)
• Jerry Maguire (1997)
• Magnolia (2000)

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Tom Cruise Siblings: Shining Bright in Their Own Right

Tom Cruise is a name synonymous with Hollywood stardom, having captivated audiences worldwide with his captivating performances and daring stunts.

Beyond his cinematic achievements, Tom Cruise is also a beloved family man, surrounded by a close-knit group of siblings.

Born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV in 1962, Tom Cruise grew up in Syracuse, New York, alongside his three sisters: Lee Anne DeVette, Marian Henry, and Cass Mapother.

Each of his siblings has carved their own unique path in life , contributing to the tapestry of the Cruise family.

Table of Contents

Lee Anne DeVette

Lee Anne DeVette;Tom Cruise’s eldest sister, Lee Anne DeVette, has been a constant source of support throughout his career .

She served as his personal publicist for several years, guiding him through the complexities of Hollywood and helping him maintain his public image.

Marian Henry

Marian Henry, Tom Cruise’s second eldest sister, is a successful businesswoman and entrepreneur.

She has built a thriving career in the field of real estate, showcasing her acumen and business savvy.

Cass Mapother

Cass Mapother, Tom Cruise’s youngest sister, is a talented artist and musician.

She has pursued her passions in both painting and music, expressing her creativity and individuality.

What is their relationship like with Tom Cruise siblings?

Tom Cruise is close with all of his siblings .

He has often spoken about them with admiration and gratitude.

He has credited them with instilling in him a strong sense of family, loyalty, and perseverance.

What are their plans for the future?

Tom Cruise’s siblings continue to pursue their own passions and contribute to their respective fields.

Lee Anne DeVette remains a devoted sister and confidante to Tom Cruise, offering unwavering support and guidance. Marian Henry continues to thrive in the real estate industry, expanding her business ventures and exploring new opportunities.

Cass Mapother continues to express her creativity through her artistic endeavors, pursuing her passion for painting and music.

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Tom Cruise has spoken fondly of his siblings, describing them as his “rocks” and “closest confidantes.”

He credits them with instilling in him a strong sense of family, loyalty, and perseverance.

The Cruise family exemplifies the power of sibling bonds and the unwavering support that family members can provide.

Tom Cruise’s siblings have played a significant role in shaping his life and career, demonstrating the enduring impact that family can have on one’s journey.

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Lost's Scariest Character Has A Real-Life Connection To Tom Cruise

It is hard to put into words what an absolute phenomenon ABC's "Lost" was. Following the survivors of Oceanic flight 815, which crashes on a deserted island, "Lost" was must-watch television because of the serialized way it expanded on the island's mysteries. One plot point still shrouded with mystique to this day is the exact motives of Ethan Rom. Played by William Mapother, Ethan is the first face that represents the somewhat villainous group known as the Others. Ethan inspires abject fear after abducting Claire (Emilie de Ravin), and his experiments on her unborn baby remain a mystery for seasons.

But other than playing the scariest character on "Lost," the Ethan actor has another claim to fame. Mapother also happens to be first cousins with Thomas Cruise Mapother IV. That's right — Mapother is related to none other than stunt-happy blockbuster king  Tom Cruise . 

The two actors share not only a blood connection but films as well. Early in Mapother's career, he and his cousin collaborated on many of Cruise's definitive films. His first acting credit was in "Born on the Fourth of July," and he's since also had roles in "Magnolia," "Mission: Impossible II," and "Minority Report." Since these collaborations, their careers have diverged significantly. Cruise will likely play Ethan Hunt until "Mission: Impossible" hits double digits, while Mapother's focus on indie fare made him a standout in "Lost" Season 1.

Ethan was season-defining

William Mapother plays Ethan for a total of only 11 episodes over the six-season run of "Lost," but he makes his mark from the onset. When Ethan first appears, he raises the stakes for the survivors. At a time when the show has no context for who the Others are and Ethan is the only identifiable part of the group, Mapother is an insidious inclusion. When the core group realizes Ethan is not on the flight manifest, it is a race against time to save Claire. He kidnaps her before hanging Charlie (Dominic Monaghan) as a warning. In later seasons, his character is fully fleshed out as someone who cares about his patient, which is one reason why Ethan is so compelling. 

This element is also what made the character fascinating to the actor. "It was a ball playing Ethan," Mapother posted on a Reddit AMA . "I have a whole defense as to why he wasn't a villain, ie, we never saw him actually hang charlie, he didn't start the fights with charlie and jack, the injections he gave claire turned out to be beneficial, as we learned from Juliet, etc., etc. I beg you, don't get me started!" 

Even after Ethan dies in the middle of Season 1, he reappears in flashbacks to other parts of  the "Lost" timeline . The audience learns that kidnapping Claire was a life-saving attempt to protect her from dying in childbirth. The Others are retooled in later seasons, but that doesn't diminish his terrifying performance in Season 1.

• Born July 3 , 1962 · Syracuse, New York, USA
• Birth name Thomas Cruise Mapother IV
• Height 5′ 7″ (1.70 m)
• In 1976, if you had told fourteen-year-old Franciscan seminary student Thomas Cruise Mapother IV that one day in the not too distant future he would be Tom Cruise, one of the top 100 movie stars of all time, he would have probably grinned and told you that his ambition was to join the priesthood. Nonetheless, this sensitive, deeply religious youngster who was born in 1962 in Syracuse, New York, was destined to become one of the highest paid and most sought after actors in screen history. Tom is the only son (among four children) of nomadic parents, Mary Lee (Pfeiffer), a special education teacher, and Thomas Cruise Mapother III, an electrical engineer. His parents were both from Louisville, Kentucky, and he has German, Irish, and English ancestry. Young Tom spent his boyhood always on the move, and by the time he was 14 he had attended 15 different schools in the U.S. and Canada. He finally settled in Glen Ridge, New Jersey with his mother and her new husband. While in high school, Tom wanted to become a priest but pretty soon he developed an interest in acting and abandoned his plans of becoming a priest, dropped out of school, and at age 18 headed for New York and a possible acting career. The next 15 years of his life are the stuff of legends. He made his film debut with a small part in Endless Love (1981) and from the outset exhibited an undeniable box office appeal to both male and female audiences. With handsome movie star looks and a charismatic smile, within 5 years Tom Cruise was starring in some of the top-grossing films of the 1980s including Top Gun (1986) ; The Color of Money (1986) , Rain Man (1988) and Born on the Fourth of July (1989) . By the 1990s he was one of the highest-paid actors in the world earning an average 15 million dollars a picture in such blockbuster hits as Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) , Mission: Impossible (1996) and Jerry Maguire (1996) , for which he received an Academy Award Nomination for best actor. Tom Cruise's biggest franchise, Mission Impossible, has also earned a total of 3 billion dollars worldwide. Tom Cruise has also shown lots of interest in producing, with his biggest producer credits being the Mission Impossible franchise. In 1990 he renounced his devout Catholic beliefs and embraced The Church of Scientology claiming that Scientology teachings had cured him of the dyslexia that had plagued him all of his life. A kind and thoughtful man well known for his compassion and generosity, Tom Cruise is one of the best liked members of the movie community. He was married to actress Nicole Kidman until 2001. Thomas Cruise Mapother IV has indeed come a long way from the lonely wanderings of his youth to become one of the biggest movie stars ever. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Tom McDonough, Grant failor
• Spouses Katie Holmes (November 18, 2006 - August 20, 2012) (divorced, 1 child) Nicole Kidman (December 24, 1990 - August 8, 2001) (divorced, 2 children) Mimi Rogers (May 9, 1987 - February 4, 1990) (divorced)
• Children Isabella Jane Cruise Suri Cruise Connor Cruise
• Parents Thomas Mapother III Mary Lee Pfeiffer
• Relatives William Mapother (Cousin) Amy Mapother (Cousin) Katherine Mapother (Cousin) Lee Anne De Vette (Sibling)
• Often plays romantic leading men with an edge
• Often plays characters caught up in extraordinary circumstances
• Frequently plays intelligent yet laidback and likeable characters
• Beaming smile and intense eye contact
• Boundless off-stage energy
• His acting idol is Paul Newman . Much to the delight of Cruise, they became good friends during work on The Color of Money (1986) . Newman got him into racing, and Cruise ultimately raced on his team.
• Stopped to help a hit and run victim and paid her hospital bills. The victim was aspiring Brazilian actress Heloisa Vinhas (1996).
• Insists on performing many of his own stunts in his films, including climbing the exterior of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, during the filming of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) , and driving during the car chases in Jack Reacher (2012) .
• 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.
• He did not stay for the remainder of the 2002 Academy Awards after opening them because it was his turn to look after his and ex-wife Nicole Kidman 's children. He reportedly left the Kodak Theatre by a back door after opening proceedings and dashed home to watch the rest of the event on television with his kids Connor and Isabella.
• The thing about filmmaking is I give it everything, that's why I work so hard. I always tell young actors to take charge. It's not that hard. Sign your own checks, be responsible.
• [to Jay Leno regarding his topless Vanity Fair cover shoot] I don't drink but I had a beer that night and they only did one setup like that. I'm a cheap date. What can I say?
• [on Eyes Wide Shut (1999) ] We knew from the beginning the level of commitment needed. We felt honored to work with Stanley Kubrick . We were going to do what it took to do this picture, whatever time, because I felt - and Nic [ Nicole Kidman ] did, too - that this was going to be a really special time for us. We knew it would be difficult. But I would have absolutely kicked myself if I hadn't done this.
• I have cooked turkeys in my day but when Mom's around I let her do it.
• I was 18 when I saw Akira Kurosawa 's Seven Samurai (1954) . After about 30 seconds, I realized that this was not just a cultural thing, it was universal. Years later, I read Bushido. It talked about many things that I strive for in my own life: loyalty, compassion, responsibility, the idea of looking back on your life and taking responsibility for everything you've ever done. I'm fascinated by the samurai and the samurai code - it's one of the main reasons I wanted to make The Last Samurai (2003) .
• Mission: Impossible 8 (2025) - $13,000,000 + % of back end
• Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) - $13,000,000 + % of back end
• Top Gun: Maverick (2022) - $13,000,000 + % of back end
• The Mummy (2017) - $13,000,000 + % of gross
• Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) - $12,500,000 + % of back end

