name	Falafel
region	Believed to have originated in Egypt before spreading north to the Levant
course	Street food
served	Hot
main ingredient	Fava beans or chickpeas
variations	Served alone or as a sandwich
other	}}

Falafel (; , ) is a deep fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas and/or fava beans. Falafel is usually served in a pita, which acts as a pocket, or wrapped in a flatbread known as lafa. The falafel balls are topped with salads, pickled vegetables, hot sauce, and drizzled with tahini-based sauces. Falafel balls may also be eaten alone as a snack or served as part of a meze.

Generally accepted to have first been made in Egypt, falafel has become a dish eaten throughout the Middle East. Falafel is also often considered a national dish of Israel. The Copts of Egypt claim to have first made the dish as a replacement for meat during Lent. The hearty fritters are now found around the world as a replacement for meat and as a form of street food.

Etymology

The word ''falafel'' can refer to the fritters themselves or to sandwiches filled with them. The Arabic word () is the plural of () which means "hot pepper" and is also an adjective denoting "something fluffy". The word has now spread to the rest of the world.

Falafel is known as ''ta'amiya'' ( ) in Egypt, with the exception of Alexandria, as well as in Sudan. The word is derived from a diminutive form of the Arabic word ''ṭaʻām'', "food"; the particular form indicates "a unit" of the given root (in this case , having to do with taste and food), thus meaning "a little piece of food" or "small tasty thing".

History

The origin of falafel is unknown and controversial. A common theory is that the dish originated in Egypt, possibly eaten by Copts as a replacement for meat during Lent. As Alexandria is a port city, it was possible to export the dish and name to other areas in the Middle East. The dish later migrated northwards to the Levant, where chickpeas replaced the fava. It has also been theorized to a lesser extent that falafel originated during Egypt's Pharaonic Period or in the Indian subcontinent.

Middle East

Falafel grew to become a common form of street food or fast food in the Middle East. The croquettes are regularly eaten as part of meze. During Ramadan, falafel balls are sometimes eaten as part of the ''iftar'', the meal that breaks the daily fast after sunset. Falafel became so popular that McDonald's now serves a "McFalafel" in some countries. It is still popular with the Copts, who cook large volumes during religious holidays. Debates over the origin of falafel have sometimes devolved into political discussions about the relationship between Arabs and Israelis.

While falafel is not a specifically Jewish dish, it was eaten by Mizrahi Jews in their countries of origin. Later, it was adopted by early Jewish immigrants to Palestine. Due to its being entirely plant based, it is considered parve under Jewish dietary laws and gained acceptance with Jews because it could be eaten with meat or dairy meals. The custom of eating falafel in a pita stuffed with salads began in Israel. Falafel is now an iconic part of Israeli cuisine and often referred to as a national dish. This has led to resentment by Palestinians and assertions of copyright infringement by the Lebanese Industrialists' Association. Israeli entrepreneurs brought falafel to Europe and the United States sometime in the 1970s.

On May 9, 2010, in Beirut, more than 300 Lebanese chefs prepared of falafel mixture. A Guinness World Records representative was present to record the feat. On May 21, 2010, an Israeli chef in New York set a world record for the largest falafel ball, weighing in at and with a circumference of more than a meter (3.3 ft). It was reported the ball is expected to enter the Guinness Book of World Records. This record was broken by a 52.8 pound falafel made by chefs at the Santa Clarita Jewish Festival on May 15, 2011. It was certified on site at 5pm for submission to the Guinness Book of World Records.

North America

During the 20th century, falafel was generally known only by individuals who frequented restaurants in Middle Eastern and Jewish neighborhoods and by vegans, who used it as a meat analogue. However the dish has become a common street food in many cities throughout North America, and U.S. college students readily enjoy falafel wraps as they do other fast foods like pizza.

Vegetarianism

Falafel has become popular among vegetarians and with those in the vegan movement, where it is celebrated as an alternative to meat-laden street foods, and is now sold in prepackaged mixes in health-food stores. While traditionally thought of as being used to make veggie burgers, its use has expanded as more and more people have adopted it as a source of protein. A versatile ingredient, it has allowed for the reformulating of recipes for meat loaf, sloppy joes and spaghetti and meatballs into vegetarian dishes.

Today, falafel is eaten all over the world.

Preparation and variations

Falafel is made from fava beans or chickpeas, or a combination of the two. The use of chickpeas is predominant in most Middle Eastern countries. The dish is usually made with chickpeas in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Palestinians and Yemenite Jews in Jerusalem have historically prepared falafel only from chickpeas. This version is the most popular in the West. The Egyptian variety uses fava beans.

