Tom Cruise's Ex-Manager Makes Eyebrow-Raising Claims About His Behavior

Tom Cruise is undeniably one of Hollywood's biggest stars. Back in the '80s, the actor made a name for himself thanks to his roles in "Risky Business" and "Top Gun," then he shot to superstardom as Ethan Hunt with 1996's "Mission: Impossible." Since then, he's earned his place among the Hollywood greats, especially in the action film sphere. Plus, he's known as one of the most serious actors in the business, known for doing most of his own stunt work. Cruise even made his film crew upset with an expletive-filled rant about them not following COVID-19 restrictions.  According to Jake Johnson, who co-starred with Cruise in "The Mummy," Cruise is "intense." He told The Daily Beast's "The Last Laugh" podcast, "He is there to entertain an audience and he's willing to really put himself in harm's way to do it. And if you're not all about that, you're going to get knocked off the bronco."

Cruise took his job seriously before he even broke out as a star, his first manager Eileen Berlin told the Daily Mail. In fact, she claimed he spent hours in front of the mirror when he was first starting off as an actor, among other shocking behaviors.

Hollywood action star Tom Cruise was just 18 years old when Eileen Berlin became his manager. Back then he couldn't even afford a place to rent, so she and her husband offered up a room for Cruise in their New York City apartment. In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Berlin claimed that before photoshoots, Cruise would walk around in his underwear, flexing and admiring himself in the mirror. "He had a great pride in [his body] but he was working on perfection," she said. Berlin also claimed Cruise had a hot temper, one time throwing a photo album hard at her face. He also reportedly got angry when a waitress recognized him while filming "Taps." Berlin claimed he said, "Please tell her not to ask me any questions. I'm still in character." 

Additionally, Cruise allegedly had a list of demands for his breakout role in "Risky Business" while he was still an up-and-coming actor. Some of the demands included first star billing, first-class airfare and hotel, and the "most favorable dressing room," according to documents obtained by the Daily Mail. "He was very self-centered," Berlin said about Cruise. "Everything revolved around 'me.'"

Interestingly enough, former Scientology member Tom DeVocht had a similar sentiment to Berlin's when comparing Cruise to Scientology leader David Miscavige. They are "both rather absorbed by themselves, and intensely so," he told the Daily Beast. "You don't want to look at 'em wrong, say anything wrong, and you definitely don't want to better them in any way."