History of Tom Cruise in Timeline
Tom Cruise, an iconic American actor and producer, is one of Hollywood's most bankable stars. His films have grossed over $12 billion worldwide, making him one of the highest-grossing actors. He has received numerous accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Golden Globe Awards, alongside four Academy Award nominations. Cruise is consistently among the world's highest-paid actors.
1986: Conversion to Scientology
In 1986, Tom Cruise was converted to Scientology by his first wife, Mimi Rogers.
May 9, 1987: Cruise Marries Mimi Rogers
On May 9, 1987, Tom Cruise married actress Mimi Rogers.
February 4, 1990: Cruise Divorces Mimi Rogers
On February 4, 1990, Tom Cruise and Mimi Rogers divorced.
December 24, 1990: Cruise Marries Nicole Kidman
On December 24, 1990, Tom Cruise married actress Nicole Kidman, whom he met on the set of their film Days of Thunder.
1990: Involvement Leaked
In 1990, Tom Cruise's involvement in the Church of Scientology was leaked by the tabloid Star.
1992: Public Announcement of Scientology
In 1992, Tom Cruise publicly announced that he followed Scientology in an interview with Barbara Walters.
1993: Formation of Cruise/Wagner Productions
In 1993, Tom Cruise partnered with Paula Wagner to establish Cruise/Wagner Productions.
1996: Cruise's First Project as Producer: Mission: Impossible
In 1996, Mission: Impossible marked Tom Cruise's first project as a producer through Cruise/Wagner Productions.
1998: Cruise sues Daily Express
In 1998, Tom Cruise successfully sued the Daily Express, a British tabloid, which alleged that his marriage to Nicole Kidman was a sham.
1999: Rathbun Convinces Cruise
In 1999, Marty Rathbun was sent by David Miscavige to convince Tom Cruise to return to the Church and continue his studies.
February 5, 2001: Cruise and Kidman Announce Separation
On February 5, 2001, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman announced their separation.
May 2001: Lawsuit against Chad Slater
In May 2001, Tom Cruise filed a lawsuit against gay porn actor Chad Slater after Slater claimed to have had an affair with Cruise.
2001: Cruise Linked to Penélope Cruz
In 2001, Tom Cruise was romantically linked with Penélope Cruz, his co-star in Vanilla Sky.
January 2003: Judge rules against Slater
In January 2003, a Los Angeles judge decided against Chad Slater in the lawsuit filed by Tom Cruise, after Slater admitted his claims of an affair were false.
2003: Brooke Shields Uses Paxil
In 2003, actress Brooke Shields used the drug Paxil (paroxetine), an antidepressant to recover from postpartum depression after the birth of her first daughter.
January 2004: Cruise says psychiatry should be outlawed
In January 2004, Tom Cruise publicly stated, "I think psychiatry should be outlawed."
March 2004: Publicist Resignation
In March 2004, Tom Cruise's publicist of 14 years, Pat Kingsley, resigned.
2004: Cruise and Cruz Relationship Ends
In 2004, Tom Cruise's three-year relationship with Penélope Cruz ended.
2004: Scientology Freedom Medal of Valor Awarded
In late 2004, David Miscavige created the Scientology Freedom Medal of Valor and awarded it to Tom Cruise for his work with Downtown Medical following 9/11.
April 2005: Cruise Begins Dating Katie Holmes
In April 2005, Tom Cruise began dating actress Katie Holmes.
June 24, 2005: Argument on Today Show
On June 24, 2005, Tom Cruise had a heated argument with Matt Lauer on NBC's Today show regarding his views on psychiatry.
October 6, 2005: Cruise and Holmes Announce They Are Expecting a Child
On October 6, 2005, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes announced that they were expecting a child.
November 2005: DeVette Replaced
In November 2005, Lee Anne DeVette was replaced with Paul Bloch from the publicity firm Rogers and Cowan.
2005: Cruise Lobbies French Officials
In 2005, The Council of Paris revealed that Tom Cruise had lobbied French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy and Senate President Jean-Claude Gaudin regarding the recognition of Scientology as a religion.