The beans are not cooked prior to use. Instead they are soaked with baking soda, then ground together with various ingredients such as parsley, scallions, and garlic. Spices such as cumin and coriander are often added to the beans for added flavor. The mixture is shaped into balls or patties. This can be done by hand or with a tool called an ''aleb falafel''. The mixture is then deep fried.

When not served alone, falafel is often served with unleavened bread (known generally as ''khubz'' throughout the Arab world) when it is wrapped within lafa or stuffed in a hollow pita. Tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, and other garnishes can be added. Falafel is commonly accompanied by tahini.

Nutrition

! Falafel Nutrition Facts

When made with chickpeas, falafel is high in protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber. Chickpeas are also low in fat and salt and contain no cholesterol. Key nutrients are calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, Vitamin C, thiamine, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B, and folate. Phytochemicals include beta-carotene. Due to its nutrition profile, as well as being considered a hearty and satisfying dish, falafel is often recommended for use in weight control programs. It is also high in soluble fiber, which has been shown to be effective at lowering blood cholesterol.

Falafel can be baked to reduce the high fat content associated with frying. Although baking alters the texture and flavor, it is often a recommended preparation technique for people suffering from health problems like diabetes.

References

External links

New York Times ''Recipe of the Day'' for February 12, 2008

Safaa Cuisine ''Safaa Cuisine Felafels''

Category:Articles with inconsistent citation formats Category:Arabic loanwords Category:Legume dishes Category:Middle Eastern cuisine Category:National dishes Category:Vegan cuisine Category:Street food Category:Deep fried foods

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name	Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
birth name	Rosie Alice Huntington-Whiteley
birth date	April 18, 1987
birth place	Plymouth, Devon, England
height
haircolour	Brown
eyecolour	Blue
measurements	86-63-89 cm(34-25-35 in)
dress size	34 (EU), 4 (US)
shoesize	EU 40 / US 9 / UK 6.5
agency	Models 1 Women Management
spouse	}}

Rosie Alice Huntington-Whiteley (born 18 April 1987) is an English model and actress, best known for her work for Victoria's Secret, Burberry and her role as Carly Spencer in the 2011 film ''Transformers: Dark of the Moon'', part of the ''Transformers'' film series.

Early life and family

Huntington-Whiteley was born at the Freedom Fields Hospital in Plymouth, Devon, England. Her mother, Fiona (née Jackson), is a fitness instructor, and her father, Charles Andrew Huntington-Whiteley, is a chartered surveyor. She has two younger siblings; a brother, Toby, and a sister, Florence. Her paternal great-great-grandfather was politician Sir Herbert Huntington-Whiteley, 1st Baronet; Herbert's son, Eric, was the "black sheep" of the family, and had married Rosie's great-grandmother, Enid Kohn, who was from a family of Polish Jews who immigrated to England in the 1870s. Rosie's paternal grandmother was the daughter of Jacob Franks, a Sussex surgeon.

Huntington-Whiteley grew up in Tavistock, Devon, on a farm. Growing up in Devon, she was bullied and teased at school for having a double-barrelled name, no breasts, and for her full lips (now one of her most famous assets). She got voted ''Miss Big Mouth'' because she talked constantly and, after a growth spurt at the age of 13, ''Girl Most Likely To Become A Supermodel''. Bored of her farm life, she was eager to get out and go to London. In 2003, while studying at Tavistock College, she was discovered by Profile Model Management while seeking internships with several London based modelling agencies. Her first gig in front of the camera was at 16, posing for a Levi's commercial. She spent all of her first cheque on a Ford Ka, even though she couldn't drive, thinking it would be the one and only time she would ever get paid for modelling.

Career

Victoria's Secret and modelling (2006–present)

Since 2006, Huntington-Whiteley has modelled for American lingerie and beauty products brand Victoria's Secret. The model made her Victoria's Secret debut at the brand's 2006 show in Los Angeles.

She remained unknown in the fashion industry up until 2008, when she was cast by chief creative director Christopher Bailey, replacing Agyness Deyn for Burberry's fall/winter campaign with actor Sam Riley. She got her first ''British Vogue'' cover, for the November 2008 issue, which saw her pictured alongside Eden Clark and Jourdan Dunn in a feature celebrating British models. ''Harper's Bazaar''s annual "Best Dressed List" placed her 6th on their list for the year 2008. The following year, she was featured as the face of Karen Millen's spring/summer 2009 advertising campaign. Huntington-Whiteley received an ''Elle'' Style Award for 2009's "Model of the Year". She starred in a short film for Agent Provocateur playing a woman whose boyfriend forgets Valentine's Day. For fall/winter 2009, she modelled campaigns for Godiva and Miss Sixty. In late 2009, Huntington-Whiteley officially became a Victoria's Secret Angel, modelling for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York city.