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Actor Tom Cruise has starred in the box-office hits Risky Business , Top Gun , Jerry Maguire , and the Mission: Impossible franchise.

1962-present

Tom Cruise Now: Mission Impossible Star Performs Skydiving Stunt at Olympics Closing Ceremony

The 62-year-old then appeared in a previously filmed video clip that showed Cruise driving through the streets of Paris and boarding a plane headed to Los Angeles, symbolizing the passing of the torch from the Paris Games to the Los Angeles Olympics in summer 2028. Cruise put on skydiving gear and jumped out of the plane, soaring through Los Angeles and past the Hollywood sign, which he redesigned to feature the Olympic rings in place of the two Os at the end of Hollywood .

Cruise is famous for doing many of his own stunts in his movies, including the Mission: Impossible and Top Gun franchises. Ahead of the release of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One in July 2023, he told Entertainment Tonight that his most dangerous stunt took years of practice to perfect: “You have to be razor sharp when you do something like that.”

Quick Facts

Young tom cruise and parents, scientology, ex-wives: katie holmes, nicole kidman, and mimi rogers, who is tom cruise.

Actor Tom Cruise has been one of the most prominent movie stars in Hollywood dating back to the 1980s. After developing an interest in acting during high school, he rocketed to fame with his turns in Risky Business and Top Gun . Cruise has since become an action movie veteran, counting the Mission: Impossible franchise, Edge of Tomorrow , and Top Gun: Maverick among his many successes. The four-time Oscar nominee has also earned acclaim for his performance in Born on the Fourth of July , Jerry Maguire , and Magnolia. Off the silver screen, Cruise is one of the most high-profile members of the Church of Scientology and has been married to fellow actors Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes .

FULL NAME: Thomas Cruise Mapother IV BORN: July 3, 1962 BIRTHPLACE: Syracuse, New York SPOUSES: Mimi Rogers (1987-1990), Nicole Kidman (1990-2001), and Katie Holmes (2005-2012) CHILDREN: Isabella, Connor, and Suri ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Cancer

Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, better known as Tom Cruise, was born on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, New York. The third of four children, Tom was the only son of Mary Lee South and Thomas Cruise Mapother III. Cruise’s mother was an amateur actor and schoolteacher, and his father was an electrical engineer. His family moved around a great deal when young Tom was a child to accommodate his father’s career.

Tom’s parents divorced when he was 11, and the children moved with their mother to Louisville, Kentucky, and then to Glen Ridge, New Jersey, after she remarried. Like his mother and three sisters, Cruise suffered from dyslexia, which made academic success difficult for him. He excelled in athletics, however, and considered pursuing a career in professional wrestling until a knee injury sidelined him during high school.

At age 14, Cruise enrolled in a Franciscan seminary with thoughts of becoming a priest, but he left after a year. When he was 16, a teacher encouraged him to participate in the school’s production of the musical Guys and Dolls . After Cruise won the lead of Nathan Detroit, he found himself surprisingly at home on the stage, and a career was born.

Early Roles in Taps and The Outsiders

Cruise set a 10-year deadline for himself in which to build an acting career. He left school and moved to New York City, where he struggled through audition after audition before landing an appearance in 1981’s Endless Love , starring Brooke Shields . Around this same time, he snagged a small role in the military school drama Taps (1981), co-starring Sean Penn . His role in Taps was upgraded after director Harold Becker saw Cruise’s potential, and his performance caught the attention of a number of critics and filmmakers .

In 1983, Cruise appeared in Francis Ford Coppola ’s The Outsiders , which also starred Emilio Estevez , Matt Dillon, and Rob Lowe —all prominent members of a group of young actors the entertainment press dubbed the “Brat Pack.” The movie wasn’t well received, but it allowed Cruise to work with an acclaimed director on a high-profile project.

Breakout Role in Risky Business

His next movie, Risky Business (1983), grossed $65 million and become one of the most profitable movies at the box office that year. It also made Cruise a highly recognizable actor—thanks in no small part to a memorable scene of the young star dancing in his underwear.

Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick

In 1986, after a two-year hiatus, the budding actor released the big-budget fantasy film Legend , which did poorly at the box office. That same year, however, Cruise’s A-list status was confirmed with the release of Top Gun , which co-starred Kelly McGillis, Anthony Edwards, and Meg Ryan . The testosterone-fueled action-romance, set against the backdrop of an elite naval flight school, became the highest-grossing movie of 1986.

Decades later, Cruise returned to his role as fighter pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in the action-packed sequel Top Gun: Maverick (2022), which picks up more than 30 years after the original. Critics heaped praise on the movie, and in addition to becoming the second highest-grossing film of the year, it earned an Oscar nomination for Best Picture.

Cruise is set to star in a third movie, Top Gun 3 , which doesn’t yet have a release date.

