Tom Cruise Used to Give His Mom Foot Massages Every Night While She Worked Multiple Jobs to Provide for Him

When Tom Cruise was growing up, his mom was there through thick and thin, taking on all sorts of jobs to make ends meet. Her hard work and love gave him the strength to keep going, even when times were tough. Thanks to her support, Tom Cruise overcame obstacles and eventually became the famous star we know today.

A difficult childhood.

Even though they made the most out of their limited resources, Cruise’s family faced a stretch of financial struggle during their time in Ottawa, Canada. When Cruise reached the age of 14, his mother took the courageous step of divorcing his abusive father. She relocated him and his three sisters to Louiseville, all in pursuit of a brighter future for her family. As the mother of four shared:

“You know, women have dreams of having careers and being whatever. I had a dream of raising children and enjoying them and having a good family life.”

Tom struggled a lot at school during his childhood, having attended 14 different schools and being diagnosed with dyslexia at age seven. To help his mom with money, Cruise got a job delivering newspapers. He also gave his mom foot massages every night for about 30 minutes after her work.

Talking about his family life from his perspective, Cruise admitted it was tough to connect with his peers and be open about his past. He shared he had a hard time showing his true feelings, even though he craved love and attention from people. Despite this, he felt like he didn’t really fit in anywhere. Because of all this, Cruise didn’t really like school: “I look back upon high school and grade school, and I would never want to go back there. Not in a million years.”

Mary was forced to take care of her four children alone and worked up to three jobs to support the household. She ventured into selling appliances and even organized electronics conventions, determined to ensure their family’s financial stability.

Unfortunately, the stress and workload took a toll on Mary’s health, causing her to develop a herniated disc. This meant she could no longer take care of her family alone, and a friend had to move in with them to help with the daily chores.

For a while, the family lived on food stamps. In addition, Tom had to mature more quickly than other children. From the age of 11, the Mission Impossible star began working to support his mom and sisters. The boy delivered newspapers, mowed the lawn at neighbors’ houses, and took cleaning jobs, whatever he could to help out at home.

Tom and his mom developed a very close connection.

Although the relationship between teenagers and their parents can go through some ups and downs, Tom and Mary’s was different. His mother was always his best friend, and he used all the money he earned from his jobs to provide for his family.

From a young age, Tom had shown interest in acting and was very talented. As a young boy, he would do little sketches of his favorite comedians or imitate animated characters, and his most loyal audience was his mom. So, even though he felt the need to take care of her and postpone his dreams, it was Mary who encouraged him to participate in his first play in high school.

As the years passed and they settled into their new life, Pfeiffer met Jack South at an electronics convention. By the time Cruise turned sixteen, Pfeiffer and South decided to get married. At first, Cruise felt uneasy about his stepdad because he was really protective of his mom.

But over time, Cruise saw how much South cared for Pfeiffer and even made a deal with Mary and him, saying he’d make it big as an actor within 10 years.

Although Tom earned the recognition of critics and fans in a very short time, it seems that fame never went to the actor’s head, and his strong work ethic has kept him at the top for 40 years. He knows he owes much of his accomplishments precisely to his mother, who taught him to work hard and be patient and determined.

Even though Cruise is a major Hollywood star, he always stayed close to Mary. He took her to various red carpet-events and never hesitated to show her off.

Unfortunately, Mary Lee passed away in 2017. While her health had declined and she had stepped away from the public eye in her final years, her impact on Tom’s heart and career will forever endure. Tom stood by her until the very end, illustrating that repaying the love from our dear ones is one of life’s most profound joys.

Seeing how deeply Tom looked after his mom warms our hearts, and we must also acknowledge the significant mark he’s creating through his career.