In 2010, she posed nude for the Pirelli Calendar, which was photographed by Terry Richardson. Huntington-Whiteley hit the runway for designers Prada in Milan and Giles Deacon in Paris. For SS10 her advertising campaigns included Monsoon's first underwear line, Thomas Wylde, Full Circle, and VS Online. In March, she collaborated with VOGUE.COM to share her outfit choices daily for the ''Today I'm Wearing'' feature. She appeared on the covers of the May 2010 issues of ''Harper's Bazaar'' Russia and ''GQ'' UK. She was featured on the cover of ''LOVE'' Magazine's September issue, styled as a pinup girl. For FW10 she modelled for Burberry as well as the company's first Beauty line ad; her other advertising campaigns included Loewe, Thomas Wylde, and Leon Max. Fashion photographer Rankin devoted a book entirely to her titled, ''Ten Times Rosie''. Rankin thinks Huntington-Whiteley puts diversity back into fashion, "We’ve been looking at very, very skinny, almost masculine girls for a long time. [Rosie] really is the model of the moment. She’s the actress of the moment. She’s definitely going to become something much, much bigger." Celebrity make-up artist Ruby Hammer, who has worked with Huntington-Whiteley for years, described her as the "quintessential" English rose.

In March 2011, she landed her first solo ''British Vogue'' cover. In May, she was voted No. 1 in ''Maxim'' Magazine's "Hot 100" list. She was also voted No.1 in ''FHM'''s World's Sexiest Woman 2011 poll. She appeared on the covers of the UK's July issues of ''Elle'' and ''GQ''.

Huntington-Whiteley was unveiled as the face of Burberry's newest fragrance, Burberry Body, in July 2011.

As of July 2011, she ranks No. 15 on "The Money Girls" list and No. 3 on the "Top 20 Sexiest Models" list at MODELS.COM.

Acting (2011–present)

In May 2010, it was announced that Huntington-Whiteley would become the new female lead in ''Transformers: Dark of the Moon'', released June 29 2011, replacing Megan Fox. She had previously worked with the film's director, Michael Bay, on a Victoria's Secret commercial. MTV Networks' NextMovie.com named her one of the 'Breakout Stars to Watch for in 2011'. Prior to the film's release, she won the "Female Star of Tomorrow" award at the 2011 CinemaCon Awards.

Personal life

Huntington-Whiteley dated Tyrone Wood, the youngest son of musician Ronnie Wood, from August 2007 until October 2009. When the pair separated, she began a brief relationship with 45 year old French actor Olivier Martinez that ended in early 2010. In April 2010, it was first reported that she was in a relationship with 38 year old English actor Jason Statham after they were seen at the Coachella Festival.

Huntington-Whiteley has apartments in New York and London's Maida Vale.

Filmography

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
2011	''Transformers: Dark of the Moon''	Carly Spencer	CinemaCon Award for Female Star of TomorrowNominated - Teen Choice Award for Summer Movie Star - Female

Awards

+ List of awards and award nominations
! Year	! Award	! Category	! Nominated work	! Result
2011	Guy Choice Awards	Our New Girlfriend	Herself
2011	CinemaCon Award	Female Star of Tomorrow	Transformers: Dark of the Moon
2011	Teen Choice Awards	Choice Summer Movie Star -Female	Transformers: Dark of the Moon

References

External links

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley @ models.com

{{navboxes |title=Rosie Huntington-Whiteley navigational boxes |list1= }}

Category:1987 births Category:English female models Category:Living people Category:People from Plymouth Category:People from Tavistock, Devon Category:English actors

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Name	Flying Lotus
Background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
Alias	Flying LotusFlyLoJuno Leed
Birth date	October 07, 1983
Origin	Los Angeles, California, United States
Genre	Hip-Hop, Electronic, Experimental
Instrument	Turntables, Sampler, Drum Machine, Synthesizer, Keyboards, Ableton Live, Macintosh, Multi-instrumentalist
Occupation	MusicianFilmmaker
Years active	2000–present
Label	Plug ResearchWarpBrainfeederHyperdub
Associated acts	FLYamSAMAlice ColtraneRavi ColtraneThom YorkeLaura Darlington
Website	flying-lotus.com, brainfeedersite.com }}

Flying Lotus, (born Steven Ellison) is an experimental multi-genre music producer and laptop musician from Winnetka, California. His debut album, ''1983'', was released on Plug Research Records in 2006. He produced much of the bumper music on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming block, for which he is uncredited, and he also contributed remixes for fellow Plug Research artists including Mia Doi Todd. He is often referred to as "FlyLo" by fans and critics. His grandmother is songwriter Marilyn McLeod. He is the great-nephew of the late Alice Coltrane, whose husband was John Coltrane. He is also the cousin of musician Ravi Coltrane.