The Color of Money , Rain Man , and Born on the Fourth of July

Cruise followed the tremendous success of the original Top Gun with a string of both critically acclaimed and commercially successful films. First up was The Color of Money (1986) with co-star Paul Newman , then Cruise worked with Dustin Hoffman on Rain Man (1988). Cruise’s next role, as Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic in the biopic Born on the Fourth of July (1989), earned him an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe for Best Actor.

A Few Good Men , The Firm , and Interview with a Vampire

In 1992, Cruise proved once more that he could hold his own opposite a screen legend when he co-starred with Jack Nicholson in the military courtroom drama A Few Good Men . The movie grossed more than $15 million its first weekend and earned Cruise another Golden Globe nomination. He continued to demonstrate his success as a leading man with The Firm (1993) and Interview with the Vampire (1994), which co-starred Brad Pitt.

Mission: Impossible Franchise

Next, Cruise hit the big screen with another huge action hit: the $64 million blockbuster Mission: Impossible (1996). In addition to starring in the movie, Cruise also served as a producer. The movie’s popularity spawned another action franchise for Cruise.

The long-awaited smash hit Mission: Impossible 2 arrived in 2000 followed by the also popular Mission: Impossible 3 in 2006. However, Cruise was faced with a professional setback that August when Paramount Pictures ended its 14-year relationship with the actor. The company’s chairman cited Cruise’s erratic behavior and controversial views as the reason for the split, though industry experts noted that Paramount more likely ended the partnership over the actor’s high earnings from the Mission: Impossible franchise.

Ultimately, Cruise and Paramount patched up their relationship and have continued adding films to the franchise. That includes Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol (2011), Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation (2015), Mission: Impossible —Fallout (2018), and most recently, Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning (2023).

Jerry McGuire , Eyes Wide Shut , and Magnolia

The same year as the first Mission: Impossible movie, Cruise landed another hit with the highly acclaimed Jerry McGuire (1996), directed by Cameron Crowe. The star secured a second Academy Award nomination and won his second Golden Globe for Best Actor.

Cruise and then-wife Nicole Kidman spent much of 1997 and 1998 in England shooting Eyes Wide Shut , an erotic thriller that was director Stanley Kubrick ’s final film. The movie came out in the summer of 1999 to mixed reviews, but that same year, Cruise enjoyed greater success with the release of Magnolia . His performance as a self-confident sex guru in the ensemble film earned him another Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Vanilla Sky and The Last Samurai

In 2002, Cruise starred in Vanilla Sky , his second collaboration with director Cameron Crowe, as well as Steven Spielberg ’s Minority Report . The following year, Cruise traveled to Australia to shoot the $100 million war epic The Last Samurai, which earned him another Golden Globe nomination.

War of the Worlds

Cruise proved he remained a top draw by starring in the Steven Spielberg –directed remake of the science-fiction classic War of the Worlds (2005), which grossed more than $230 million at the box office.

The third Mission: Impossible movie added to his list of credits in May 2006, but three months later, his partnership with Paramount Pictures, the franchise’s studio, ended. Cruise quickly rebounded with an announcement early that November: He had a new partnership with film executive Paula Wagner and the United Artists film studio. Their first production as a team, the political drama Lions for Lambs (2007), proved a commercial disappointment despite a strong cast that included Meryl Streep and Robert Redford .

Tropic Thunder

Taking a break from weighty material, Cruise delighted audiences with his performance in the comedy Tropic Thunder (2008). Despite his relatively small role in a movie that featured Robert Downey Jr. and Ben Stiller , Cruise stood out by obscuring his trademark good looks to play a balding, obese movie studio executive.

Valkyrie and Rock of Ages

In December 2008, Cruise released his second project through United Artists. The film, Valkyrie , was a World War II drama about a plot to assassinate German leader Adolf Hitler . Cruise starred as a German army officer who became involved in the conspiracy.

Breaking into new territory after another entry in the Mission: Impossible franchise in 2011 , Cruise starred in the 2012 musical Rock of Ages . Although Cruise received some positive reviews for his performance as a rock star, the movie failed to attract much of an audience.

Jack Reacher , Edge of Tomorrow , and The Mummy

Returning to his mainstream action roots, Cruise anchored the 2012 crime drama Jack Reacher , based on a book by Lee Child. He then headlined a pair of science-fiction adventures: Oblivion (2013) and Edge of Tomorrow (2014). Showing no signs of slowing down, the veteran actor in 2015 delivered his usual high-energy performance for the fifth installment of his blockbuster Mission: Impossible franchise .

In 2016, Cruise reprised the role of Jack Reacher for Jack Reacher: Never Go Back . He then headlined a reboot of The Mummy (2017), which performed respectably at the box office but was savaged by critics, before earning better reviews later that year for the crime thriller American Made .

Cruise is one of the most prominent celebrity members of the Church of Scientology . He became a student of the religion, founded by writer L. Ron Hubbard, through his first wife, Mimi Rogers. Cruise credited the church with curing his dyslexia, and he soon became one of its leading proponents.

In 2005, Cruise made headlines as an outspoken Scientologist. He openly criticized his former Endless Love co-star Brooke Shields for using anti-depressants during her recovery from postpartum depression. He also denounced psychiatry and modern medicine, claiming Scientology held the key to true healing. Cruise’s statements led to a heated argument with news anchor Matt Lauer on The Today Show in June 2005, for which Cruise later apologized.

Cruise has been married three times, all to fellow actors, and has three children.

He first wed Mimi Rogers in 1987 but their union ended three years later. Cruise wasn’t single for long.

Also in 1990, he connected with Nicole Kidman , his co-star in the racecar drama Days of Thunder . The movie was unpopular among critics and fans alike, but the two lead actors had real chemistry. On Christmas Eve 1990, after a brief courtship, Cruise and Kidman married in Telluride, Colorado.

For much of the 1990s, Cruise and Kidman found themselves fiercely defending the happiness and legitimacy of their marriage. They filed two different lawsuits against tabloid publications for stories they considered libelous. In each case, the couple received a published retraction and apology, along with a large monetary settlement which they donated to charity. During the first half of their marriage, the couple adopted two children, Isabella and Connor.

On February 5, 2001, Cruise and Kidman announced their separation after 11 years of marriage. The couple cited the difficulties involved with two acting careers and the amount of time spent apart while working.

Following the divorce, Cruise briefly dated his Vanilla Sky co-star Penelope Cruz followed by a much-publicized relationship with actor Katie Holmes . A month after his ties to Holmes became public, Cruise professed his love for Holmes in a now-famous appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, during which he jumped on Winfrey’s sofa, shouting “Yes!”

In June 2005, after a two-month courtship, Cruise proposed to Holmes in a restaurant at the top of the Eiffel tower. In October, they announced that they were expecting their first child together. The hasty proposal and surprise pregnancy quickly became tabloid gossip.

In 2006, Cruise and Holmes welcomed their daughter, Suri. That November, they were married in an Italian castle, with celebrities Will Smith , Jada Pinkett Smith , Jennifer Lopez , and Victoria and David Beckham among those in attendance. However, the storybook romance didn’t last, and in June 2012, Holmes filed for divorce.

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Okay, Tom Cruise and 53-year-old character actor William Mapother aren't identical cousins. But it's hard to miss the family resemblance in their smiles, not to mention their chosen profession. Here, to celebrate National Cousins Day, is more on them and 16 other pairs of celebrities who come from the same family tree.

