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Paula Zahn Now
The Talent and Temperament of Tom Cruise; Interview With James Cameron
Aired June 30, 2005 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome, everyone. Glad to have you with us tonight.
Exactly one month ago, an Alabama teen on vacation in Aruba vanished in the night. Tonight, the very latest on the case.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZAHN (voice-over): As the desperate search goes on, one woman sorts through the evidence.
CAREN JANSSEN, ARUBAN PROSECUTOR: Without a body, there is no case.
ZAHN: Tonight, chief prosecutor Caren Janssen on finding justice for Natalee.
And:
TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: Lightning doesn't strike twice.
ZAHN: With his mega-movie hitting the theaters and his behavior baffling his fans...
CRUISE: I am focused. I am focused.
ZAHN: ... the talent and the temperament of Tom Cruise.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZAHN: And we begin tonight with the investigation into Natalee Holloway's disappearance. It has now been a full month since she simply vanished.
Despite an intense search, there is still no sign of the 18-year- old from Alabama. Aruban prosecutors won't say whether they believe Holloway is dead. But Aruba's chief prosecutor said today the absence of a body would not stop investigators from pursuing a murder case.
Three suspects were detained on June 9. And they remain in jail, still not charged. But late today, two of them were moved, including Joran van der Sloot, seen here in this exclusive footage getting into the car. The 17-year-old son of an Aruban judge, who was also briefly held, now seems be getting a lot more attention from investigators.
Here's Karl Penhaul. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The van der Sloots are a family under fire; 17-year-old son, Joran van der Sloot, in handcuffs and under arrest on suspicion he may have been involved in the possible murder or kidnapping of Natalee Holloway.
He was a star student at Aruba's International School, from where he just graduated. And his father, Paul, a deputy judge, arrested, then released, as part of the same investigation. The van der Sloots are a middle-class Dutch family, according to islanders, quiet and well-respected.
Wife and mother, Anita, was distraught after her husband was detained, but was standing by her men.
ANITA VAN DER SLOOT, MOTHER OF SUSPECT: I believe in my husband. I believe in my son. I believe in my family. And I -- I know it all comes right. It all will be fine.
PENHAUL: When police arrested Paul van der Sloot a week ago, prosecutors initially said, they suspected he may have helped son Joran cover up what he was doing on the night Natalee disappeared.
While investigations are ongoing, island officials can legally reveal few details of the case. But, this week, Aruba's chief prosecutor, Caren Janssen, spelled out what led them to Paul van der Sloot.
JANSSEN: They were speaking about the situation, that, if you don't have a body, there's no case.
PENHAUL: But, under interrogation, say officials, he came up with an explanation.
JANSSEN: He said, I was talking generally spoken.
PENHAUL: Prosecutors didn't give details about the context of the comment. But a judge sent in from neighboring Curacao said the prosecution simply didn't have enough evidence to hold him and freed Paul van der Sloot at the weekend.
Judge Paul van der Sloot is back at home now, but has declined to comment to CNN. Natalee's family was left reeling.
BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY, MOTHER OF NATALEE HOLLOWAY: Yes. It was a devastating blow to us. And it makes me feel as if we're back to that night at 11:00 p.m. on May 30.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please, please. Everyone is going back now. Please.
PENHAUL: Aruba, a relatively crime-free island, is in turmoil. Islanders are unused to unsolved mysteries and unused to bad publicity for their slice of tropical paradise. So far, though, the case doesn't seem to have undermined the tourist trade, Aruba's mainstay. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The response is that the bookings are very strong. We've had -- up to the third week of June, we had a 15 percent increase over last year.
PENHAUL: It's been four-and-a-half weeks since Natalee disappeared. And police still have no clues to confirm whether she's alive or dead.
Authorities, though, insist they're making progress, but simply cannot reveal specifics for fear of jeopardizing the investigation and eventually a fair trial.
David Kock, defense attorney for one of the three suspect, has seen statements to police by Joran van der Sloot and brothers Satish and Deepak Kalpoe, the three young men still held in connection with Natalee's disappearance. He says the Kalpoe brothers say they dropped van der Sloot with Natalee at the beach near the Marriott Hotel about 1:50 a.m. earlier May 30.