In 2007, he announced that he signed with Warp Records. Following his Warp debut, the six-track ''Reset EP'', he became one of the label’s cornerstone artists and released his second album, titled ''Los Angeles'', on June 10, 2008. His third album, ''Cosmogramma'', was released on May 3, 2010, in the UK and May 4, 2010, in the US. In January 2011, ''Cosmogramma'' won in the Dance/Electronica Album category in The 10th Annual Independent Music Awards.

Recently, Flying Lotus collaborated with the Ann Arbor Film Festival in the performance of a live scoring of the 1962 avant-garde film ''Heaven and Earth Magic''. In a post-viewing interview with the audience, Flying Lotus said he was unsure whether or not a recording of the performance (or a recreation of it) would be publicly released, but he would be enthusiastic toward similar projects in the future. He was chosen by Battles to perform at the ATP Nightmare Before Christmas festival that it co-curates in December 2011 in Minehead, England.

In January 2011, Flying Lotus won The 10th Annual Independent Music Awards for his video "MmmHmm" in the Video, Short Form category. Flying Lotus will be collaborating with R&B; singer Erykah Badu on new material for her next album.

Discography

Demos

2005: ''July Heat''

Note: Various unofficial Flying Lotus demos leaked by fans are sometimes mistaken as official Flying Lotus releases, such as "Raw Cartoons."

Albums

2006: ''1983''

2008: ''Los Angeles''

2010: ''Cosmogramma''

2012: TBA

EPs

2007: ''Reset''

2008: ''L.A. EP 1 X 3''

2008: ''Shhh!''

2008: ''L.A. EP 2 X 3''

2009: ''L.A. EP 3 X 3''

2010: ''Pattern+Grid World''

2011: ''Cosmogramma Alt Takes''

12-inch singles

2006: Pink Sun EP (12", EP) My Room Is White (Flyi... Plug Research

2008: Cool Out (12") Lost (Flying Lotus Remix) Hyperdub 2008

2008: Dive EP (12", EP) Blank Blue (Flying Lot... Ubiquity Records 2008

2008: Get Dirty EP (12", EP) Game Over (Flying Lotu... Ghostly International 2008

2008: Natural Selection (Flying Lotus' Cleanse Mix) / Vancouver (2562's Puur Natuur Dub) (12")

2008: Woebegone (CD, Single, Promo) Woebegone (Flying Lotu... Ninja Tune

Production

2008: ''Park Bench People'' (with José James, on the track "Visions of Violet")

2009: ''Whole Wide World'' (with Declaime)

2010: ''Blackmagic'' (with José James)

2010: ''A Sufi and a Killer'' (with Gonjasufi, on the track "Ancestors")

2010: ''Adult Swim Singles Program'' (with Mike Bigga, on the track "Swimming")

2011: ''The Golden Age of Apocalypse'' by Thundercat

Collaborations

2008: One for Pep Pep (Remix) (Tim and Eric Awesome Record, Great Songs)

2008: Testament (w/ Gonjasufi)

2009: Bootleg Beats (w/ Samiyam) 2010: ...And The World Laughs With You (w/ Thom Yorke) 2011: Kryon (w/ Kode9 & the Spaceape) 2011: Group Tea (w/ Matthewdavid)

Mixes

2011: ''Lover's Melt'' (Stones Throw Podcast)

2011: ''Lover's Melt Pt. 2'' (Brainfeeder Podcast)

References

External links

Official Website

Brainfeeder

Official Online Game

Warp Records

Plug Research

RBMA Radio On Demand - Sonar Sessions 2007 - Flying Lotus (Warp/Plug Research, Los Angeles)

Sept 2007 Interview with L.A. Record

Interview (2007)

Los Angeles Review (2008)

New Yorker profile by Sasha Frere-Jones

Flying Lotus “BRAINFEEDER RADIO” Part 2 at Dublab

Category:People from Los Angeles, California Category:Electronic musicians Category:Living people Category:Warp Records artists Category:1983 births Category:Musicians from Los Angeles, California Category:Adult Swim Category:Ableton Live users

da:Flying Lotus de:Flying Lotus fr:Flying Lotus ja:フライング・ロータス pl:Flying Lotus ru:Flying Lotus

name	Tom Cruise
birth name
birth date	July 03, 1962
birth place	Syracuse, New York, U.S.
occupation	Actor, producer, writer, director
years active	1981–present
spouse	Mimi Rogers (1987–1990)Nicole Kidman (1990–2001)Katie Holmes (2006–present)
children	Isabella, Connor Cruise and Suri Cruise
website	TomCruise.com }}

Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (; born July 3, 1962), better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards.

