Tom Cruise: How Much Is the ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and ‘Mission: Impossible’ Actor Worth?

James Veysey/Shutterstock
James Veysey/Shutterstock

Since his breakout role in 1983’s “Risky Business,” Tom Cruise, 59, has been a dominant force in Tinsel Town, appearing in more than 40 feature films throughout his illustrious career. Now, as he is reappearing as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in “Top Gun: Maverick,” which was released on May 27 after a lengthy delay because of COVID-19, he can show the world once again why he is one of the wealthiest and most popular actors ever.

See: 22 Side Gigs That Can Make You Richer Than a Full-Time Job
Find: 5 Collector’s Items Worth Selling for Extra Cash

Cruise has amassed hundreds of millions of dollars from his starring roles in dramas and action-packed thrillers.  His films have brought in more than $10.1 billion worldwide.

As one of the biggest box office draws of all time, Cruise has scored himself a spot among some of the richest actors in Hollywood. Take a look at his net worth to see how his silver screen success has translated into wealth.

Tom Cruise Net Worth

Tom Cruise’s estimated net worth is $600 million.

Cruise earned $75 million between May 2011 and May 2012, making him the highest-paid actor in Hollywood, according to Forbes. While he lost that title through the years — Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has topped Forbes’ list the past two years with earnings of more than $87 million annually — Cruise still commands a hefty salary per film. Variety estimated Cruise earned a base salary of $12 million to $14 million for his role in “Top Gun: Maverick.” 

“Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One” is scheduled for release on July 14, 2023 and will add more millions to Cruise’s bank account. For the first six installments, he earned $285 million, plus a share of the back-end box office profits, Celebrity Net Worth reported.

“Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two,” which is expected to be the final entry in the franchise, is scheduled to be released the following year.

With his career still going strong, it’s likely that Cruise’s net worth of $600 million will continue to rise in the coming years. He consistently earns more than $50 million per year, Celebrity Net Worth reported. 

POLL: Have Gas Prices Affected Your Driving Habits?

Early Career and Acting Range

In 1981, Cruise made his big-screen debut in the film “Endless Love.” He landed his breakout role in the 1983 film “Risky Business.” Among the film’s most memorable scenes is that of Cruise sliding across an entryway wearing only a dress shirt, socks and underwear, then dancing around a living room lip-syncing to “Old-Time Rock and Roll.” This role helped make him a household name.

These days, Cruise primarily stars in action films, but he demonstrated his acting range by dipping his toes in a variety of genres throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Many of these films — such as “Top Gun” (1986), “Rain Man” (1988), “A Few Good Men” (1992), “Jerry Maguire” (1996) and “Magnolia” (1999) — are now must-see modern classics. He took a rare comedic turn as an almost unrecognizable character in 2008’s “Tropic Thunder.”

Here are some of Cruise’s most popular films from his earlier years in Hollywood and their worldwide lifetime gross earnings, according to Box Office Mojo:

  • “Top Gun”: $357.3 million

  • “Rain Man”: $354.8 million

  • “Jerry Maguire”: $273.6

  • “Cocktail”: $171.5 million

  • “Born on the Fourth of July”: $161 million

  • “Risky Business”: $63.5 million (domestic)

They Took Their Time: Samuel L. Jackson and 34 Other Celebrities Who Got Rich and Famous Later in Life

‘Mission: Impossible’ Movies and Other Action Roles

Tom Cruise’s most recognizable role is that of Ethan Hunt, the Impossible Mission Force undercover agent he has portrayed in six “Mission: Impossible” films. Not ready to relinquish the role yet, Cruise will play Hunt twice more. The franchise has garnered more than $3.5 billion, not including  at box offices worldwide since the first film’s 1996 debut:

  • “Mission: Impossible”: $457.7 million

  • “Mission: Impossible II”: $546.4 million

  • “Mission: Impossible III”: $398.5 million

  • “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol”: $694.7 million

  • “Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation”: $682.7 million

  • “Mission: Impossible — Fallout”: $791.7 million

In 2012, Cruise took to the silver screen as another action hero character: Jack Reacher. The film “Jack Reacher” brought in $218.3 million worldwide. Four years later, the film’s sequel, “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back,” was released. It made $162.1 million worldwide — a profit of just more than $100 million.

In all, Tom Cruise movies have amassed a jaw-dropping total of more than $10 billion at box offices worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. In addition to the top-earning “Mission: Impossible” movies, other top earners include “War of the Worlds” ($603.9 million) and “The Last Samurai” ($454.6 million).

Moviegoers’ favorite Tom Cruise movies, however, have nothing to do with the “Mission: Impossible” franchise or his other major blockbuster hits. A 2015 Rolling Stone readers’ poll revealed his top three fan-favorite films were “Tropic Thunder,” “Magnolia” and “Top Gun.”

Explore: The Highest-Grossing Movie Each Year Since 1977

Awards

After more than three decades as one of the most popular actors in Hollywood, it’s no surprise that Tom Cruise has earned quite a few awards. He has been nominated for seven Golden Globe Awards and won three for his work in “Born on the Fourth of July,” “Jerry Maguire” and “Magnolia.” In May 2021, Cruise returned the awards to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which gives out the Golden Globe, amid controversies over its lack of diversity and other issues.

Cruise has been nominated for three Academy Awards but has never taken home the coveted Oscar. Still, he has had plenty of other wins, including in 2005 when he was honored with The Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film at BAFTA Los Angeles’ Britannia Awards.

Personal Life

Cruise has been married and divorced three times — most recently from actress Katie Holmes, who filed for divorce in 2012, ending their term as a top Hollywood power couple. The two had a lavish Italian wedding in 2006 that reportedly cost around $3 million. Cruise is the father of three children: one daughter with Holmes and two children he adopted with former wife Nicole Kidman.

Cruise sold his 10,286-square-foot Beverly Hills, Calif., mansion for an estimated $40 million in 2016. In March 2021, he sold his 320-acre ranch in Telluride, Colorado, for $39.5 million, Town & Country reported.

It’s not just property Cruise has splurged on over the years. In true “Top Gun” style, he also purchased a Gulfstream IV aircraft, which cost an estimated $36 million. The aircraft can fly as many as 19 passengers, and he and his guests can enjoy the on-board movie-screening room and hot tub.

Tom Cruise’s film “Top Gun: Maverick” is now in theaters, and he will reprise his role as Ethan Hunt in two more “Mission Impossible” films in the next couple of years.

More From GOBankingRates

Michelle Tompkins and Laura Woods contributed to the reporting for this article.

Last updated: May 27, 2022

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Tom Cruise: How Much Is the ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and ‘Mission: Impossible’ Actor Worth?

Advertisement