Tom Cruise

 If you had informed Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, an teen-aged Franciscan seminary student, that he'd one day be Tom Cruise, one the 100 greatest movie actors of all time, he would probably have smiled and declared that his goal was to be a priest. But this sensitive, deeply religious youngster born in 1962 in Syracuse, New York, was set to become one of the highest paid and sought-after actors in film history.Tom is the sole son (among four children) of nomadic parents Mary Lee (Pfeiffer), a special education teacher, and Thomas Cruise Mapother III, an electrical engineer. Both parents came born in Louisville, Kentucky, and he is of German, Irish, and English heritage. The young Tom spent his boyhood always on the move until he was 14 he had been to 15 different schools across the U.S. and Canada. Together with his mother and spouse, he settled in Glen Ridge. When he was in high school Tom was interested in becoming a priest but pretty quickly, he discovered an interest in acting. He abandoned his plans to become a priest. He quit school, and, at the age of 18, headed for New York and a possible acting career. The subsequent 15 years of his life are the story of legends. He made his film debut with a small part in Endless Love (1981) and immediately showed an unquestionable appeal at the box office for both female and male audiences.