By Kayla DeKraker
Tom Cruise’s passion for filmmaking shines through on screen, but do you know where his love of movies and storytelling began?
“As a kid I’d create characters, you know? I wrote stories to entertain my family and friends,” he explained at the 34th annual Producers Guild Awards. “I always had jobs since I was a little kid about 7, 8 years old, and I would use that money to go to the movies.”
Cruise continued developing his passion, and when he was 18 years old he landed his first role in the movie ENDLESS LOVE in 1980.
The following year, Cruise starred alongside newcomer Sean Penn in the war drama TAPS. Cruise told the crowd how impressed he was with the work that went into filmmaking.
“I was absolutely amazed by the craftsmanship and also the tremendous efforts that it took to make a film,” he said. “I was also… overwhelmed. I was overwhelmed by what I didn’t know.”
Being in this film fueled Cruise’s passion even more to learn about the art of acting and filmmaking.
“I had these dreams, I had these goals, very goal oriented, you know? I had filmmakers and writers and producers and just people within our industry that I wanted to talk to, I wanted to interview, wanted to understand what storytelling was to them,” the actor explained.
Cruise acknowledged that people were so generous to teach him what they knew, and he developed his talent even more.
Since the beginning of his career, Cruise has won 64 awards and has been nominated 120 times.
“I will continue to do all that I can to contribute and help this industry and this art form that I love,” he concluded his speech.
Related: MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE
Most recently, Cruise stars in the upcoming MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING, which is set to release this month.
Alongside a trailer posted to his Instagram account, Cruise wrote, “Every choice, every mission, has all led to this. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING. May 23, 2025.”
Fittingly, the first comment on his post reads, “His commitment to his films and the quality of them over the decades prove that Tom is the best movie star of them all! 🔥” Another user added, “Can’t argue with that.. He is a living legend of his craft.”
Cruise’s success is a reminder that hard work and following through on your dreams pays off. Proverbs 14:23 says, “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” This is such a great reminder that, just as Cruise became a legend in his field, we too can see success in our own lives if we work hard and never give up.
Read Next: Tom Cruise Lived Out This Childhood Dream on MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE Set
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