Tom Cruise Quotes

In this life, it's not what you hope for, it's not what you deserve - it's what you take!

The thing about film-making is I give it everything, that's why I work so hard. I always tell young actors to take charge. It's not that hard. Sign your own cheques, be responsible.

When you have to cope with a lot of problems, you're either going to sink or you're going to swim.

Psychiatry is a pseudoscience.... You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do...Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt, you don't even -you're glib. You don't even know what Ritalin is.

I love what I do. I take great pride in what I do. And I can't do something halfway, three-quarters, nine-tenths. If I'm going to do something, I go all the way.

No dream is ever just a dream.

Someday. That's a dangerous word. It's really just a code for 'never'.

Perception and reality are two different things.

I had to train myself to focus my attention. I became very visual and learned how to create mental images in order to comprehend what I read.

I disagree with people who think you learn more from getting beat up than you do from winning.

I've never done work for money, ever. If your choices are based on grosses and the film doesn't do well, what does that mean? It leaves you with nothing.

I always look for a challenge and something that's different.

Individuals have to decide what is true and real for them.

As a kid, when I got to the edge of a cliff I wanted to jump off. I didn't want to kill myself. I wanted to fly.

I'm an all-or-nothing kind of person, and when I become interested in something, I give it my all.

I like to work with people that I like hanging out with, that I admire, that are really smart and talented, and we can problem solve together.

Saddam has committed many crimes against humanity and against his own people.

I love kids. I was a kid myself, once.

I'm passionate about learning. I'm passionate about life.

But my friends are happy for me. The people who know me are happy. My mom is happy. My family is happy.

I don't hide from cameras or anything. It doesn't bother me. I don't seek our press for the women I'm dating, but if it finds me, it finds me.

What I find sometimes that is tricky is if actors are using too much of their own life in a picture, in a scene, they get locked into a particular way to play the scene, and it lacks an immediacy.

I feel lonely at times, but I don't want to get into a relationship with someone if it is not right. I'm not the type of person who just does things to do them.

Being a Scientologist, when you drive past an accident... you know you have to do something about it because you know you're the only one that can really help.

Nothing ends nicely, that's why it ends.

I feel the need... the need for speed.

Do I make mistakes? Yeah.

I'm always around my mother and sisters. I always wanted to be a father, a husband.

When you become successful in any type of life, there are people who are not contributing to the motion.

Today, people can say anything they want. Suddenly it gets in the rumor mill and then it evolves and then somehow it becomes fact and you say, What is this? You know, why don't you ask me?

I'm usually nervous to meet people that I admire because what if they're not cool or something?

It seems to me that if there were any logic to our language, trust would be a four letter word.

I don't pretend to be the character. I am the character.

When I work, I work very hard. So I look to work with people who have that level of dedication. And I depend on that from everyone. From the director to my crews that I work with.

I just eat life... I engage in life.

My childhood was extremely lonely. I was dyslexic and lots of kids make fun of me. That experience made me tough inside, because you learn to quietly accept ridicule.

Who hasn't danced in their underwear?

Have you ever gotten the feeling that you aren't completely embarassed yet, but you glimpse tomorrow's embarrassment?

The exciting part of acting, I don't know how else to explain it, are those moments when you surprise yourself.

Awards are wonderful. I've been nominated many times and I've won many awards. But my journey is not towards that. If it happens it will be a blast. If it doesn't, it's still been a blast.

I'll never forget the moment I became a dad. It's hard to describe-that level of responsibility, the desire to give such joy, the clarity: Nothing is more important than this.

I'm someone who doesn't believe in making my problems other people's problems.

I demand a lot of myself. I want to learn. I can't sit back. I like a challenge, so I create a lot of challenges for myself.

I don't care who you are, life has challenges.

It's well known I'm a Scientologist, and that has helped me to find that inner peace in my life and it's something that has given me great stability and tools that I use.

The important thing is to be relaxed in your work. Same in life. Don't make everything too intense. Then you can let everything go and not "act".

Making a movie is like a chess game. It's about constantly changing patterns, adapting to new things. It's not just black and white, as you know.

I feel good about the decisions that I made and I'm happy. You know, I'm really happy.

I've always thought of the audience. I just want to entertain the audience. That's what it's about: what's good for the movie, what's best for the movie, what's best for the audience.

There is no such thing as a chemical imbalance.