He says Joran has given several different stories to police, including that one or other of the Kalpoe brothers picked him up from the beach after he left Natalee alone and that he walked home. Under Dutch law, defense attorneys are not permitted to sit in on interrogation sessions. The van der Sloot and Kalpoe families are getting frustrated, with their sons behind bar and no public evidence that a crime has been committed.
Today, as tourists and islanders formed a human chain to mark the month since Natalee's disappearance, no one's giving up and no one is forgetting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZAHN: They certainly aren't. That was Karl Penhaul reporting for us.
Joining me now from Aruba, Natalee Holloway's father, Dave Holloway.
Good of you to join us, sir.
If you would, let's start off by talking about that piece of reporting in Karl Penhaul's story, where he said there was a conversation that took place between Judge van der Sloot and the boys prior to their being in custody. Now the chief prosecutor is saying that the judge was explaining the legal situation to them and said -- quote -- "Without a body, there's no case."
What do you make of his allegedly saying that?
DAVE HOLLOWAY, FATHER OF NATALEE HOLLOWAY: Well, I heard the judge make some comments on TV yesterday.
Apparently, it took him about four hours to make a one- to two- minute interview, which tells me that, again, he must know something more than what he is telling us. You can't -- common sense only tells you that, If you tell your kids and the other guy to be quiet and say no more, and then not to come out with the truth, something has got to be wrong.
ZAHN: So...
D. HOLLOWAY: And then for the son to change his story three or four or five times or with however many times it is, you know, I just don't understand.
ZAHN: So, how badly do you think the alleged actions of the judge taint this case?
D. HOLLOWAY: Well, my gut feeling tells me that -- and you have seen the video. And you have seen what has taken place over the last 30 days. He's got to involved in some way.
(CROSSTALK)
D. HOLLOWAY: There's no question in my mind.
ZAHN: What do you think he's holding back from investigators? What do you think he knows that he hasn't shared with them?
D. HOLLOWAY: Well, that's -- that's a good question.
It's obvious to me that he's coached his son and the other two guys. And, of course, that story -- when you tell a lie, it's hard to remember your lie. And, apparently, that story has fallen apart. And they have come up with other stories. I'm not sure what the latest story is now.
ZAHN: Do you believe that Judge van der Sloot was in any responsible for your daughter's disappearance?
D. HOLLOWAY: Well, I couldn't speculate on that. I just know that he knows more than what he's telling.
ZAHN: Earlier this week, we spoke with Natalee's mother. And she expressed increasing frustration about not only the pace of this investigation, but the treatment of these three men in custody, the treatment of Paul van der Sloot.
And we have a statement from the Dutch ambassador to the U.S. I'd like to share with you tonight. He said -- quote -- "The investigation is being conducted according to the rule of law. It differs from the U.S. system. But it is as effective. I want to reassure the American people that everything's being done to resolve this tragic case."
Do you believe that?
D. HOLLOWAY: You know, I'm not privy to any of the investigative material.
It was hard for me to understand how the Dutch conduct their investigation. But, as I understand, and with the confidence of the FBI, he told me that they have some good people working on the case, and the case is moving forward. Until he comes to me and tells me that the case is stalled, then that is where, you know, I'll have to regroup.
But I -- I remain optimistic and positive that, as long as the case is moving forward, it will eventually be resolved. How long will it take? That's anyone's guess. But, as long as we're moving forward, that is all that counts.
ZAHN: But you really are satisfied with where things are tonight in this investigation?
D. HOLLOWAY: Well, no. You're not -- you're never satisfied where it is. I wish it was over with the first day I arrived. But, unfortunately, it's not.
But, again, I remain optimistic and positive that we're moving in the right direction. Until I get information to believe otherwise, if these guys are let go or whatever, and then we have the opportunity to review all of the evidence and question what has happened.
ZAHN: Finally, tonight, Dave, when you say you're optimistic and you're hopeful that this is leading to some kind of conclusion, do you really think that this investigation will lead to charges relating to your daughter's disappearance?
D. HOLLOWAY: I do. I just don't -- I just can't understand that three kids, you know, if they were involved in foul play, could have disposed of Natalee in such a way that we couldn't find her.
So, that leads me to believe that, possibly, there's other people involved in the case. And until you prove or until somebody proves me otherwise, I have just got that feeling.