Cruise first debuted in a major film in Francis Ford Coppola's ''The Outsiders,'' released in March 1983. His first leading role was in the film ''Risky Business'', which was released in August 1983. After playing the role of a heroic naval pilot in the popular and financially successful 1986 film ''Top Gun'', Cruise continued in this vein, playing a secret agent in a series of ''Mission: Impossible'' action films in the 1990s and 2000s. In addition to these heroic roles, he has starred in a variety of other successful films such as ''Rain Man'' (1988), ''Days of Thunder'' (1990), ''A Few Good Men'' (1992), ''Jerry Maguire'' (1996), ''Magnolia'' (1999), ''Vanilla Sky'' (2001), ''Minority Report'' (2002), ''The Last Samurai'' (2003), ''Collateral'' (2004) and ''War of the Worlds'' (2005).

Since 2005, Cruise and Paula Wagner have been in charge of the United Artists film studio, with Cruise as producer and star and Wagner as the chief executive. Cruise is also known for his support of and adherence to the Church of Scientology.

Early life

Cruise was born in Syracuse, New York, the son of Mary Lee (née Pfeiffer), a special education teacher, and Thomas Cruise Mapother III (died 1984), an electrical engineer. Cruise's surname originates from his great-grandfather, Thomas Cruise O'Mara, who was adopted by a Welsh immigrant and renamed "Thomas Cruise Mapother". Cruise is of German, Irish, and English ancestry. Cruise grew up in near poverty in a Catholic family dominated by an abusive father he described as "a merchant of chaos". He was beaten by his father, who Cruise described as a bully and coward.

Cruise attended Robert Hopkins Public School for grades three, four, and five. The Mapother family then moved to the suburb of Beacon Hill, in Ottawa, Ontario, so Cruise's father could take a position as a defence consultant with the Canadian Armed Forces. There, Cruise completed grade six at Henry Munro Middle School, part of the Carleton Board of Education, where he was active in athletics, playing floor hockey almost every night, showing himself to be a ruthless player, and eventually chipping his front tooth. In the game British bulldogs, he then lost his newly capped tooth and hurt his knee. Henry Munro was also where Cruise became involved in drama, under the tutelage of George Steinburg. The first play he participated in was called ''IT'', in which Cruise won the co-lead with Michael de Waal, one playing "Evil", the other playing "Good". The play met much acclaim, and toured with five other classmates to various schools around the Ottawa area, even being filmed at the local Ottawa TV station. Cruise was bullied regularly in the 15 different schools he attended in 12 years. When Cruise was twelve, his mother left his father, taking Cruise and his sister Lee Anne with her.

He briefly attended a Franciscan seminary in Cincinnati (on a church scholarship) and aspired to become a Catholic priest. In his senior year, he played football for the varsity team as a linebacker, but he was cut from the squad after getting caught drinking beer before a game.

Career

Acting

1980s

Cruise first appeared in supporting roles the 1981 films ''Endless Love'' and ''Taps'', the latter in which he played a crazed military school student. His first starring role was in the 1983 comedy ''Losin' It''. That same year he appeared in ''All the Right Moves'' and ''Risky Business'', which has been described as "A Generation-X classic, and a career-maker for Tom Cruise", and which along with 1986's ''Top Gun'', cemented his status as a star.

Cruise followed up ''Top Gun'' with ''The Color of Money'', which came out the same year, and which paired him with Academy Award-winner Paul Newman. 1988 saw him star in ''Cocktail'', which earned him a nomination for the Razzie Award for Worst Actor. Later that year he starred with Academy Award-winner Dustin Hoffman in ''Rain Man'', which won the Academy Award for Best Film and Cruise the Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor. Cruise finished the decade by portraying real-life paralyzed Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic in 1989's ''Born on the Fourth of July'', which earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama, the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor, the People's Choice Award for Favorite Motion Picture Actor, a nomination for BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, and Cruise's first Best Actor Academy Award nomination.

1990s

In 1994, Cruise starred along with Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas and Christian Slater in Neil Jordan's ''Interview with the Vampire'', a gothic drama/horror film that was based on Anne Rice's best-selling novel. The film was well received, although Rice was initially quite outspoken in her criticism of Cruise having been cast in the film, as Julian Sands was her first choice. Upon seeing the film however, she paid $7,740 for a two-page ad in ''Daily Variety'' praising his performance and apologizing for her previous doubts about him.

In 1995, Cruise appeared as superspy Ethan Hunt in the reboot of ''Mission: Impossible,'' which he produced. In 1996, he took on the title role in ''Jerry Maguire'', for which he earned a Golden Globe and his second nomination for an Academy Award. In 1999, Cruise costarred with wife Nicole Kidman in the erotic Stanley Kubrick film ''Eyes Wide Shut'', and played motivational speaker Frank T.J. Mackey in the ensemble film ''Magnolia'', for which he received another Golden Globe and nomination for an Academy Award.

