By Wonderwall.com Editors
5:00pm PDT, Jul 14, 2023
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Simon Pegg has worked with Tom Cruise since the third film in the "Mission: Impossible" franchise so he's seen a lot of the things the movie star has done to make the people he works with feel special. One of the memorable examples? Tom took everyone shark diving. "We were filming somewhere near some coastal waters where there were sharks and we had the afternoon off and we all jumped," Simon told People magazine in July 2023. "It's such a Tom Cruise thing. We've been filming in a helicopter and he flew us in the helicopter to this place where you could go into a cage and feed sharks. It was one of those days that we got to the end of the day and we were like, 'That was a real Tom Cruise kind of day.'"
MORE: Tom Cruise's life in photos
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Tom Cruise's thoughtful gift-giving has made headlines for years, but he sends those close to him more than a famous holiday coconut cake (more on that in a minute!). Hayley Atwell — his co-star in 2023's "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One" and 2024's "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two" — in July 2023 told People magazine that she's received not only the legendary Christmas cake but several birthday gifts from Tom in recent years including "a beautiful amphora," which she described as "this beautiful old clay pot, which is a natural filtering system." Upon receiving it, "I'm like, 'It's a water jug. Nice,'" she recalled. "And then you taste it and you compare it to normal filtered water or tap water, and it's really light and kind of creamy. It's just a different level of clarity. It's beautiful."
Keep reading to find out what Tom has done for another "Mission: Impossible" franchise co-star…
MORE: All the women Tom Cruise has loved and lost over the years
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Pom Klementieff, who plays a villain opposite Tom Cruise in 2023's "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One," was floored by the thoughtfulness that went into a major gift the movie star gave her after they worked together. "I wanted to skydive with him and also the stunt team, but they said that I needed to get my license," the French "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise actress told People magazine in July 2023, "so when I wrapped ['M:I 7'], he gifted me, as my wrap gift, the lessons of learning how to skydive. He found a teacher for me and I learned how to skydive and I got my license and we even did jumps together. And now I'm addicted, so that's my new thing now!"
She, too, admitted she loves the famous coconut cake Tom gifts pals for the holidays. "I freeze it and then I eat it frozen, so I just eat it every day," she said. "That's what I did last year for Christmas. I started it when I got it and I ate it every morning, so I had a sugar rush. It was not good for my health, but it was delicious."
Keep reading for more on that legendary cake…
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Sweet gift! Tom Cruise sends the same annual holiday treat to famous friends like Rosie O'Donnell, Kirsten Dunst, Henry Cavill and Jimmy Fallon: the white chocolate coconut bundt cake from Doan's Bakery, a small family-run business in the Los Angeles area. (It's also available to order on Goldbelly.com for $125.) Jimmy once called it "unbelievable," Kirsten said it's "one of the best cakes I've ever had" and Henry described it as "the most decadent, the most amazing" cake. In December 2022, late night host James Corden appeared on Britain's "Heart Breakfast" show where he talked about receiving the dessert and recounted once telling Tom, "'This cake is the most extraordinary cake I've ever eaten in my life,' and he went, 'That's what everybody says!' But here's the most amazing thing," James added. "He's never tried it!" Here's Rosie's Instagram post from Dec. 9, 2020, featuring a photo of the elegantly wrapped present with the caption: "Christmas is here when tommy's gift shows up #holidayseason." Keep reading to find out which (non-famous) folks also got to enjoy Tom's sweet gift…
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Tom Cruise reportedly dropped thousands of dollars to transport 300 cakes from his favorite bakery in California to London via his private jet as a special treat for the crew working on "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One" in Europe, the U.S. Sun reported in December 2021. "It is extravagant, but Tom is an incredibly generous person," said a source. "He wanted to do something special for everyone who has worked on the movie with him."
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No mission is impossible for Tom Cruise, who has always insisted on performing stunts that many actors would gladly leave to their doubles. He's scaled the world's tallest building, hung off the side of a moving plane and, of course, hovered gracefully over the floor tethered to a long cable. But filming a rooftop chase scene for "Mission: Impossible — Fallout" in London in August 2017, Tom leaped from one rooftop to another and hit his right foot against the side of the building. "I knew instantly my ankle was broken and I really didn't want to do it again so just got up and carried on with the take," he later revealed on "The Graham Norton Show." "I said, 'It's broken. That's a wrap. Take me to hospital' and then everyone got on the phone and made their vacation arrangements." The studio cost of the eight-week production hiatus while Tom's ankle healed? A cool $80 million.
MORE: Hollywood's best movies about pilots
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Remember when Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman were one of Hollywood's happiest power couples? In 1996, Tom (seen here with Nic at the "Mission: Impossible" premiere the same year) played hero in real life when he witnessed a young woman get struck by a car in Santa Monica, California. He came to her rescue, escorted her to the hospital and then paid her $7,000 emergency room bill.