ZAHN: Well, we very much appreciate your time. We know all your days there are very long and very emotionally draining. Thank you.
D. HOLLOWAY: Thank you.
ZAHN: For joining us.
Coming up, a sport you have probably never seen before. Take a deep breath and dive 55 stories under water without tanks just on one single breath of air. It's fast, thrilling, and it can be deadly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES CAMERON, DIRECTOR: He took by the hand and led her into his world. And that is where she died.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZAHN: Still ahead, a diver's passion and a haunting love story that is being turned into a movie by the man who made "Titanic."
And speaking of movies, Tom Cruise has a blockbuster. But stick around. You're going to be surprised at how much of his story you don't know.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAHN: Still ahead, he's Hollywood top gun, so, why does Tom Cruise seem to be at war with the world? And if you think Tom Cruise has an attitude, watch out for that baseball player. Ouch. We're going to take a look at that again.
But, right now, it's time to take a look at Erica Hill at CNN Headline News, who is going to update our top stories for us tonight.
You never behaved like that, did you?
ERICA HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, never.
ZAHN: Good.
(CROSSTALK)
HILL: And I'm sure my mother would attest to that.
(LAUGHTER)
ZAHN: Good. We can count on that.
(LAUGHTER)
HILL: Yes. We'll give you the headlines now.
NASA is ready to shoot for the stars again, the space agency saying today the shuttle Discovery will launch in just about two weeks. July 13 is the planned date. If all goes as scheduled, it will be the first shuttle launch since the Columbia disaster more than two years ago.
Is this man an Iranian who held Americans hostage some 25 years ago now the new president of Iran? Well, several former hostages say they remember the face of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. But the Iranians deny it. One photo expert tells CNN the photographs are inconclusive.
A terrifying accident today in Vancouver, Canada, where a huge ferry boat carrying hundreds of passengers drifted out of control, crushing more than a dozen boats in a marina. Now, amazingly, there are no reports of injuries.
And Bank of America plans to buy MBNA for $35 billion. That would make it the second largest banking America and one of the world's largest credit card companies. The merger also means a loss of some 6,000 jobs.
We're going to take a look now at another company in the news. McDonald's is tonight's "Market Mover" with Valerie Morris.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VALERIE MORRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): McDonald's celebrated its 50th birthday this year. And, at middle age, the world's largest fast-food change is revamping its identity.
McDonald's shares have fallen 13 percent since March. Part of the problem, health concerns highlighted by the movie "Super Size Me" and a much publicized obesity lawsuit. Now, McD's is shifting its focus from opening new restaurants to improving sales in existing ones. It's introducing healthier menu items and eliminating its supersize option. McDonald's, it's also going high-tech, trying out new C.D.-burning kiosks, plasma screen TVs, Wi- Fi Internet access and more, all to entice customers to stick around.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: And, Paula, that's the latest from Headline News. We'll hand it back over to you.
ZAHN: See you in a half-hour or so. Thanks, Erica.
Coming up, a sport that can be beautiful, but deadly. Without scuba gear, people actually ride an underwater sled to the depths that is the equivalent of a 55-story building, holding their breath for up to five minutes.
That story next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAHN: So, how long can you hold your breath? Thirty seconds, a minute at the most?
Well, the man you're about to meet, Pipin Ferreras, can hold his breath five times as long while diving more than 500 feet under water with no scuba gear at all, on all just one breath of air.
His story is also one of love and obsession.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZAHN (voice-over): He could be one of the greatest athletes you have never heard of, no limits free-diving champion Pipin Ferreras.
PIPIN FERRERAS, DIVER: Since I was kid, I was always in the water. And I start swimming before I learned how to walk. Without knowing it, I was going deeper than all the other kids can dive in my hometown.
ZAHN: For the past 20 years, Ferreras has been the king of the sport. Riding a weighted sled that runs along a cable, he pushes his body's limits, as he travels deeper and deeper into the darkness of the ocean, at times holding his breath for up to five minutes. He has to withstand 264 pounds of pressure, 18 times as much as on the surface.