2000s

In 2000, Cruise returned as Ethan Hunt in the second installment of the ''Mission Impossible'' films, releasing ''Mission: Impossible II''. The film was directed by Hong Kong director John Woo and branded with his gun fu style, and it continued the series' blockbuster success at the box office, taking in almost $547M in worldwide figures, like its predecessor, being the third highest grossing film of the year. Cruise received an MTV Movie Award as Best Male Performance for this film. His next five films were major critical and commercial successes. The following year Cruise starred in the romantic thriller ''Vanilla Sky'' (2001) with Cameron Diaz and Penélope Cruz. In 2002, Cruise starred in the dystopian science fiction thriller, ''Minority Report'' which was directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the science fiction short story by Philip K. Dick.

In 2003, he starred in the Edward Zwick's historical drama ''The Last Samurai'', for which he received a Golden Globe nomination as best actor. In 2005, Cruise worked again with Steven Spielberg in ''War of the Worlds'', which became the fourth highest grossing film of the year with US$591.4 million worldwide. Also in 2005, he won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Male Movie Star, and the MTV Generation Award. Cruise was nominated for seven Saturn Awards between 2002 and 2009, winning once. Nine of the ten films he starred in during the decade made over $100 million at the box office. In 2006, he reprised his role as Ethan Hunt in the third installment of the ''Mission Impossible'' film series, ''Mission: Impossible III''. The film was more positively received by critics than its predecessor, and grossed nearly $400 million at the box office. Cruise's 2007 film ''Lions for Lambs'' was a rare commercial disappointment. In 2008, Cruise appeared in the hit comedy ''Tropic Thunder'' with Ben Stiller and Jack Black. This performance earned Cruise a Golden Globe nomination. Cruise's role in the historical thriller ''Valkyrie'' released on December 25, 2008 to box office success. As of 2009, Cruise's films have grossed over $6.5 billion worldwide.

2010s

In March 2010, Cruise completed filming the action-comedy ''Knight and Day'', in which he re-teamed with former costar Cameron Diaz; the film was released on June 23, 2010. On February 9, 2010, Cruise confirmed that he will star in ''Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol'' the fourth ''Mission:Impossible'' film, slated for release in December 2011.

On May 6, 2011, Cruise was awarded a humanitarian award from the Simon Wiesenthal Centre and Museum of Tolerance for his work as a dedicated philanthropist.

Producing

Cruise partnered with his former talent agent Paula Wagner to form Cruise/Wagner Productions in 1993, and the company has since co-produced several of Cruise's films, the first being ''Mission: Impossible'' in 1996 which was also Cruise's first project as a producer.

Cruise is noted as having negotiated some of the most lucrative film deals in Hollywood, and was described in 2005 by Hollywood economist Edward Jay Epstein as "one of the most powerful – and richest – forces in Hollywood". Epstein argues that Cruise is one of the few producers (the others being George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Jerry Bruckheimer) who are regarded as able to guarantee the success of a billion-dollar film franchise. Epstein also contends that the public obsession with Cruise's tabloid controversies obscures full appreciation of Cruise's exceptional commercial prowess.

Cruise/Wagner Productions, Cruise's film production company, is said to be developing a screenplay based on Erik Larson's ''New York Times'' bestseller, ''The Devil in the White City'' about a real life serial killer, H. H. Holmes, at Chicago's World's Columbian Exposition. Kathryn Bigelow is attached to the project to produce and helm. Meanwhile, Leonardo DiCaprio's production company, Appian Way, is also developing a film about Holmes and the World's Fair, in which DiCaprio will star.

Breakup with Paramount

On August 22, 2006, Paramount Pictures announced it was ending its 14-year relationship with Cruise. In the ''Wall Street Journal'', chairman of Viacom (Paramount's parent company) Sumner Redstone cited the economic damage to Cruise's value as an actor and producer from his controversial public behavior and views. Cruise/Wagner Productions responded that Paramount's announcement was a face-saving move after the production company had successfully sought alternative financing from private equity firms. Industry analysts such as Edward Jay Epstein commented that the real reason for the split was most likely Paramount's discontent over Cruise/Wagner's exceptionally large share of DVD sales from the ''Mission: Impossible'' franchise.