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Next up? His epic entrance at the premiere of "Top Gun: Maverick" on May 4, 2022. Thirty-six years after his performance as hotshot pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, Tom arrived at the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier in San Diego by helicopter, coolly sauntering out of the aircraft before introducing the long-awaited sequel to the crowd, telling them: "Let's light the fires and kick the tires!"
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With an estimated net worth of $600 million, Tom Cruise can afford to indulge his penchant for exotic cars. His collection includes a Bugatti Veyron, which reaches speeds of 254 mph and carries a price tag of $1.7 million. Tom loves the car so much, he drove it to a Los Angeles screening of "Mission: Impossible III" in May 2006.
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Tom Cruise is a renowned gift giver, and one of his lucky repeat recipients is Dakota Fanning. They co-starred in "War of the Worlds" (and are pictured here at the film's New York City premiere in 2005) and he was so taken with the precocious child star that he put her on his permanent VIP list! Tom reportedly sends her a gift each year and has never missed one of the actress's birthdays since she was 11.
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Only Tom Cruise could take a talk show appearance to discuss his latest film and turn it into one of the most memorably cringeworthy moments in show business history. He went on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on May 23, 2005, to promote "War of the Worlds" — and ended up jumping on her couch while giddily proclaiming his love for new girlfriend Katie Holmes. "I'm in love! I'm in love!" Tom yelled, throwing his hands in the air. "I can't be cool. I can't be laid-back. It's something that has happened, and I feel I want to celebrate it. I want to celebrate her. She's a very special woman." Her guest's over-the-top display of public affection led Oprah at one point to declare: "The boy is GONE."
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Tom Cruise proposed to Katie Holmes in a manner befitting an international superstar: at the Eiffel Tower, after a candlelit dinner at the swanky Le Jules Verne restaurant on the tower's second floor. He announced the news to the world at a press conference in Paris just hours after popping the question. "Today is a magnificent day for me, I'm engaged to a magnificent woman," Tom said, adding that he chose the locale because "it's Paris, it's a beautiful city, it's very romantic." Keep reading for more about the sizable rock he put on her finger…
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Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes glowed as they arrived in Marseille, France, after she said yes to his proposal at the Eiffel Tower on June 17, 2005. The pair engaged in plenty of giddy PDA, but all eyes were on that bling…
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Katie Holmes' engagement ring from Tom Cruise featured a five-carat oval-shaped diamond surrounded by another six carats' worth of diamonds. The Edwardian-style ring — which was designed by jeweler-to-the-stars Fred Leighton and valued at an estimated $1.5 million — departed from tradition with its rose gold-and-platinum band.
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While many stars hide their efforts to revamp or refresh their looks, Tom Cruise is no ordinary celebrity. The actor enthusiastically showed off his efforts to correct a less-than-perfect smile: braces, which he got in 2002 when he was 40. Despite his massive fortune and mega-sized fame, Tom walked plenty of red carpets — he's seen here at the New York City premiere of "Minority Report" in June 2002 — and smiled with pride.
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Tom Cruise appeared on the "Today" show in June 2005 to promote "War of the Worlds," but he ended up making headlines for an awkward quarrel with host Matt Lauer. Referencing Brooke Shields' recent revelations that she'd taken antidepressants for postpartum depression, Tom railed against prescription drugs and the practice of psychiatry, which he called a "pseudo-science," in the now-infamous interview. "Matt, you're glib," he said at one point, as he defended the anti-psychiatry stance of his religion, Scientology. "You don't even know what Ritalin is…. Here's the problem: You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do." Tom came back on the morning show in 2008 and apologized to Matt: "I learned a lesson," he told the host. "I came across as arrogant. I absolutely could have handled that better."
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Need more proof that Tom Cruise is nothing like us? When he gets married, only an historic Italian castle will do! Tom wed Katie Holmes on Nov. 18, 2006, at Odescalchi Castle in Lake Bracciano, Italy. The sunset ceremony was performed at the 15th-century venue in front of a slew of A-list friends including Jennifer Lopez, Jim Carrey, Brooke Shields, Victoria Beckham and Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. Famed Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli sang at the over-the-top nuptials and the jacket of Tom's navy blue tux had a label that read: "Giorgio Armani for Tom Cruise."
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A vacation home is a luxury for most people. Tom Cruise took luxury to the next level with his longtime vacation getaway — a jaw-dropping 320-acre ranch in Telluride, Colorado. The ultra-private property, which Tom bought when he was with ex-wife Nicole Kidman and also frequently visited with Katie Holmes and their daughter, Suri Cruise, includes a 10,000-square-foot cedar-and-stone main house with sweeping mountain views, a rec room, library and gym plus a three-bedroom guest lodge. Tom let the property go in 2021 when it sold for the asking price of $39.5 million.