2005: Cruise Described as a Powerful Force in Hollywood
In 2005, Tom Cruise was described by Hollywood economist Edward Jay Epstein as 'one of the most powerful—and richest—forces in Hollywood,' noting his ability to guarantee the success of a billion-dollar film franchise.
April 2006: Birth of Cruise and Holmes' Daughter Suri
In April 2006, Suri, the daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, was born.
July 5, 2006: WIPO rules in favor of Cruise
On July 5, 2006, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) ruled in favor of Tom Cruise, handing down the decision to turn the TomCruise.com domain over to him.
August 2006: Apology to Brooke Shields
In late August 2006, Tom Cruise apologized in person to Brooke Shields for his comments about her use of antidepressants.
August 22, 2006: Paramount Ends Relationship with Cruise
On August 22, 2006, Paramount Pictures announced the end of its 14-year relationship with Tom Cruise, citing economic damage due to his controversial public behavior.
October 10, 2006: "Tom Cruise Day" Declared in Japan
On October 10, 2006, Japan declared "Tom Cruise Day" to honor "his love for and close association with Japan."
November 2006: Cruise and Wagner Take Over United Artists
In November 2006, Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner announced they had taken over the film studio United Artists (UA), with Cruise as a producer and actor, and Wagner as UA's chief executive.
March 2007: UA Acquires Valkyrie
In March 2007, United Artists acquired the film Valkyrie, based on the July 20, 1944, assassination attempt against Adolf Hitler.
March 21, 2007: Cruise to Play Claus von Stauffenberg in Valkyrie
On March 21, 2007, Tom Cruise signed on to play Claus von Stauffenberg in Valkyrie, marking the second production greenlighted since Cruise and Wagner took control of UA.
January 15, 2008: Scientology Video Posted on YouTube
On January 15, 2008, a video produced by the Church of Scientology featuring an interview with Tom Cruise discussing what being a Scientologist means to him was posted on YouTube.
August 2008: Wagner Steps Down from UA
In August 2008, Paula Wagner stepped down from her position at United Artists (UA), retaining her stake in UA, combining with Cruise's share to total 30 percent of the studio.
2008: Restrictions on Scientology Questions
Since 2008, Tom Cruise has restricted interviewers from asking him about Scientology.
2009: Dismissal of Sapir's Suit
In 2009, a Central Civil West court judge in Los Angeles dismissed Michael Davis Sapir's suit charging that his phone had been wiretapped at Tom Cruise's behest because the statute of limitations had expired.
February 9, 2010: Cruise Confirms Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol Role
On February 9, 2010, Tom Cruise confirmed that he would star in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, the fourth film in the Mission: Impossible series.
March 2010: Filming of Knight and Day Completed
In March 2010, Tom Cruise finished filming the action-comedy Knight and Day with Cameron Diaz.
June 23, 2010: Release of Knight and Day
On June 23, 2010, the action-comedy film Knight and Day, starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, was released.
2010: Cruise Inducted into Living Legends of Aviation
In 2010, Tom Cruise, an aerobatic pilot, was inducted into the Living Legends of Aviation and received the Aviation Inspiration and Patriotism Award from the Kiddie Hawk Air Academy.
May 6, 2011: Cruise Receives Humanitarian Award
On May 6, 2011, Tom Cruise received a humanitarian award from the Simon Wiesenthal Center and its Museum of Tolerance for his philanthropic work.
December 2011: Release of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
In December 2011, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol was released, achieving critical acclaim and box office success, becoming Cruise's biggest commercial success to that date (unadjusted for ticket price inflation).
2011: Publication of 'Inside Scientology'
In 2011, Janet Reitman's book, Inside Scientology: The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion, was published, detailing Tom Cruise's reaction to Scientology secrets.
June 2012: Release of Rock of Ages
In June 2012, Rock of Ages was released, marking a box-office misstep for Tom Cruise, despite positive reviews for his performance as Stacee Jaxx.