Known as Dr. Ethan Rom on TV's "Lost" and for his pivotal role in 2001's "In the Bedroom," William Mapother is also Tom Cruise's first cousin: Tom's birth name is Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, and their fathers were brothers. And while the cousins have appeared together in "Mission: Impossible 2," "Minority Report," "Vanilla Sky" and "Magnolia," Mapother says that having a household name as a first cousin comes with no guarantees. "Tom has been kind enough a couple of times to suggest to a director, 'If you're looking for an actor, why don't you audition this guy?'" Mapother says. "So it has opened a couple doors, but it hasn't gotten me any roles."

Actress/comedians Jenny and Melissa McCarthy—first cousins whose dads are brothers—grew up in Illinois and made it to Hollywood in their twenties, with Jenny helping Melissa get her first job when she was starring in the sitcom "Jenny." And when a critic took issue with Melissa's weight in a review of her 2013 film "Identity Thief," Jenny—then co-host of "The View"—went on attack, saying, "She's very, very, very talented and people know that. So he can go to hell."

Rock singer and actor ("The Hunger Games") Lenny Kravitz and "Today Show" weatherman Al Roker are second cousins—Lenny's actress mother Roxie Roker ("The Jeffersons") is Al's first cousin. "All I know is I'm going with it," Al Roker said when learning of the familial connection. "Kids think it's cool."

Glenn Close is Brooke Shields' second cousin once removed—Shields' great-grandmother Mary Elsie Moore is the sister of Close's maternal grandfather Charles Arthur Moore Jr. And though the actresses have never appeared onscreen together, in 2008 Close stepped in for an ill Shields to narrate the children's book "Runaway Bunny" at a Carnegie Hall benefit engagement.

"Godfather" director Francis Ford Coppola is the uncle of actors Nicolas Cage and Jason Schwartzman, and that makes them first cousins. Cage—who has starred in movies ranging from "Moonstruck" to "Con Air"—is the son of Coppola's brother August but changed his last name for his acting career. Schwartzman ("Rushmore," "I Heart Huckabees") is the son of Coppola's sister, actress Talia Shire. Said Cage of his name change: "Nicolas Coppola was a frightened boy who had to reinvent himself in order to fulfill his dreams. It was like a giant weight came off my body."

Both Grammy winners, Whitney Houston and Dionne Warwick are first cousins—Whitney's mother Cissy is the sister of Warwick's mother Lee. Tragically, the recent documentary "Whitney" makes the claim that a third cousin, the late soul singer Dee Dee Warwick, molested Whitney Houston as a child—a claim both mother Cissy and cousin Dionne rebuff with "shock and horror."

When "Curb Your Enthusiasm" star Larry David and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders appeared together on PBS's genealogy show "Finding Your Roots," they had no idea that they were, in David's words, "like third cousins or something," But when a DNA test indicated a family connection through a mutual Polish-Jewish relative, it made sense. Weren't they both balding dudes from Brooklyn? Hadn't David already done a spot-on impersonation of Sanders on "Saturday Night Live"? As Sanders said, "Larry David does a better Bernie Sanders than I do."

In 2012, actress Halle Berry revealed that she is related "in some twisted way" to former governor of Alaska and Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin. As the child of a white mother and black father, Berry's roots run deep and wide, but even she expressed shock when told by a genealogist of the discovery of her Palin connection…"I said, 'No! Aaah!'"

Rip Torn, the Emmy-nominated co-star of "The Larry Sanders Show" is Oscar winner Sissy Spacek's first cousin—Torn's mother Thelma Mary is Sissy's aunt. It was Torn who helped Spacek get into the acting business when she first arrived in Hollywood from Texas, introducing her to the Lee Strasberg Actors Studio and hosting her in his home. Torn even gave Spacek some solid career advice. "My cousin, Rip Torn, persuaded me not to change my name," said Spacek. "That you shouldn't change what you are in the search for success."

While it's been widely reported that comedians Dennis Leary and Conan O'Brien are cousins, long-running late night host O'Brien has always been a bit cagey about the connection. Says O'Brien: "Dennis always says after about a few drinks, 'Hey, buddy, you and me, we're cousins, right?' And then he'll hit me up for money. So let's ... yes, sure, we're related."

Through her mother Valerie (who is of Jamaican heritage), "Scandal" star Kerry Washington is a cousin of former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. Interestingly, both are graduates of George Washington University.

Renowned actor Ralph Fiennes (Harry Potter's Lord Voldemort) and Britain's Prince Charles are both descendants of King James II of Scotland (who reigned in the 1400s), making them eighth cousins. And though it's unclear where that puts Fiennes in the line to someday become King himself, he did in 2012 perform an excerpt of Charles Dickens' "Bleak House" in front of members of the Royal Family—including Prince Charles—on the 200th anniversary of the novelist's birth.

Boyhood pals and Hollywood collaborators, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are also cousins, though distant ones (they're 10th cousins once removed). According to the New England Genealogical Society, Damon and Affleck are both descended from William Knowlton Jr., a bricklayer who came to the U.S. from England in the 1630s. And not only does Affleck have more Oscars (two to Damon's one), the Society also traced his genealogical ties to Princess Diana and 16 U.S. Presidents, including Barack Obama.

After a genealogist expert informed her that actress Angelina Jolie was a tenth cousin, Hillary Clinton surprised with another family revelation. "And Madonna, too!" she said. "Hello, isn't this a good piece of news? I mean, I am thrilled to be related to Angelina Jolie and Madonna. They're both strong independent women."

Stand-up comic turned movie star Amy Schumer is New York Senator Chuck Schumer's first cousin, once removed (her father and Schumer are cousins). And when Donald Trump Tweet-accused the Senate Minority Leader of "crying fake tears," while opposing Trump's immigration policy, Amy came to her cousin's defense with an Instagram blog: "I know Chuck Schumer and HE CANNOT act, trust me. He can barely smile on cue. He can't help but be transparent and genuine.

Singer/rapper/actors Snoop Dogg and Brandy are first cousins, though both have been slow to publicize it. "We never really told the world because we weren't trippin' off of that," said Snoop. "But she's my family." Still, the "Moesha" star was featured on Snoop Dogg's 2009 song "Special."

A member of Hollywood royalty, Tom Hanks is also third cousin, four times removed from Abraham Lincoln, this through Lincoln's mother Nancy Hanks. "The members of my branch of the family are either cousins or in-laws or poor relations of Lincoln," Hanks said. "So, when I was at school, guess which president I was always doing essays on?"

Tom Cruise Siblings

Who is Tom Cruise Siblings in real life? What is the name of his Brother? What is the name of his Sister?

Born on July 3, 1962, Tom’s birth name is Thomas Cruise Mapother IV . He is a critically acclaimed actor known for his multiple accolades for his work. His parents are Thomas Cruise Mapother III and Mary Lee who had a total of 4 children, including Tom. Tom has three siblings named Lee Anne, Marian, and Cass.

Marian Mapother

Marian is a celebrity sibling who is as prolific as her actor brother, Tom Cruise. She is into the real estate industry in Florida. Now known as Marian Henry after getting married. Marian, her son, and daughter-in-law have a company called Chmm LLC.

Despite her profession and brother’s popularity, she kept everything else about her private life away from the radar. However, one thing is known. She has a close-knit relationship with her other 3 siblings, Tom included.

Lee Ann Mapother

Lee Anne is Tom’s agent. Later on in her career, she got herself into a production company.

Cass Mapother

Cass was born in 1961. She owns a cafe in New Jersey called Cass’s Cafe. Cass is the director of OT Academy, a Scientology course-related academy. She is married to Greg Capazorio who is the president of Criminon International.

Here are some facts about the celebrity siblings:

• The Mapother sisters taught Tom when he was younger because of his dyslexia.
• They all reside in Scientology apartment.
• The whole family was raised Catholic but is now devout Scientologists.