Management of United Artists

In November 2006, Cruise and Paula Wagner announced that they had taken over United Artists film studio. Cruise acts as a producer and star in films for United Artists, while Wagner serves as UA's chief executive. Production began in 2007 of ''Valkyrie'', a thriller based on the July 20, 1944 assassination attempt against Adolf Hitler. The film was acquired in March 2007 by United Artists. On March 21, 2007 Cruise signed on to play Claus von Stauffenberg, the protagonist. This project marks the second production to be greenlighted since Cruise and Wagner took control of United Artists. The first was its inaugural film, ''Lions for Lambs'', directed by Robert Redford and starring Redford, Meryl Streep and Cruise. ''Lambs'' was released on November 9, 2007, opening to unimpressive box office revenue and critical reception. In August 2008, Wagner stepped down from her position at United Artists; she retains her stake in UA, which combined with Cruise's share amounts to 30 percent of the studio.

Relationships and personal life

Cruise had a relationship with his ''Risky Business'' co-star Rebecca De Mornay; they cohabited in New York from 1983–85.

Cruise married actress Mimi Rogers on May 9, 1987; they divorced on February 4, 1990. Rogers is generally believed to have introduced Cruise to Scientology. He met his second wife, Nicole Kidman, on the set of their film ''Days of Thunder''. The couple married on December 24, 1990. He and Kidman adopted two children, Isabella Jane (born December 1992) and Connor Antony (born January 1995). They separated in February 2001 when Kidman was three months pregnant; she later miscarried.

Cruise was next romantically linked with Penélope Cruz, his co-star in ''Vanilla Sky''. That relationship ended in 2004. In April 2005, Cruise began dating actress Katie Holmes. On April 27 that year, Cruise and Holmes, dubbed "TomKat" by the media, made their first public appearance together in Rome. A month later, Cruise declared his love for Holmes on ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' famously jumping up and down on Winfrey's couch during the show. On October 6, 2005, Cruise and Holmes announced they were expecting a child, and their daughter, Suri, was born in April 2006. On November 18, 2006, Holmes and Cruise were married at the 15th-century Odescalchi Castle in Bracciano, Italy, in a Scientology ceremony attended by many Hollywood stars. The actors' publicist said the couple had "officialized" their marriage in Los Angeles the day before the Italian ceremony. David Miscavige served as Cruise's best man.

Popularity

In 1990, 1991 and 1997, ''People'' magazine rated him among the 50 most beautiful people in the world. In 1995, ''Empire'' magazine ranked him among the 100 sexiest stars in film history. Two years later, it ranked him among the top 5 film stars of all time. In 2002 and 2003, he was rated by ''Premiere'' among the top 20 in its annual Power 100 list.

In 2006, ''Premiere'' ranked Cruise as Hollywood's most powerful actor, as Cruise came in at number 13 on the magazine's 2006 Power List, being the highest ranked actor. The same year, ''Forbes'' magazine ranked him as the world's most powerful celebrity.

In August 2006, "a USA Today/Gallup poll in which half of those surveyed registered an 'unfavorable' opinion of the actor" was cited as a reason in addition to "unacceptable behavior" for Paramount's non-renewal of their production contract with Cruise. In addition, Marketing Evaluations reports that Cruise's Q score (which is a measure of the popularity of celebrities), had fallen 40 percent. It was also revealed that Cruise is the celebrity people would least like as their best friend. October 10, 2006 was declared "Tom Cruise Day" in Japan; the Japan Memorial Day Association said that he was awarded with a special day because he has made more trips to Japan than any other Hollywood star.

Controversy

Litigation

During Cruise's marriage to Nicole Kidman, the couple endured public speculation about their sex life and rumors that Cruise was gay. In 1998, he successfully sued the ''Daily Express'', a British tabloid which alleged that his marriage to Kidman was a sham designed to cover up his homosexuality. In May 2001 he filed a lawsuit against gay porn actor Chad Slater. Slater had allegedly told the celebrity magazine ''Actustar'' that he had had an affair with Cruise. Both Slater and Cruise denied this, and in August 2001, Slater was ordered to pay $10 million to Cruise in damages after Slater declared he could not afford to defend himself against the suit and would therefore default. Cruise also sued Michael Davis, publisher of ''Bold Magazine'', who alleged but never confirmed that he had video that would prove Cruise was gay. The suit was dropped in exchange for a public statement by Davis that the video was not of Cruise, and that Cruise was heterosexual.

After ''The Beast''s publication of their 50 Most Loathsome People of 2004, which included Cruise, Cruise's lawyer Bertram Fields threatened to sue. Seeing the opportunity for nationwide exposure, ''The Beast'' actively encouraged the lawsuit. No lawsuit was ever filed and Cruise was included more prominently in the 2005 list. In 2006, Cruise sued cybersquatter Jeff Burgar to obtain control of the TomCruise.com domain name. When owned by Burgar, the domain redirected to information about Cruise on Celebrity1000.com. The decision to turn TomCruise.com over to Cruise was handed down by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on July 5, 2006.

