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Tom Cruise began working at eight, making money by cutting lawns and delivering newspapers. After finding interest in acting, Cruise moved to Los Angeles, and he made his film debut in 1981 before slowly rising to stardom with several critically acclaimed roles. His movies have made over $9.6 billion at the box office, making him one of the most successful actors in Hollywood. At 60 years of age, Cruise continues to work with the same enthusiasm as he did in the 80s, pursuing larger-than-life roles and committing to every role he plays. From performing his stunts to motivating the crew around him, Tom Cruise has a work ethic he maintains to stay at the top.
While Tom Cruise has sometimes experienced failure, he never lets it drag him down. Through commitment and hard work, he makes every role his best one. Let’s look at Tom Cruise’s top 8 rules for success.
Aspire What Is Desired
During his visit to Santa Monica's Joanne Baron/D.W. Brown Studio, Tom Cruise mentioned that he began working odd jobs when he was eight years old and found interest in observing different people and accents around him. According to Hello Magazine, he aspired to become an actor and saved money after high school for his acting lessons to achieve his dream. He found his first success after bagging the role in the 1981 movie Taps starring Sean Penn.
Go Big Or Go Home
Taking risks has been an important part of the life of Tom Cruise. As an actor and producer, he has sleepless nights while putting his efforts into creating the work he believes in. Cruise does not bother himself with the success or failure of the movie as long as he gives his best. His 'All or Nothing' attitude has helped him take leaps and put extra hours into his work to achieve the desired results.
Committing To Every Role
His ability to give himself to every role makes Tom Cruise stand out from every other actor. As mentioned by High Snobiety, the actor defines himself as a product who manages his roles, PR, and body to remain a leading man. While adapting to the changing nature of Hollywood, Tom Cruise manages to stay at the top of his game. Cruise prefers to work in the action genre but does not hesitate to skirt around different themes from comedy to romance, showcasing his range.
Focus On The Goals
Tom Cruise has had ups and downs in his career but manages to focus on what matters. While he gained critical acclaim for his role in Jerry Maguire, his discussion about Scientology brought in a series of bad publicity in 2005. Despite the negative image perceived by the public, Cruise decided to let go of focusing on the backlash and put his head down to continue making movies. He showed more commitment to his roles and pursued everything with all his efforts.
Approach Every Day With Enthusiasm
Unlike other actors at 60, Tom Cruise has still managed to bring his best self to the screen. While working on Top Gun: Maverick, what truly inspired the director Joseph Kosinski and the cast was his ability to inspire and bring fresh energy to the set. Cruise works on every movie like it’s his first job and puts the hard work into it as if it’s his last movie, as noted by Deadline. Giving his 110% and constantly pushing the people around him to do their best has helped others around him.
Keep Learning And Accepting Challenges
Tom Cruise can do anything. He is a trained pilot, he can hold his breath underwater for six minutes, the star plays musical instruments, and can also sing and climb a rock. While working on a movie, Tom Cruise gives his all to a role, insisting that he does his stunts instead of using a double. Have performed some of the most daring stunts by himself, including the climb of the Burj Khalifa in MI: Ghost Protocol. Each role comes with a challenge, and Cruise is ready to accept it.
Have A Proper Worth Ethic
Being flexible and adaptable has been an important part of Cruise’s career. While working as a Nazi officer in the 2008 movie Valkyrie, the actor not only practiced a few German phrases, he learned the language from scratch. For his 1986 Martin Scorsese-directed movie The Color of Money, he portrayed the role of a prospective pool hustler. The actor played pool for 12 hours every day to prepare for the role, as stated by Men’s Health.
Use Failures To Motivate Oneself
Instead of invalidating something he cannot do, the actor prefers to find it interesting and finds the energy to achieve the goal. Tom Cruise ensures that failures don’t define him. He uses them to uncover more of his skills and reboot his momentum to get better results. Through physical exercises, he keeps his body sharp and pursues various activities to keep his mind engaged.
As an actor with over 40 years of experience in Hollywood, Tom Cruise has begun mentoring young actors who co-star with him on projects, offering acting advice and encouraging them to set career goals. Continuing to shoot his action movies, Cruise will be next seen starring in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, releasing in 2023.
Sources: Hello Magazine, High Snobiety, Deadline, Men’s Health