Leonardo DiCaprio Siblings

Tom Cruise’s Family History & the Mapother Name Origin .

If you’re interested in genealogy, a fascinating way to explore it is by researching famous people and their family trees. One celebrity whose ancestry can be traced back to Ireland is Tom Cruise, the actor known for the films Mission Impossible, The Color of Money, and Risky Business, among others.

Cruise’s Irish origins can be traced through the Cruise and Mapother surnames. Read on to discover the extensive research we’ve done on this family line. We’ll explore the family’s history, immigration to the US, and some interesting stories and historical figures from Cruise’s family tree.

What Is Tom Cruise’s Ethnicity?

Tom Cruise’s full name is Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, after his father, Thomas Mapother III. The paternal side of his family is Irish, though the Mapother surname has early origins in England.

The Mapother name made its first known appearance in Devon several centuries ago, as the family had a seat as Lords of the Manor . There are many known variations of the Mapother name, including Maypowter, Maypower, Mapower, and Mapowder.

Tom Cruise’s Family Roots

The Cruise family made their first appearance in Ireland in the twelfth century. A Cruise was a knight who came to Ireland with the infamous Strongbow, whose invasion led to the English conquest of Ireland.

Afterwards, the Cruises were granted land in north Dublin. They established themselves in the area and remained there for many generations.

They were a well-connected Catholic gentry family who maintained their religion and their status despite the upheavals of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The family intermarried with local gentry families, and one branch became known as the Russell Cruises.

Immigration to the United States

In 1825, Patrick Russell Cruise married Teresa Johnson. Together, the family moved to the United States around 1826. Patrick Cruise’s land was managed indirectly through a local land agent during his time in America.

However, just before the Irish Famine, he became unhappy with the actions of his land agent, who had forced many families out of their homes. Patrick Cruise returned to Ireland around 1843 to give these lands back to his tenants.

The youngest known child of Patrick Russell Cruise was Mary Paulina Russell Cruise, born in New Jersey in 1832. She married Dillon Henry Mapother, an engineer from Dublin, in 1858. They had several children before Dillon died around 1874.

After Mapother’s death, Mary Paulina Mapother married Thomas O’Mara. The couple had one known son, Thomas O’Mara, in 1876. He was Tom Cruise’s great-grandfather.

Thomas O’Mara Senior died between the 1880 and 1890 US censuses. His son assumed the surname Cruise Mapother, as it was the surname of his siblings. Interestingly, if this ancestor hadn’t changed his name, Tom Cruise’s last name would be O’Mara.

Recent Family History

Tom Cruise’s parents, Thomas Mapother III and Mary Lee Pfeiffer were originally from Louisville, Kentucky. They married and had four children: Tom, Lee Anne, Marian, and Cass Cruise.

Tom Cruise was born on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, New York. His family relocated to Canada when his father took a job with the Canadian Armed Forces. The Top Gun actor’s parents divorced when he was in sixth grade, and he moved with his mother and sisters back to the US.

Family and Career

Tom Cruise has been married to actress Nicole Kidman, Mimi Rogers, and Katie Holmes. He has two adopted children with Nicole Kidman: Connor and Isabella Cruise. The actor also has a daughter named Suri Cruise with Katie Holmes.

Cruise is known for his activity in the church of Scientology and roles in many well-known films, including the franchise Mission Impossible, Vanilla Sky, and Jerry Maguire. He has won several Golden Globe Awards, among many other accolades for his performances over the years.

Tom Cruise Discusses His Irish Ancestry

On a trip to Ireland in 2013, Tom Cruise discovered more about his Irish family history. Expert genealogists Fiona Fitzsimons and Helen Moss were able to trace his ancestry back as far as the early twelfth century. Watch Tom Cruise discover our research and receive his Certificate of Irish Heritage in the video below.

Cruise has continued to share his delight with our hard work over the years. Watch Tom talk about his Irish family history on Jimmy Kimmel Live in the video below.

Turn to the Experts When Researching Your Irish Roots

Learning about Tom Cruise’s family history may pique your curiosity about your own. Luckily, there are resources available to help you to find as many details on your ancestry as we uncovered on Cruise’s family line.

If you’re interested in researching your Irish family history, the team at Irish Family History Centre can help. Contact us today to learn how we can help you unlock new pieces of your family’s story.

Discover your family history .

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Home » Family Tree » Tom Cruise Family Tree Father, Mother Name Pictures

Tom Cruise Family Tree Father, Mother Name Pictures

The American actor and filmmaker, Tom Cruise was born on July 3, 1962 to Mary Lee and Thomas Cruise Mapother III. He began his acting career with film Endless Love in 1981 and gained his first lead role in 1983 film Risky Business. Tom gained wider international fame in 1986 with film Top Gun and has went on to become one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood. Throughout his career, Tom Cruise has starred in numerous critically and commercially successful films such as The Color of Money, Rain Man, Magnolia, Minority Report, War of the Worlds, Jack Reacher, Knight and Day, A Few Good Man, Vanilla Sky, Oblivion, Edge of Tomorrow and Mission Impossible film series. In his personal life, Tom Cruise has been married three times so far, first with Mimi Rogers, second with Nicole Kidman and third with Katie Holmes, all of which ended with a divorce. He also has three children, two of which are adopted and one biological.

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Given here are complete details about Tom Cruise family tree including his father, mother, siblings, wife and children names and pictures.

Complete Name: Thomas Cruise

Date of Birth: July 3, 1962

Birth Place: Syracuse, New York, United States

Occupation: Actor, Filmmaker

Father Name: Thomas Mapother III

Mother Name: Mary Lee Pfeiffer

Siblings: Lee Ann Mapother, Cass Mapother, Marian Mapother

Spouse: Katie Holmes (m. 2006–2012), Nicole Kidman (m. 1990–2001), Mimi Rogers (m. 1987–1990)

Children: Suri Cruise, Isabella Jane Cruise, Connor Cruise

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Tom Cruise Mother:

Tom Cruise Siblings:

Tom Cruise Wife:

Tom Cruise Children:

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• FC ORIGINALS

When you are as famous as Tom Cruis e , fans are always interested in learning about your personal life. And it so happens there’s a lot to tell. Tom Cruise has not one but three sisters he’s fond of. He’s been photographed with them publicly, ensuring they remain a part of each other’s lives.

Tom Cruise has often attributed his success to his siblings, who have raised Cruise as one would raise their child. Not many people know this, but the actor also has a cousin. You may not know his name, but you’ve probably seen him a few times on television and movies.

Related: Why Tom Cruise Was Banned From His Daughter’s Wedding Despite Paying For It?

Tom Cruise Has Three Sisters

Tom Cruise is a part of a family with many children. The ‘Mission: Impossible’ star has three sisters whom he dearly loves. Their names are Lee Ann Mapother DeVette, Marian Mapother Henry, and Cass Mapother. Lee Ann has served as Cruise’s publicist in the past. She’s now a part of his movie star brother’s production company.

Lee Ann is also a practicing Scientologist. Marian Mapother Henry is a Florida-based real estate professional with Clearwater Real Estate. His other sister, Cass Mapother, owns Cass’s Cafe and practices Scientology. Reportedly, Cruise and his siblings are all enthusiastic followers of Scientology.

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The ‘Mission: Impossible’ Star Has A Cousin Who Is an Actor

Tom Cruise has a cousin who’s been a working actor in the industry for a long time. William Reibert Mapother Jr., better known as William Mapother, is the first cousin of the ‘Mission: Impossible’ star. He’s known for playing dark characters, noticeably in the sci-fi series ‘Lost’ and the film ‘In The Bedroom.’