''Oprah Winfrey Show'' incident

Cruise has made several expressions of his feelings for Holmes to the media, most notably the "couch incident" which took place on the popular ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' of May 23, 2005. Cruise "jumped around the set, hopped onto a couch, fell to one knee and repeatedly professed his love for his new girlfriend". The phrase "jumping the couch", fashioned after "jumping the shark", is used to describe someone "going off the deep end" in public in a manner extreme enough to tarnish his or her reputation. It enjoyed a short-lived popularity, being chosen by the editors of the ''Historical Dictionary of American Slang'' as the "slang term of the year" in 2005 and by the nonprofit group Global Language Monitor as one of its top phrases for the year.

The "couch incident" was voted No.1 of 2005's "Most Surprising Television Moments" on a countdown on E! and No.5 at BoxOfficeProphets.com. and was the subject of numerous parodies, including the epilogue of ''Scary Movie 4'', an episode of ''South Park'', a short on ''Sesame Street'', and an episode of ''Family Guy''. ''Entertainment Weekly'' put it on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "Lesson learned: Tell, don't show".

In early May 2008, Cruise reappeared on ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' to celebrate 25 years in the film business. The feature was a two hour special, the first hour was Oprah spending the day with Cruise at his house in Telluride, Colorado on May 2.

Scientology

Cruise is an outspoken advocate for the Church of Scientology; according to Andrew Morton's ''Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography'' (2008), Cruise is the church's "second in command in all but name". He became involved with Scientology in 1990 through his first wife, Mimi Rogers. He has said that Scientology, specifically the L. Ron Hubbard Study Tech, helped him overcome dyslexia. In addition to promoting various programs that introduce people to Scientology, Cruise has campaigned for Scientology to be recognized as a religion in Europe. He lobbied politicians in France and Germany, where the legal systems regard Scientology as a cult and business, respectively. In 2005, the Paris city council revealed that Cruise had lobbied officials Nicolas Sarkozy and Jean-Claude Gaudin, described him as a spokesman and militant for Scientology, and barred any further dealings with him. Cruise co-founded and raised donations for Downtown Medical to offer New York City 9/11 rescue workers detoxification therapy based on the works of L. Ron Hubbard. This drew criticism from the medical profession, as well as firefighters. For these activities and others, David Miscavige awarded Cruise Scientology's Freedom Medal of Valor in late 2004.

A controversy erupted in 2005 after he openly criticized actress Brooke Shields for using the drug Paxil (paroxetine), an anti-depressant to which Shields attributes her recovery from postpartum depression after the birth of her first daughter in 2003. Cruise asserted that there is no such thing as a chemical imbalance, and that psychiatry is a form of pseudoscience. Shields replied that she would not take advice from anyone who believed in space aliens. This led to a heated argument with Matt Lauer on NBC's ''Today'' on June 24, 2005. Medical authorities view Cruise's comments as furthering the social stigma of mental illness. Shields herself called Cruise's comments "a disservice to mothers everywhere". In late August 2006, Cruise apologized in person to Shields for his comments. Scientology is well known for its opposition to mainstream psychiatry.

On January 15, 2008, a video produced by the Church of Scientology featuring an interview with Cruise was posted on You Tube, showing Cruise discussing what being a Scientologist means to him. The Church of Scientology said the video had been "pirated and edited", and was taken from a three-hour video produced for members of Scientology. YouTube removed the Cruise video from their site under threat of litigation.

Cruise's more open attitude to Scientology has been attributed to the March 2004 departure of his publicist of 14 years, Pat Kingsley. He replaced her with his sister, fellow Scientologist Lee Anne DeVette, who served in that role until November 2005. DeVette was replaced with Paul Bloch from the publicity firm Rogers and Cowan. Such restructuring is seen as a move to curtail publicity of his views on Scientology, as well as the hard-sell of his relationship with Katie Holmes backfiring with the public.

Filmography

See also

Tom Cruise (disambiguation)

Brat Pack (actors)

List of people from Louisville, Kentucky

List of Scientologists

Supercouple

''Tom Cruise: Unauthorized'' (1998)

''Tom Cruise: All the World's a Stage'' (2006)

References

External links

Transcript of the Matt Lauer interview

''Rolling Stone'' Interview: "The Passion of the Cruise"; 08/11/04

Tom Cruise at Rotten Tomatoes

Category:1962 births Category:20th-century actors Category:21st-century actors Category:Actors from New York Category:American people of English descent Category:American people of German descent Category:American expatriates in Canada Category:American film actors Category:American film producers Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American Scientologists Category:Best Actor Empire Award winners Category:Best Drama Actor Golden Globe (film) winners Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (film) winners Category:Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (film) winners Category:Converts from Roman Catholicism Category:Living people Category:People from Ottawa Category:People from Syracuse, New York Category:Saturn Award winners

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