It shrinks his lungs to the size of baseballs, slows his heart to 20 beats per minute, and fills his sinus cavities with salt water. When the slide reaches the target depth, Ferreras releases the weight, inflates a lift bag and rockets back to the surface. Unlike the sport of scuba diving, he doesn't have to worry about the bends, which could kill a diver with who surfaces too quickly. In 2003, off the coast of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Ferreras set a world record, free-diving to 558 feet on a single breath of air.
(APPLAUSE)
ZAHN: But this record was different for Ferreras. It was exactly one year to the day after his wife, Audrey Mestre, died attempting the same dive.
FERRERAS: There's not a single day that I don't think about her.
ZAHN: Mestre and Ferreras met in 1996 in Cabo San Lucas. She was a 21-year-old marine biology student. He was a 34-year-old world record holder in free-diving. Mestre was studying the effects of extreme depths on the human body. And Ferreras was the perfect subject. In Mestre, Ferreras found his soul mate, who shared his passion for the sea.
FERRERAS: She came to see one of my dive. And, the same day, we get together.
ZAHN: It was not long before Audrey Mestre dropped out of school. They married. And soon, he was teaching her everything he knew about the sport of free-diving.
Audrey was a natural. She was breaking records that would earn her the title of female world champion. On October 12, 2002, she was going for a new world record, trying to break the old one her husband held.
(on camera): What went wrong the day Audrey died?
FERRERAS: There was a lack of command down there at the bottom. The safety diver want her to abort the dive. She didn't want to abort the dive. She wanted the safety diver to help her to make it back to the surface. When she was coming back, she faint.
ZAHN: Isn't it also true, though, that lift bags that should have been in place that would have helped her surface would have saved her life?
FERRERAS: Yes.
The problem is, again, the tank, who inflate the lift bag, wasn't fill up. And then...
ZAHN: Why?
FERRERAS: Well, today, we don't know exactly why.
ZAHN (voice-over): Accusations have surfaced in the world of free-diving, accusations that Ferreras and his team didn't have enough safety measures in place and were at least partially responsible for Audrey's death. FERRERAS: The only thing that I really, really won't forgive myself is that I wasn't the diver down there that day. That's something that I -- that I'm going to feel bad about for the rest of my life.
ZAHN: After Audrey's death, Pipin Ferreras wrote a book about their life together, a life he describes as filled with love and obsession, a life cut tragically short.
Ferreras says the only way he feels close to Audrey now is when he's in the water. And it's in the water where he continues their dream of reaching unimaginable depths.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZAHN: But, since setting his record just two years ago, Pipin has not dived. And his record has been beaten by a Frenchman who reached 561 feet.
Ferreras says he's been trying to get his life together and does plan one more dive next year. But then he intends to retire some time in the next two years.
"Titanic" director James Cameron is planning a movie about Pipin and Audrey. And I spoke with him about why he was drawn to their story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAMERON: Here, you have this woman who was this amazing champion. And, you know, her potential was so unlimited.
And she had entered the sport through, in a sense, her devotion to him. So, it was a great love story. And she found herself under his kind of mentorship or his tutelage. And I just -- I love the -- kind of the dynamic between the two of them and how the student became the teacher and surpassed even, even what Pipin was capable of at that time.
ZAHN: There are lot of different ways to interpret their story. What's your understanding of how much Audrey was motivated by her own sense of finding excellence or how much of it was cultivated by Pipin?
CAMERON: My sense of her is that she was challenged internally.
For her, it wasn't about competition. It wasn't about winning championships. It wasn't about beating somebody else. I think he's much more competitive than she is. But the thing about this sport, it's very unique, because it's all about mental control. And whatever gets you to that place that gives you -- whatever empowers you to be able to do this, it doesn't really matter.
For her, it was coming from the inside. She wanted to test herself against the elements. She was a scientist. And that's the thing that people need to remember. She was studying marine biology, cetacean biology. How do dolphins do this? How do elephants seals do this, go to these astounding depths and survive? That is what she -- her initial quest was for knowledge, not for glory.
ZAHN: In my conversation with Pipin, he described in great detail the enormous sense of guilt he felt when Audrey died.
CAMERON: Sure.
(CROSSTALK)
ZAHN: He felt a sense of responsibility for it. And, of course, a lot of folks in the diving community blamed him. How are you going tackle that in the movie?
CAMERON: I think it speaks very much to heart of the story.