William Mapother has admitted that knowing the ‘Jerry Maguire’ actor has opened some doors for him in the film industry. However, a lengthy dinner with the director Tod Field led to his breakout film ‘In The Bedroom.’ Mapother’s additional credits include films like ‘ Another Earth,’ ‘I Origins’ and the television show ‘The Mentalist.’

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How Tom Cruise’s Death-Defying Stunt at the 2024 Paris Olympics Closing Ceremony Came Together

It’s hard to top much of what we’ve seen come out of this summer’s Olympic Games . (The gymnastics friendships! The sweet parent-child moments ! The jewelry! ) Yet Sunday’s spectacular closing ceremony—which featured a one-of-a-kind stunt courtesy of Tom Cruise that took executive producer and creative director Ben Winston of Fulwell 73 Productions over a year to put together—was a definite contender for the most exciting moment of Paris 2024.

Tom Cruise on the roof of the Stade de France during the closing ceremony.

Shortly after a performance of the national anthem by H.E.R. at the Stade de France, Cruise could be seen rappelling from the roof down to the ground; accepting the Olympic flag from Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass; boarding his motocycle, and riding off into the Parisian night. Then, all at once, he was on a plane, jumping out of said plane, and turning the double Os of the Hollywood sign into the Olympic rings. All the while, the Olympic flag was being handed off to a series of athletes including mountain biker Kate Courtney, former sprinter Michael Johnson, and skateboarder Jagger Eaton.

Kate Courtney biking down the steps of the L.A. Memorial Coliseum with the Olympic flag.

A day before the ceremony, Vogue spoke to Winston about the Olympic flag’s journey from Paris to Los Angeles; organizing a live (and secret!) beach concert featuring the likes of Billie Eilish and the Red Hot Chili Peppers; and the mind-bending travel schedule Cruise kept in order to close out the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Vogue : I’d love to hear a little about how this video came about.

Ben Winston: We’ve been planning this for a year and a half, and we had this idea that it would be so beautiful if we could take the flag from the Paris stadium and make it travel all the way to Los Angeles and then go live and do something spectacular here. The thing about Paris is that there are so many iconic elements we saw in the opening ceremony, from the Seine to the Eiffel Tower. One of the things LA is best-known for is its beaches, so we thought, what if we could steal that flag, bring it to LA, and do a massive, amazing concept on the beach with all these amazing LA artists? It’s been incredibly exciting.

The first thing we did was pitch Tom, because there’s nobody better to do an incredible stunt. I pitched him on the idea of a stuntman grabbing the flag, coming down from the roof of the Stade de France, and then taking his mask off and you see it’s Tom Cruise, who then jumps out of a plane and lands in LA. Tom said, “I’m in, but I want to do the whole thing,” so it was this huge undertaking of this live stunt with Tom jumping off the roof. We wanted to keep Tom doing this daredevil jump off the roof a surprise, and then cut to this video we’ve been making where Tom gives the flag to these Olympic athletes, who then take us to a massive live concert on the beach with Billie Eilish, Snoop, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Every element took a lot of work!

How does it feel to be so close to seeing your project come to life?

This story will be going up just after it’s happened, so right now I’m still nervous because we’ve got all these elements lined up and it is live TV. But it’s been an amazing coming-together of wonderful people making it happen. I’m so grateful to Tom and to the artists and athletes taking the flag on its journey from Paris to LA.

Did any part of the planning process take you by surprise?

We really wanted to dream big. Once everyone had signed off on the idea, we were confronted with the reality of: How do you do a stunt with Tom Cruise at the Stade de France and then a massive concert on the beach with some of the most famous artists in Los Angeles? That’s been quite nerve-racking, because we aren’t in the safety of a stadium and the audience doesn’t even know what they’re showing up for. We have fencing at the perimeters of the beach, and hopefully by the time people realize what’s going on it will be over. [ Laughs .] The secrecy was tricky and there were lots of leaks, so it was a lot to live with for a year and a half, but I’m feeling very excited and proud.

Flea, Chad Smith, Anthony Kiedis, and John Frusciante of Red Hot Chili Peppers performing during the closing ceremony.

Were there any LA-centric aspects of this production that you particularly loved as an Angeleno?

When you first arrive in LA, you always look for the Hollywood sign, and one of the coolest things about this was the city giving us permission to film on the sign. Tom being up there six or seven months ago with nobody knowing what he was doing was amazing; I’ve been up there a lot with my team, and sitting in the middle of the Os was a pinch-me moment. Working with all this talent was, as well; the Red Hot Chili Peppers playing “Can’t Stop” over the transition of the flag going from Paris to LA is so cool.

Billie Eilish

Is there any other BTS detail you can share with us?

Well, I can tell you that Tom was filming Mission: Impossible in London, then got on a plane, flew 11 hours to LA, got off the plane, shot with us, then got right back on the plane and back to set. The commitment from him and the musical artists to keeping the beach aspect a secret was really amazing.

Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg

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Tom Cruise leaps from Stade de France, assists in LA '28 Hollywood logo reveal

Tom Cruise began the shift from the 2024 Paris Games to the 2028 Los Angeles Games by leaping off the Stade de France in the closing ceremony on Sunday.

Cruise appeared at the top of the stadium after singer H.E.R. performed the American national anthem. The actor looked at the camera, then jumped off with a harness attached to his body and descended slowly to the ground.

He walked through Olympic athletes while giving out high-fives and taking selfies. He eventually made his way to the stage to take the Olympic flag from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Simone Biles.

Cruise then hopped on a motorbike reminiscent of the ones in "Top Gun: Maverick," which he starred in, and rode out of the Stade de France and into the streets of Paris, going toward a plane in a previously filmed sequence.

IT'S A BIRD. IT'S A PLANE. IT'S TOM CRUISE! 🤯 #ParisOlympics | #ClosingCeremony pic.twitter.com/5v4j8pOwBF — NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 11, 2024

Thank you, Paris! Now off to LA. pic.twitter.com/MxlAb0hZbT — Tom Cruise (@TomCruise) August 11, 2024

Of course, Cruise then parachuted out of the aircraft, this time landing in Los Angeles. He made his way up to the Hollywood sign, attaching the Olympic rings to it, and handed the Olympic flag off to cyclist Kate Courtney.

The handover ceremony continued with performances in Los Angeles from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre.

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South asian star taapsee pannu signs with crimson media, olympics la28 handover producer on tom cruise’s one condition to do the leap, how much was live, overcoming tech issues & more.

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Tom Cruise has leapt from great heights under the guidance of Ben Winston , co-founder of Fulwell73 and creative producer of the Los Angeles Olympics 2028 handover, one time before.

This time, however, it was different. The whole world was watching.

Cruise, who previously jumped out a plane alongside James Corden on The Late Late Show , which was exec produced by Winston, revved up the Paris Olympics closing ceremony Sunday as he started the engine on the handover to L.A. for the 2028 Summer Games.

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The Mission: Impossible star, who interrupted filming of the latest installment of the action movie franchise to perform the stunt, then leapt from a plane to the Hollywood sign, passed the baton to Team USA Olympians including mountain biker Kate Courtney, track and field legend Michael Johnson and two-time Olympic medalist skateboarder Jagger Eaton, who took it to the beach — literally.

Winston told Deadline that what viewers of the ceremony saw was almost identical to what he pitched Cruise, with one small difference.