June 29, 2012: Holmes files for divorce
On June 29, 2012, Katie Holmes filed for divorce from Tom Cruise, initiating the legal process to end their marriage.
October 2012: Cruise files defamation lawsuit
In October 2012, Tom Cruise filed a lawsuit against In Touch and Life & Style magazines for defamation after they claimed that he had "abandoned" his six-year-old daughter, Suri.
October 2012: Vanity Fair Article on Cruise and Scientology
In October 2012, an article in Vanity Fair reported on a secret project by Scientologist leaders to find Tom Cruise a new girlfriend after his breakup with Penélope Cruz.
December 21, 2012: Release of Jack Reacher
On December 21, 2012, the film Jack Reacher, based on Lee Child's novel One Shot, was released, achieving positive reviews and grossing $217 million worldwide.
2013: Cruise Stars in Oblivion
In 2013, Tom Cruise starred in the science fiction film Oblivion, based on Joseph Kosinski's graphic novel, which grossed $286 million worldwide and also starred Morgan Freeman and Olga Kurylenko.
2013: 'Going Clear' Book Published
Lawrence Wright's 2013 book Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, cast a spotlight on Tom Cruise's role in Scientology.
2014: Cruise Stars in Edge of Tomorrow
In 2014, Tom Cruise starred in the science fiction-action film Edge of Tomorrow, which received positive reviews and grossed over $370 million.
2015: 'Going Clear' Documentary
Alex Gibney's 2015 television documentary adaptation of the book Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief cast a spotlight on Tom Cruise's role in Scientology.
2015: Cruise Returns as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
In 2015, Tom Cruise reprised his role as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, the fifth film in the series, which he also produced and was a commercial success.
2016: Cruise Cited as Box Office Draw Regardless of Film Quality
In 2016, the founder of CinemaScore cited Tom Cruise as one of the two stars whose presence can boost box office success regardless of a film's quality.
2017: Cruise Stars in The Mummy Reboot
In 2017, Tom Cruise starred in The Mummy, a reboot of the 1932 film, which received negative reviews but still grossed over $400 million.
2018: Cruise Reprises Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – Fallout
In 2018, Tom Cruise again reprised Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – Fallout, the sixth film in the series, which was positively received and grossed over $791 million.
May 2020: Cruise to Star in Movie Shot in Outer Space
In May 2020, it was reported that Tom Cruise would star in and produce a movie shot in outer space, directed by Doug Liman, with plans to fly to the International Space Station on a SpaceX Dragon 2 spacecraft.
June 2020: Cruise Video Views on YouTube
As of June 2020, the Scientology video featuring Tom Cruise posted on YouTube had achieved over 15 million views.
May 2021: Cruise Protests HFPA by Returning Golden Globe Awards
In May 2021, Tom Cruise protested against the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) by returning all three of his Golden Globe Awards due to controversy surrounding the HFPA's lack of diversity and ethical concerns.
2022: Cruise Stars in Top Gun: Maverick
In 2022, Tom Cruise reprised his role as Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in Top Gun: Maverick, premiering at the Cannes Film Festival where Cruise earned an Honorary Palme d'Or and earning over $1 billion, becoming his highest-grossing film and Cruise earning $100 million.
July 12, 2023: Release of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
On July 12, 2023, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One was released in theaters, receiving critical acclaim but facing box office challenges due to the 'Barbenheimer' phenomenon.
January 2024: Cruise's Production Company Partners with Warner Bros. Discovery
In January 2024, it was announced that Tom Cruise's production company was forming a new strategic partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery to develop and produce original and franchise films.
2024: Cruise Promotes Los Angeles 2028 Olympics at Paris Closing Ceremony
In 2024, Tom Cruise promoted the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics at the Paris 2024 Olympics closing ceremony by jumping from the roof of the Stade de France stadium in Paris.
May 2025: Release of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
In May 2025, Tom Cruise is set to reprise his role in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.
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