Tom Cruise Turns 59: How Much is the ‘Mission: Impossible’ Actor Worth?
Since his breakout role in 1983’s “Risky Business,” Tom Cruise has been a dominant force in Tinsel Town, appearing in more than 40 feature films throughout his illustrious career. Now, as he turns 59 on July 3, Cruise has amassed hundreds of millions from his starring roles in dramas and action-packed thrillers.
It’s no secret that Cruise is one of the biggest box office draws of all time, but he has also scored himself a spot among some of the richest actors in Hollywood. Take a look at his net worth to see how his silver screen success has translated into wealth.
Tom Cruise Net Worth
Tom Cruise’s estimated net worth is $600 million.
Cruise earned $75 million between May 2011 and May 2012, making him the highest-paid actor in Hollywood, according to Forbes. While he lost that title through the years — Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has topped Forbes’ list the past two years with earnings of more than $87 million annually — Cruise still commands a hefty salary per film. Variety estimated Cruise will earn a base salary of $12 million to $14 million for his role in “Top Gun: Maverick,” which is due to hit the theaters on Nov. 19, 2021.
“Mission: Impossible 7,” is scheduled for release on Memorial Day weekend in 2022 and will add more millions to Cruise’s bank account. For the first six installments, he earned $285 million, plus a share of the back-end box office profits, Celebrity Net Worth reported.
“Mission: Impossible 8,” which is expected to be the final entry in the franchise, is scheduled for release on July 7, 2023.
With his career still going strong, it’s likely that Cruise’s net worth of $600 million will continue to rise in the coming years.
Early Career and Acting Range
In 1981, Cruise made his big-screen debut in the film “Endless Love.” He landed his breakout role in the 1983 film “Risky Business.” Among the film’s most memorable scenes is that of Cruise sliding across an entryway wearing only a dress shirt, socks and underwear, then dancing around a living room lip-syncing to “Old-Time Rock and Roll.” This role helped make him a household name.
These days, Cruise primarily stars in action films, but he demonstrated his acting range by dipping his toes in a variety of genres throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Many of these films — such as “Top Gun” (1986), “Rain Man” (1988), “A Few Good Men” (1992), Jerry Maguire (1996) and “Magnolia” (1999) — are now must-see modern classics. He took a rare comedic turn as an almost unrecognizable character in 2008’s “Tropic Thunder.”
Here are some of Cruise’s most popular films from his earlier years in Hollywood and their worldwide lifetime gross earnings, according to Box Office Mojo:
- “Top Gun”: $357.3 million
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- “Rain Man”: $354.8 million
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- “Jerry Maguire”: $273.6
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- “Cocktail”: $171.5 million
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- “Born on the Fourth of July”: $161 million
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- “Risky Business”: $63.5 million (domestic)
‘Mission: Impossible’ Movies and Other Action Roles
Tom Cruise’s most recognizable role is that of Ethan Hunt, the Impossible Mission Force undercover agent he has portrayed in six “Mission: Impossible” films. Not ready to relinquish the role yet, Cruise will play Hunt twice more. The franchise has garnered more than $3.5 billion at box offices worldwide since the first film’s 1996 debut:
- “Mission: Impossible”: $457.7 million
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- “Mission: Impossible II”: $546.4 million
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- “Mission: Impossible III”: $398.5 million
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- “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol”: $694.7 million
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- “Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation”: $682.7 million
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- “Mission: Impossible — Fallout”: $791.7 million
In 2012, Cruise took to the silver screen as another action hero character: Jack Reacher. The film “Jack Reacher” brought in $218.3 million worldwide. Four years later, the film’s sequel, “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back,” was released. It made $162.1 million worldwide — a profit of just more than $100 million.
In all, Tom Cruise movies have amassed a jaw-dropping total of more than $10 billion at box offices worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. In addition to the top-earning “Mission: Impossible” movies, other top earners include “War of the Worlds” ($603.9 million) and “The Last Samurai” ($454.6 million).
Moviegoers’ favorite Tom Cruise movies, however, have nothing to do with the “Mission: Impossible” franchise or his other major blockbuster hits. A 2015 Rolling Stone readers’ poll revealed his top three fan-favorite films were “Tropic Thunder,” “Magnolia” and “Top Gun.”
Awards
After more than three decades as one of the most popular actors in Hollywood, it’s no surprise that Tom Cruise has earned quite a few awards. He has been nominated for seven Golden Globe Awards and won three for his work in “Born on the Fourth of July,” “Jerry Maguire” and “Magnolia.” In May 2021, Cruise returned the awards to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which gives out the Golden Globe, amid controversies over its lack of diversity and other issues.
Cruise has been nominated for three Academy Awards but has never taken home the coveted Oscar. Still, he has had plenty of other wins, including in 2005 when he was honored with The Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film at BAFTA Los Angeles’ Britannia Awards.
Personal Life
Cruise has been married and divorced three times — most recently from actress Katie Holmes, who filed for divorce in 2012, ending their term as a top Hollywood power couple. The two had a lavish Italian wedding in 2006 that reportedly cost around $3 million. Cruise is the father of three children: one daughter with Holmes and two children he adopted with former wife Nicole Kidman.
Cruise sold his 10,286-square-foot Beverly Hills, Calif., mansion for an estimated $40 million in 2016. In March 2021, he sold his 320-acre ranch in Telluride, Colorado, for $39.5 million, Town & Country reported.
It’s not just property Cruise has splurged on over the years. In true “Top Gun” style, he also purchased a Gulfstream IV aircraft, which cost an estimated $36 million. The aircraft can fly as many as 19 passengers, and he and his guests can enjoy the on-board movie-screening room and hot tub.