“I said to [Cruise], H.E.R. does the national anthem, she starts rocking out her guitar. We see a man on the roof in a balaclava. He jumps off the roof, he grabs the flag, he drives through Paris, gets on the back of a plane, takes his balaclava off and we reveal it’s you,” Winston said. “[Cruise] said ‘I absolutely love it, I’m 100% in.’ I remember how excited he was. He said, ‘There’s only one thing. There is no way that you’re going to use a stuntman. ‘It’s me on that roof, I’m jumping, I’m doing it all. There’s no man in a balaclava’.”

After the Olympians took the flag across the city, there were performances by the Red Hot Chili Peppers , who performed “Can’t Stop” from their By the Way album, followed by Billie Eilish  playing “Birds of a Feather” on the top of a lifeguard tower. Then Snoop Dogg , arguably one of the breakout stars of the Olympics, performed “Drop It Like It’s Hot” and teamed with Dr. Dre on a surprise performance of “The Next Episode.”

“There’s a lot of amazing L.A. artists, there’s a few other amazing hip hop stars like Kendrick Lamar being one, but those three were my first choice,” Winston said. “They were in my original deck before they even said yes a year and a half ago. I was so certain that when I was pitching the idea I already had Red Hot Chili Peppers on as the soundtrack to the Tom Cruise film,” Winston added.

Winston, whose Fulwell73 produces series such as Hulu’s The Kardashians , said he took his first meeting with LA28’s Casey Wasserman in January 2022.

The majority of it was shot live, although Winston admitted that some of it wasn’t able to be shot live due to security concerns on the beach. “Some people have said none of it was live. Some said all of it’s live. Actually, it’s a bit in between, but for various different issues, because obviously you’re exposed in the middle of the beach, and we had to keep it quiet what was happening for security reasons. If it had leaked where we were or what was happening, then we would have been shut down. I’m very aware that we can’t afford to be shut down, because we’re live to a billion people globally. It was a complicated project,” he added.

The Grammys exec producer admitted it was a bit tense. “It was a very stressful one. It was probably my highest stress levels I think I’ve ever had in my career. We had some tech issues connecting from Paris to L.A. You’re combining so many elements that have to be played, and you’re also kind of at the mercy of the Olympic broadcasting team, and the Paris team. There was a lot of technical stuff that was tricky and testing, and then you’re also aware that the biggest movie star in the world was about to jump off a roof,” he added.

Winston and his team have plenty of experience in live television with projects such as Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodgers Stadium and Adele: One Night Only .

The live shows were directed by Hamish Hamilton, who has also directed a lot of live television. Glenn Clements collaborated with Winston on the film, Dave Piendak and Raj Kapoor served as producers, Patrick Menton oversaw talent, and Misty Buckley and Gloria Lamb led set design for the beach concerts.

“It’s a bit like when you have a baby and the baby comes and you’re like, ‘Oh my god, this is a nightmare stress, they’re sick on you and need changing and then they turn 3 and they’re really cute and you’re like ‘Let’s do that again.’ That’s a bit like live TV. When you’re in it, you’re asking why am I doing this?,” he said. “Then I was looking around it yesterday and looking at the team, and I was like, ‘We had had the greatest musicians in the world on that stage. We had Tom Cruise, the greatest movie star, and we also had the best of the best in our industry come and deliver it.’ ”

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Tom Cruise Closes Out 2024 Paris Olympics by Jumping Off Roof of Stade de France and Skydiving Into LA

Tom cruise dives into olympics closing ceremony with epic stunt, 'emily in paris': lily collins promises 'bigger' drama and romance in season 4 (exclusive), john cena on possibly hosting 2025 oscars after 'naked' stunt with jimmy kimmel (exclusive), why nate burleson had a tough time sending his son nehemiah off to college (exclusive), how ginnifer goodwin's kids reacted to learning she plays 'zootopia's judy hopps (exclusive), chet hanks remembers '3-day coke binge' that forced him to get sober, why heidi klum feels 'free' going topless at the beach (exclusive), gena rowlands, ‘the notebook’ actress, dead at 94, inside usher’s ‘past present future tour’ rehearsals (exclusive), vanessa lachey and family emotionally say goodbye to hawaii after 'ncis' cancelation, garcelle beauvais spills on her new film 'tempted by love' and the youngest man she's dated, 'it ends with us' drama: justin baldoni hires crisis pr amid ongoing cast conflict, laci peterson's murder case revisited in new docuseries as scott peterson speaks out, 'emily in paris': lily collins on potential new love interests in part 2 (exclusive), usher apologizes to fans for postponing 'past present future' tour after injury, why zoe kravitz is comparing her 'blink twice' directorial debut to giving birth, nick jonas and priyanka chopra make 'the good half' premiere a date night, 'agt': heidi klum shares her advice for 'never giving up on love' with sofia vergara (exclusive), kaley cuoco and tom pelphrey are engaged, 'transformers one': behind the scenes with chris hemsworth, scarlett johansson and more (exclusive), terry crews says reuniting with ‘everybody hates chris’ co-stars ‘felt like home’ (exclusive), tom cruise pulled off an epic stunt to wrap up the 2024 paris olympics and get the world hyped for the 2028 los angeles olympics..

Tom Cruise went full Mission: Impossible mode for the closing ceremony at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Sunday with a stunt-filled special appearance that symbolically handed off the responsibilities of the Olympic games to Los Angeles -- where they will be held in 2028.

Cruise, 62, who is famous for doing his own stunts in his movies, impressed the world when he repelled off the top of the Stade de France and dropped down through the air on safety wires before landing on the arena stage.

Cruise was greeted by athletes and cheered on by fans as he walked across the stage to the rocking guitar of H.E.R -- who had also played the National Anthem shortly before.

Once on stage, Cruise met with and shook hands with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and gold medalist Simone Biles.

Cruise was then given the Olympic flag and ran off to a motorcycle waiting for him, where he attached the flag to the bike and rode out of the stadium.

From there, Cruise drove through the streets of Pairs -- that is, he did so in a pre-recorded segment that saw the actor get on a plane and fly the flag to Los Angeles.

Once in the City of Angels, Cruise jumped out of the plane and soared through the L.A. skies and past the Hollywood sign, which had been modified to turn the two "O"s in "wood" into two of the five Olympic rings.

Cruise has long been famous for doing extreme stunts for several of his action films, many of which have never been achieved or attempted before.

In June 2023, Cruise spoke with ET while in Rome promoting  Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One , and he revealed that the  most dangerous stunt of his career  -- a motorcycle jump off of a cliff into a base jump -- was the first-ever scene filmed for the action flick.

"Well, we know either we're gonna continue with the film or we're not," Cruise said with a laugh of planning the death-defying stunt. "Let's know day one... Do we all continue, or is it a major rewrite?"

In all seriousness, the actor added, it all came down to focus. "It was years preparing. I mean, I've been riding motorcycles since I was a little kid, raced cars and spent a lot of time just with aerobatics, airplanes, helicopters and parachutes... It all kind of came to that moment," he explained.

"You have to be razor sharp when you do something like that, so it was very important as we were prepping the film that that actually was the first thing [to shoot], because I don't want to drop that and go shoot other things and then have my mind somewhere else," he continued. "Everyone was prepped, let's just get it done."