I mean, part of what makes it such a tragic story is that she was drawn into the sport by him. So, regardless of the specifics of the accident -- and, in the film, I'm not really even that interested in that, the specifics or the forensic kind of analysis of the accident. But, really, in the overall sense, he was responsible because he opened that door for her. He took into that world. He took by the hand and led her into his world. And that is where she died.
ZAHN: Hollywood doesn't usually gravitate towards sad stories. And yet, in a number of your films, you seem to be drawn to that theme. Why?
CAMERON: Well, I think that, you know, love stories always tend to run the risk of sort of being treacly or predictable.
And I think there's something about getting -- really drilling down to the deeper issues of relationships between people. And one of the things that I think is really fundamental about our love for each other is this idea of mortality and what happens if we lose the other person. I mean, that's -- for me, it's hard to tell a truly passionate love story without at least dealing with the risk of that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZAHN: Well, Pipin has certainly paid an emotional cost for that.
So far, James Cameron says he is in discussions with a writer and looking into casting the movie.
This weekend, the Fourth of July fireworks have some competition from a brand new movie and one of Hollywood's most explosive star.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEAH ROZEN, FILM CRITIC, "PEOPLE": He's the biggest movie star right now. Men would like to hang out with him. Women would like to have more private moments with him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZAHN: Please stay with us and follow his climb to the top of the box office. Plus, something your mother never warned you about, but Jeanne Moos will. Don't have a tantrum when the camera is rolling. Please?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAHN: All right.
We have some numbers we'd love for you to take a look at now: "Batman Begins:" $123 million. "Mr. and Mrs. Smith:" $126 million. "Star Wars Episode 3:" $358 million. With money like that, it's a little surprising that Hollywood is in its worst box office slump in 20 years.
Well, this weekend could change all that with the opening of Steven Spielberg's "War of the Worlds." It opened strongly yesterday and Paramount says it earned $21 million in North America alone.
Now, Tom Cruise's star power, some positive reviews, and a six- day opening weekend make a big box office take almost a sure thing, unless Cruise fans have been turned off by his recent eccentric behavior and talk of Scientology.
Here's Kyra Phillips with tonight's "People in the News" profile.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He's a true Hollywood phenomenon. An icon who emerged from nowhere to become one of the biggest stars on the planet. With charisma to burn and that million-dollar smile, his films have grossed a staggering two billion dollars.
LEAH ROZEN, FILM CRITIC, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Tom Cruise is the biggest movie star going right now. He has that whatever that thing is about a movie star that everyone who is watching him in some way identifies: Men would like to hang out with him, women would like to have more private moments with him.
PHILLIPS: Couple that with Tinseltown trifectas: Three Golden Globe wins, three Academy Award nods. Yet, one thing continues to elude the man famous for this Cruise control, a golden statue by the name of Oscar.
ROZEN: I've never discussed this personally with Tom Cruise, but it seems pretty clear he very much wants an Oscar.
PHILLIPS: This summer, Cruise may get another shot. He continues his quest for the golden statue with "War of the Worlds."
ROZEN: The buzz on this is really good, in that you have Tom Cruise re-teaming with Steven Spielberg. I mean, it looks like it has all the elements that you want for a big summer movie.
PHILLIPS: Big box-office numbers and a golden prize might be nice, but the only thing on Cruise's mind these days is actress Katie Holmes. The two are now engaged. JESS CAGLE, SENIOR EDITOR, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: It just happened so fast and Tom has always been fairly private about his private life. And he was shouting this one from the mountain tops.
PHILLIPS: In Rome...
KATIE HOLMES, ACTRESS: Should I go get him?
PHILLIPS: At the MTV Movie Awards and on "Oprah Winfrey."
OPRAH WINFREY, TV PERSONALITY: Something happened to you.
TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: I'm in love.
CAGLE: The "Oprah" appearance caused a sensation because we had never seen Tom Cruise act like that before. I mean, he was like a giddy teenager.
PHILLIPS: Cruise's over-the-top behavior is causing a stir. He's become more outspoken on Scientology and the controversial religion's position against psychiatry. He recently sparred with Matt Lauer over the issue on the "Today" show.
CRUISE: Matt, I'm asking -- Matt, I'm asking -- Matt, I'm asking you a question.
MATTER LAUER, HOST "TODAY" SHOW: I understand there's abuse of all of these things.
