46 He grew up with an abusive father.
Throughout his childhood, Cruise was beaten and bullied by his father, who deserted the family when he was young. “He was a bully and a coward,” he told Parade magazine. “He was the kind of person where if something goes wrong, they kick you.”
47 Paul Newman was his racing buddy.
Paul Newman and Tom Cruise became fast friends after they first met on the set of Color of Money in 1986. After this initial meeting, Newman invited Cruise to race Nissan 300ZXs in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) competitions. So yes, Newman and Cruise raced around in really fast cars for fun. And speaking of famous pals, check out these 20 Celebrity Friendships You Never Knew Existed.
48 He switched schools a lot.
In just 12 years of school, Cruise attended 15 different schools, spanning the country from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Cincinnati, Ohio. Unfortunately for Cruise, this only made it harder for him to create any lasting relationships with his peers.
49 His film debut was in Endless Love
Cruise’s first film was the 1981 drama Endless Love, and featured a sweat-drenched run that quickly made the small-town actor famous.
50 He held many odd jobs to help his mother pay the bills.
Growing up, Cruise took several odd jobs to help make ends meet. “No job was too dirty or difficult for Tommy, as long as it paid money to help his mom out,” Cruise’s neighbor Bill Lewis was quoted saying.
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