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The Peculiar Joy of Watching Tom Cruise Jump From the Sky

The most entertaining part of what we will call the Tom Cruise Movement of the Paris Olympics Closing Ceremony wasn’t so much the stunts. The live jump into the Stade de France was unremarkable for an event that had performers dropping from great heights all evening, and the prerecorded leap out of an airplane into Los Angeles didn’t quite have the razzle-dazzle of what he’s done in movies like Mission: Impossible — Fallout . Rather, it was the live moment — orchestrated, certainly — that immediately followed his arrival in the stadium, as Cruise walked through a gauntlet of Olympic athletes eager to hug, high-five, and take selfies with him. The actor is an old hand at red carpets by now, but he seemed genuinely surprised and charmed by this outpouring of love. How appropriate for the times we live in that people who achieve incredible feats of power and speed in real life would be so starstruck by someone who does them onscreen. It made some kind of thematic sense too. Cruise was there to carry the flag from Paris to Los Angeles, and this was an intriguing (and very Hollywood) reminder from the organizers of the upcoming 2028 Summer Olympics that while superhuman athletic achievement is nice and everything, celebrity trumps all.

I must admit, I found this whole spectacle strangely moving. It wasn’t so long ago that Cruise’s career seemed to be in free fall. We don’t need to spend much time on the sordid details — the notorious couch jump, the Matt Lauer interview, the Brooke Shields contretemps, the secretive and messy divorces, the Scientology of it all — but back in the late 2000s and early 2010s, it really did seem like American moviegoers (as well as critics, who had always kept him at a bit of a distance) had had enough of Cruise. Internationally, he remained a big draw, but Stateside he was becoming poison. If he hadn’t held onto some form of domestic box-office viability through the Mission: Impossible movies … who knows? He might be starring in on-demand action flicks and Exorcist pictures now.

That’s where stunts come in. This might be hard to remember, but Cruise hasn’t always been a stunt guy. He hadn’t even been an action guy. Sure, he enjoyed riding motorcycles and flying planes and all that stuff, but before the premiere of the first Mission: Impossible in 1996, there was a real question as to whether he could carry an action movie that didn’t feature fighter jets. There was a lot of buzz around him doing his own climbing during the opening sequence of Mission: Impossible 2 , but that was just his character Ethan Hunt relaxing, and free climbing was one of Cruise’s favorite sports.

The Watch Tom Do Stunts thing really kicked into high gear in 2011, with Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol and its now-immortal sequence atop and around and alongside and occasionally inside the Burj Khalifa. Importantly, this film came out shortly after a yearslong string of PR disasters for the actor, starting with his chaotic press tour for War of the Worlds. Stunts allowed Cruise to claw his way back into audiences’ good graces. These feats demanded attention because they had become increasingly elaborate and deadly: Tom Cruise hanging on the outside of a plane as it takes off. Tom Cruise running vertically down the tallest building in the world. Tom Cruise hanging off a helicopter then free-falling down the tow line. There was a quality of self-punishment to these actions. They came at just the right time and in just the right manner for this seemingly fallen movie star: They allowed him to suffer onscreen for our entertainment, and slowly win back the good will he had lost.

For those of us who witnessed this bizarre, one-of-a-kind, decades-long roller-coaster ride, it’s been enthralling to watch. And it’s hard not to see symbolism, be it real or imagined, everywhere in Sunday night’s event with Tom Cruise as the avatar of an international flag handoff. It kicked off in France with the adoration of athletes from the world over, a kind of acknowledgement of how Cruise remained popular overseas even as American audiences turned away from him. But then he biked down the streets of Paris, got on that plane, and sky-dived into Los Angeles, the sequence (at least the Cruise part) ending on one final, sublime crane shot of him standing atop the Hollywood sign. The last true movie star was back home.

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Tom Cruise’s Sisters Basically Look Like the Actor’s Twins (It’s Freaky…)

Ok, it’s time to get real about Tom Cruise ‘s sisters …

The 54-year-old actor has three siblings, Lee Ann Mapother DeVette, Marian Mapother Henry, and Cass Mapother — and they basically all look like Tom’s twin!

Let’s take a step back in time to learn a bit more about Tom’s family, shall we? The future-actor was born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, NY. His parents, Mary Lee Mapother South and Thomas Cruise Mapother III, worked as a special education teacher and an electrical engineer, respectively.

MORE: Tom Cruise Caught Kissing Girlfriend Vanessa Kirby — See the Steamy Pic!

Mary Lee and Thomas welcomed their first child, daughter Lee Ann, in 1959. Two years later, the couple had daughter Marian. Tom’s younger sister, Cass, was later born around 1964.

Tom with his sister Lee Ann in 2004.

Tom and his three sisters unfortunately grew up in near-poverty and their father was abusive. The siblings — who were raised Catholic — later moved to Canada before their parents split in the mid-1970s.

MORE: Nicole Kidman Talks Finding Mega-Fame After Her Divorce From Tom Cruise

In a 2016 interview, Tom’s first-ever girlfriend opened up about his close relationship with his siblings. “I think he grew up too fast but he was very close with his three sisters. One time he said he’s so close with them they taught him how to kiss,” she told the [Daily Mail]( https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3453270/Portrait-young-Tom-Cruise-love-fame-money-Scientology.html?ito=social-twitter dailymailceleb)_.

Tom with his sister Marian (left) and late mom Mary Lee (right).

As Tom later shot to Hollywood stardom — thanks to movies like Risky Business , Top Gun , and A Few Good Men , just to name a few! — his eldest sister, Lee Ann, became his publicist in 2004.

MORE: See All the Times Tom Cruise’s Daughter Suri Cruise Made the Same Facial Expression as Her Famous Dad!

A year later, however, Lee Ann was replaced by veteran celebrity rep Paul Bloch . Starting in 2005, Tom’s sister instead worked for the actor’s production company.

Earlier this year, the Mapother siblings’ mother, Mary Lee, sadly died peacefully in her sleep at age 80 in February 2017 . Tom and his three sisters all subsequently attended a memorial service for Mary Lee at her local Church of Scientology.

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Tom Cruise carries the IOC Flag during the Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade ... [+] de France on August 11, 2024

It’s hard to believe that it has already been two weeks since the Paris summer Olympics kicked off with a star-studded opening ceremony, which included breathtaking and dazzling performances from Céline Dion, Lady Gaga and many more incredible moments filled with emotions. Since then, artistic director of Paris 2024 Thomas Jolly and his team had teased a huge closing ceremony at the Stade de France, and it did not disappoint.

The athlete’s parade was a moment of celebration and unity between them and the public. The closing ceremony served as a symbolic link between Paris and the next Olympic Games which will take place in L.A. The French bands Phoenix and Air joined in the celebrations, the French singer Yseult gave a powerful rendition of “My Way”, and Billie Eilish, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Snoop Dog celebrated in Long Beach, California.

However, the name on everyone’s lips tonight was of course, Tom Cruise. The actor attended the opening ceremony on July 26 and was also seen attending a few competitions in the French capital, including the women’s soccer final.

The Hollywood movie star, who has become a master in the art of performing his own mind-blowing and death-defying stunts, was spotted in April riding a motorcycle at night in the streets of Paris, and before that, he was also seen preparing a stunt on the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles.

The rumor that Cruise would probably be involved in some way in the closing ceremony was spreading all over the internet last week, and it was quickly confirmed that he would indeed be performing a stunt.

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After two hours of celebrations at the Stade de France, the first notes of the Mission: Impossible theme song resonated in the stadium, and Tom Cruise appeared on the roof.

When he landed on the ground, he ran across the athletes and greeted them, before recovering the Olympic flag from U.S gymnast Simone Biles. He then quickly jumped on a motorcycle hidden behind the stage and drove off.

In a pre-recorded segment, we see him riding across the French capital, passing the Eiffel Tower and crossing the Champs-Elysées, getting on a plane and skydiving onto the Hollywood sign to hang the flag to it. The Olympic circles are now one with the legendary Hollywood sign. The actor immediately shared on his social media a photo of himself from the top of the stadium, with a simple, symbolic caption, “Thank you, Paris! Now off to LA”

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