Inside Tom Cruise's houses: from Hollywood mega-mansion to Scientology retreat (2024)

We know him as one of the world's biggest movie stars, with a net worth of $600 million (£495m) and a string of blockbusters to his name, but back in the early 80s Tom Cruise worked as a building superintendent to help pay his rent.

Cruise lived in a 300-square-foot studio apartment in this historic townhouse on Manhattan's Upper West Side, according to the New York Post. While his mother paid half his rent, Tom made up the shortfall by changing lightbulbs and taking out the rubbish.

Now, the iconic Renaissance Revival building is for sale for a shade under $15 million (£12.4m). Let's take a look around, and see just how far Hollywood's favourite leading man has come...

Tom Cruise has come a long way since his humble childhood. He was born on 3 July 1962 in Syracuse, New York, and lived in both America and Canada during his childhood, much of which was tumultuous according to an interview he gave toParademagazine.

Cruisediscoveredhis talent for acting in high school and aged 18 he moved to New York, where he worked as a busboy while tryingtomake it as an actor according to Fox News.Hewas propelled into the limelight by his role in the 1983 filmRisky Business.

From there, he left his humble digs and began snapping upreal estate at home and abroad, ranging froma remote ranch in the mountainsto a plush Florida penthouse.

Cruise was lucky enough to live in this five-storey, 9,165-square-foot townhouse at the very start of his career. Built in 1907, it was a speakeasy during the prohibition era and has plenty of historic details that survived, including a grand limestone entrance, exposed brickwork, original mouldings and an ornate staircase.

While it may not have been finished to quite such a high standard back in 1980, we're sure Tom appreciated living in such a beautiful building, despite having to take out the trash.

The bijou apartments have seen many young actors come and go over the years. “[Lee and Abbey] were a showbiz couple and considered some of the residents like family. They really lived their lives through that building,” current owner Therese Flaherty told the Post.

“There’s a really sweet Christmas card they once showed me from Tom’s mother, thanking them for taking care of her son. She’d often leave a little note for them, letting them know that he took out the garbage, swept the rugs and changed the lightbulbs before flying off to LA.”

Cruise landed his movie debut in the 1981 film Endless Love, playing a bit part alongside Brooke Shields. Later that year, he scored a bigger role in Taps and his daysworking as a building caretaker were over.

However, the Mission Impossible star wasn't the only famous face to have lived in the elegant townhouse. Sarah Jessica Parker and her then boyfriend RobertDowney Jr. lived in the penthouse back in the 80s, while Friends and The Simpsons actorHank Azaria also rented a unit.

The property has been home to so many budding young stars over the years, that is has become known as the 'Good Luck' building.

However, the building hasn't always proved lucky for everyone.Aretha Franklin's musical director and band leader, King Curtis, lived in one of the apartments in the early 70s. He worked with John Lennon on the Imagine album on the ground floor of the townhouse, because the pool provided excellent acoustics,according to the New York Post.

But on an August night in 1971,Curtis went outside to try to fix an issue with his fuse box. He confronted a man loitering on the building's steps and a fight broke out. Curtis was fatally stabbed, aged just 36. His star-studded funeral was presided over by Jesse Jackson and, in 2000, he was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame.

With such a storied past, we can't wait to see what the future holds for this iconic New York gem.

Read on to tour more of Tom Cruise's incredible homes...

Movie megastar Tom Cruise is known for his iconic blockbuster roles, high-profile relationships and controversial interview moments, making him one of the world's most famous faces. The veteran actor and prominent Scientologist is also one of the richest stars in the world, so it's no surprise that he has built up an impressive property portfolio over the years.

Let's step inside Tom Cruise's spectacular homes and discover more about one of Hollywood's most elusive stars...

In 2006, Cruise reportedly shelled out $4.2 million (£3.5m) for this spectacular English country estate in West Sussex. Known as Rede Place, the property can be found in East Grinstead, a strange little town, just down the road from the British headquarters of the Church of Scientology, which obviously wasn't a coincidence.

As one of the world's most high-profile Scientologists, Cruise clearly wanted a base near to the church's significant English estate, Saint Hill Manor.

Inside, the modern mega-mansion is light-filled and dramatic, effortlessly blending state-of-the-art touches with traditional architectural elements. From coffered ceilings to natural timber accents, integrated sound systems and zoned lighting, the property really does offer the best of both worlds.

The estate has a total of eight bedrooms and five bathrooms, split between the main house and a separate, self-contained guest pavilion.

The perfect choice for a Hollywood A-lister, the house lies behind electric security gates and iskitted out with CCTV. A long, winding driveway meanders through manicured gardens, protecting the home from prying eyes. Outside, there's a glistening swimming pool, hot tub andtennis court.

Tom listed the home for sale in October 2015, before eventually selling it to 'Mysterious Girl' singer, Peter Andre, for just under $6 million (£5m) in 2016.

Described by the listing agents, The Altman Brothers, as a 'one-of-a-kind celebrity compound'with 'unrivaled privacy and charm', the property may have been bought by Cruise in 2005 for just under $11.7million (£9.7m), Variety suggests.

Interestingly, the house always seems to sell for a loss, with Longoria selling the property on in 2020 for just less than $8.3million (£6.8m), a much lower sum than she originally paid.

In early 2021, Cruise decided to part ways with his longtime rural ranch in Telluride. The property hit the market for a cool $39.5 million (£32.6m) and within a month, it had secured a buyer.

Spanning an amazing 320 acres, the estate offered him privacy, seclusion and spectacular landscape views. The veteran actor bought the rural Colorado plot in the early 1990s and spent several years building a star-worthy estate.

The condo is also said to boast an exclusive cigar lounge known as The Vault,aflight simulator room, an office, a gymand a high-end fitness centre with unobstructed city views.

While we can't take a look inside yet, Architectural Digestreportedthat Cruise's new home came complete with its own private pool, a rooftop deck, solarium, hot tub and bar.

However, one local alleged that Cruise had built around the rooftop amenitiesto maintain his privacy, and has added multiple motion detectors and cameras for security.

Defined by sleek modern architecture and walls of glass, we're sure the Top Gun star'spenthouse will be the perfect pad for him to enjoy the bachelor life.We don't know about you, but we can't wait to see what Tom Cruise buys next...

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