CRUISE: No, you see, here is the problem. You don't know the history of psychiatry, I do.
PHILLIPS: Cruise's new outspokenness is raising eyebrows, after keeping his life private so long.
PHILLIPS: He was born Thomas Cruise Mapother, IV, on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, New York. His mother was a teacher, his father an engineer.
ROBERT SELLERS, BIOGRAPHER: His father kept moving the family perpetually around the country as he looked for work. Tom's father was chasing a dream, almost, to become a millionaire, to make his fortune. Unfortunately, most of his money-making schemes tended to fail.
PHILLIPS: Adding to the complexity of new schools and short- lived friendships, there were problems in the classroom.
CAGLE: He could not read, he was diagnosed as being dyslexic.
PHILLIPS: There were also problems at home: His parents were drifting apart and by 1974, the nomadic Mapothers were living in Ottawa, Canada. Tom was 12 when they made the fateful announcement.
SELLERS: The whole family was asked to go into the front room and the news was told to them: That their parents were separating. PHILLIPS: But in 1976, the running finally stopped. Security came in the form of Glen Ridge, New Jersey. And it was here, at 234 Washington street, that Thomas Cruise Mapother's destiny began to unfold.
SAFFIAN: He threw himself into sports, primarily wrestling and he succeeded in that until a pretty serious knee injury took him out of the sport.
PHILLIPS: And into the theater. It was the senior class production of "Guys and Dolls." Urged by the teacher to try out, he landed the role of Nathan Detroit.
SAFFIAN: Once Tom Cruise realized he had this interest in acting, he went for it with a gung-ho focus that is now seen as characteristic Cruise.
PHILLIPS: Following graduation in July of 1980, he set off to New York. Eighteen years old, he left his family, lost his last name and within just five short months, Tom Cruise hit the big screen.
CRUISE: You better not tell her what I just told you.
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, LATE NIGHT WITH DAVID LETTERMAN: How many people were up for the part that you got?
CRUISE: I don't know, overall there was like 7,000. So, I guess... LETTERMAN: And you got it.
CRUISE: And I got it now.
PHILLIPS: Cruise continued his march onto the big screen: Four films in 12 months.
ROZEN: "Risky Business" is the movie that made Tom Cruise a star; that was it.
(SINGING)
CAGLE: He was rebellious and charming, and he was troubled. He danced in his underwear and he was Tom Cruise.
PHILLIPS: Teen audiences could not get enough. Overnight, the 21- year-old was Hollywood's most wanted. But in 1984, Cruise sustained a personal setback: His estranged father was diagnosed with cancer.
SAFFIAN: By the time he died in 1984, he and Tom had reconciled and Tom has talked about that being very important to him to have that kind of closure.
PHILLIPS: At peace with his father, in 1986, Tom Cruise emerged at the top of his game.
ROZEN: "Top Gun" was the movie that absolutely solidified him as the leading man of the '80s. (SINGING)
PHILLIPS: Not only did audiences fall under his spell, so did actress Mimi Rogers, six years his senior. Come May 9, 1987, the 25- year-old secretly wed.
CAGLE: The relationship with Mimi Rogers was really important for one thing and that was: Mimi Rogers was a Scientologist.
PHILLIPS: The honeymoon, however, would not last long. By 1989, tabloids began to take interest in the marriage. Cruise would later blame their impending split on his hectic schedule.
MIMI ROGERS, ACTRESS: They're shooting today like any other day. So, he couldn't be here.
PHILLIPS: By now, Cruise was shooting with the biggest names in the business: Paul Newman in "The Color of Money;" Dustin Hoffman in "Rainman." Both Newman and Hoffman took home Oscars; Cruise got his own shot in 1989.
CAGLE: Finally, with "Born on the Fourth of July," Tom gets his own showcase, got his first Oscar nomination and really opened a lot eyes in Hollywood.
PHILLIPS: The ride had just begun: His next film, "Days of Thunder," and fateful meeting with red-haired Aussie was moments away.
