21. He Learned From His Mistakes

In response, Cruise signed up for Born on the Fourth of July, a film whose tone was decidedly anti-war. It was a critical hit, and it netted Cruise his first Academy Award nomination. While the studio initially criticized the casting, not believing that Cruise could handle such a dramatic role, it was appropriate in more ways than one—after all, Cruise had been born on the third of July.

22. He Was Keeping A Secret

In 1987, while Tom Cruise was preparing to film the movie Cocktail, he became involved with actress Mimi Rogers. This time, Cruise surprised everyone by giving up his old ways for his new paramour, who was six years his senior—and that wasn’t the only shock. Before many even found out that they were dating, the pair secretly married in 1987. And reforming the ex-playboy wasn’t the only thing Rogers did during the relationship…