Tom Cruise was forced to grow up very quickly to take care of his mother and his sisters.
Before becoming the Hollywood heartthrob who conquered the public with his charisma and becoming a successful actor, producer, and athlete, Tom lived an unstable childhood. He had to take on great responsibilities from a very young age and give up his childhood to support his family.
The protagonist of Top Gun was born in New York in 1962. Son of teacher Mary Lee and engineer Thomas Cruise, he grew up in a home with 3 sisters. His family moved constantly due to the instability of his father, who not only changed jobs very often but also had a quite explosive character.
The current star had quite a few problems with his studies, as he attended 14 different schools and was also diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 7. Eventually, when Tom was 11 years old, his mother made the decision to leave his father and settle with her son and daughters in Kentucky. Mary was forced to take care of her 4 children alone and had to work up to 3 jobs to be able to support the home.
The actor had developed a very close relationship with her mother and supported her with everything he needed. Mary revealed that her sweet son did everything possible to make her feel good: “Every night I came home, washed my feet and sat in the living room, and Tom would massage them for half an hour.”
Unfortunately, the stress and workload affected the health of the Mission Impossible protagonist's mother, causing her to have a herniated disc. The injury meant that Mary was unable to take care of her family alone and a friend of hers had to move in with them to help them with daily tasks.
For a time, the family had to rely on food banks. In addition, Tom had to enter adulthood faster than the other children. From the age of 11, the actor began working to support his mother and his sisters. The boy delivered newspapers, cut grass at neighbors' houses, and took cleaning jobs, anything to help out in his home.
Although teenagers' relationships with their parents can go through some ups and downs, Tom was different. His mother was always his best friend, and he used all the money he earned from his work to feed his family.
Since childhood, Tom had shown his interest in acting and his great talent. As a young man, he would make small sketches of his favorite comedians or imitate animated characters. His most loyal audience was always his mother. Therefore, even though he felt the need to take care of her and postpone her dreams, she was the one who encouraged him to participate in her first play in high school.
When Tom was 16, his mother remarried, so the young man began to feel calmer and ready to pursue his dreams in the film industry. At 18, he decided to move to New York, and promised Mary and her stepfather, Jack South, that in 10 years he would have a successful acting career. They both supported him, and his mother became his main guide on his path to success.
Although Tom gained recognition from critics and fans in a very short time, it seems that the actor's fame never went to his head, and his strong work ethic has kept him on top for years. 40 years. He is aware that much of his achievements are precisely due to his mother, who taught him to work hard and be patient and determined.
Although Cruise is one of the most influential stars in Hollywood, fame never kept him from Mary. The actor attended multiple red carpets with her and proudly showed her off whenever he could. Additionally, Tom continues to care for his sisters and nephews, who spend a lot of time with him at his house.
Mary Lee passed away in 2017, and although her health had deteriorated in recent years and she had receded from the public eye, the truth is that her legacy in Tom's heart and career will always remain in force. The actor was her main support until the end of his days, and he showed us that one of the greatest joys we can experience is to reward all the love our loved ones give us.