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Next up? A story of a close associate and Tom Cruise's legendary generosity. This one involves his former longtime publicist Pat Kingsley (seen here with him at the New York City "Minority Report" premiere in June 2002). The power PR woman told The Hollywood Reporter that in addition to remembering her daughter's birthday annually, when her daughter got married, Tom gave her a whopper of a gift — and also came to the wedding. "He was so thoughtful," Pat reflected in 2013, eight years after they had parted ways professionally. "She was registered somewhere for the china, and he bought out everything. They've got things they haven't even opened yet, and they've been together 15 years!"
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Tom Cruise fell in love with aviation while filming 1986's "Top Gun" and in 1994, he got his pilot license. Cruise told Wired in a fun 2017 video interview that he's a multi-engine instrument-rated commercial pilot and is able to fly both commercial airplanes and helicopters. Tom (seen here piloting a Boeing B75N1 biplane for a "Mission: Impossible 8" sequence in Cambridgeshire, England, in November 2021) owns multiple aircraft including a Gulfstream jet that cost upwards of $35 million. But one of his favorite toys, according to World War Wings, is a real-life WWII fighter plane — a P-51 Mustang he bought in 2001 and later named "Kiss Me Kate" after his now-ex wife. File under: Nothing like us.
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Tom Cruise is the king of gifting — and no one was on the receiving end of his generosity more than his daughter, Suri Cruise. When she was 6, the cutie made headlines for receiving gifts including a Victorian dollhouse that had running water, electricity, a sun room and media room (and reportedly cost a cool $24,000). Other lavish presents for the tot — pictured here with her dad in New York City in September 2010 — included an iPad, a miniature Mercedes-Benz and a designer wardrobe complete with a fur coat.
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With an estimated annual salary of $50 million, it goes without saying that Tom Cruise's divorce financials were supersized. According to documents filed during their 2012 split, Tom agreed to pay Katie Holmes $400,000 per year in child support for 12 years, until their daughter Suri Cruise turns 18, for a total of $4.8 million. The star (seen here during happier times with Katie and Suri in Pittsburgh in October 2011) also agreed to pay for his daughter's expenses including medical, dental, insurance, education, college and extracurricular activities.
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Aviation-loving Tom Cruise — seen here piloting his helicopter in Hoedspruit, South Africa, after a day of filming "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two" on Feb. 17, 2022 — is no stranger to landing his chopper in other people's yards. He did just that to a family in Warwickshire, England, when he was running late to a business meeting in the summer of 2021. (He was so grateful they said yes, he posed for pictures with the family and gave a free helicopter ride to the children!) Tom tried it again the same summer, but this time he asked for permission to land from "The Late Late Show" host James Corden. James revealed that he and Tom had been texting when they realized both were in the U.K. They started making plans to meet in London when Tom asked James, who was staying in St. John's Wood in central London, "Can I land my heli in your yard?" James sent back four laugh-crying emojis, he said, "because who can land a helicopter in a yard?" Tom wrote back: "Does that mean no?" James replied: "I'll measure it out, but my hunch is you can't land a helicopter in St. John's Wood." Tom fired back: "You'd be surprised where I can land."
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When Tom Cruise has rare time off of work, he makes the most of it. The star reportedly rented this $40 million super-yacht named Triple Seven in the summer of 2021 to enjoy some downtime in the U.K. while filming "Mission: Impossible 7." The 223-foot luxury vessel's amenities include a jacuzzi on the deck and a gym, sun deck and swimming platform. The boat — which can be chartered for more than $550,000 per week and sleeps up to 10 people — also offers guests the use of an inflatable waterslide, jet skis, kayaks and wakeboards. While in the U.K., Tom's other A-list extracurricular activities included attending Wimbledon, the Silverstone Grand Prix and the Euro 2020 soccer finals at Wembley Stadium, where he sat with pal David Beckham.
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When most of us get frustrated at work, we grab a stress ball or vent to a co-worker. When Tom Cruise isn't happy on set, and his angry tirade is captured on tape, he goes viral. In an expletive-laced rant first published by The Sun, Tom laid into "Mission: Impossible" franchise crew members for violating COVID protocols on set. "I don't ever want to see it again. Ever! And if you don't do it, you're fired, and I see you do it again, you're f****** gone," screamed Tom, who also was a producer on the film. "You can tell it to the people who are losing their f****** homes because our industry is shut down. It's not going to put food on their table or pay for their college education. That's what I sleep with every night. … So I'm sorry. I am beyond your apologies. I have told you, and now I want it, and if you don't do it, you're out."