PHILLIPS: By January, 1990, Cruise finalized his divorce from Rogers. By December 1990, Cruise and Kidman were husband and wife.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZAHN: Well, when our "People in the News" profile continues, the startling end of a Hollywood fairy tale.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why did Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman break up? It's a burning question still and it's something that everyone wants to know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZAHN: Tom Cruise shifts gears and leading ladies.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAHN: So Tom Cruise moved into high gear at Hollywood about the same time that he and a certain leading lady were becoming an A-list power couple, but eventually, Cruise's ride would be anything but smooth. Again, here is Kyra Phillips.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS (voice-over): By the early '90s, Tom Cruise and his bride, Nicole Kidman, were the toast of the town. Everywhere they went, swarms of paparazzi followed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Watch your bag (INAUDIBLE).
PHILLIPS: It was right about this time that Tom went into cruise control.
SARAH SAFFIAN, SR. EDITOR, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Cruise definitely is a man who wants control. Whether it's percentage of the profits of his movie, or creative control on the set, or control with the media, where in an interview he'll tell you exactly what he feels like divulging and nothing more.
CRUISE: Your Honor, these are the (INAUDIBLE) chief's logs...
PHILLIPS: In December 1992, a military drama would be the first of a string of boffo box office hits.
CRUISE: I want the truth!
JACK NICHOLSON, ACTOR: You can't handle the truth!
PHILLIPS: But by May 1996, everyone was talking about Cruise's latest. His mission -- the remake of a 1960s TV classic. The result -- one monster of a payday.
JON VOIGHT, ACTOR: This tape will self-destruct in five seconds.
MICHAEL MUSTO, COLUMNIST: Tom Cruise is about as wealthy as wealthy gets nowadays. And he's smart enough when he negotiates to do a movie not just to get a flat fee, which would usually amount to like $25 million -- not pocket change, exactly -- but often he'll negotiate for points in the movies. So for "Mission: Impossible I," he made $70 million. For "Mission: Impossible II," $75 million.
CRUISE: Show me the money!
PHILLIPS: In December 1996, another huge hit.
LEAH ROZEN, PEOPLE MAGAZINE: I thought Tom Cruise's performance in "Jerry Maguire" was among the best he has given. You just saw him loosen up on screen in a way you hadn't. There was a kind of humor. There was also a desperate edge that just hadn't been there before.
PHILLIPS: That 1996 role brought his second Academy Award nomination, but his cruise control was about to be tested. In February 2001, just two months after Tom and Nicole had grandly celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary, publicists announced a joint separation. Three days later, Cruise filed for a divorce.
ANNE-MARIE O'NEILL, SR. EDITOR, PEOPLE MAGAZINE: Why did Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman break up? It's a burning question still, and it's something that everyone wants to know.
PHILLIPS: Tabloids, newspapers, rumors ran rampant. And as the buzz built, Cruise wouldn't budge.
CRUISE: I'm not going to discuss any of that. That's between Nic and I, and forever I will never discuss that, ever.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There have been rumors that Tom is gay. There were rumors that she was very cautious about Scientology.
PHILLIPS: Both rumors Cruise emphatically denied. Thrice in 2001, he filed suit and won against individuals questioning his sexuality.
There were also rumors about Cruise's possible involvement with actress Penelope Cruz, a friendship that began on the set of 2001's "Vanilla Sky," and quickly moved to romance following the divorce.
In March 2004, a startling series of announcements. Expectations that Penelope Cruz would be Tom's future mrs turned out wrong. Not only was the Cruise-Cruz union no more, the superstar was also letting go of his longtime publicist, Pat Kingsley.
JESS CAGLE, PEOPLE MAGAZINE: In Hollywood, the breakup between Tom Cruise and Pat Kingsley was just earth-shattering. Nobody really knows what happened.
PHILLIPS: Cruise had moved on, hiring his sister as his publicist, and falling for "Dawson's Creek" alum, Katie Holmes.
KATIE HOLMES, ACTRESS: You know, it's incredible. It's absolutely incredible. He's the most amazing man in the whole world.
PHILLIPS: Both actors have big movies hitting theaters this summer. Holmes with "Batman Begins," and Cruise stars in "War of the Worlds." Is it just a publicity stunt, or are these two really in love?
CAGLE: The movies are going to stand on their own. "Batman Begins" is a huge movie. Katie is really a supporting player in that film. "War of the Worlds" is Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg. Nobody's going to go to that because he's in love with Katie Holmes, or stay away because he's in love with Katie Holmes. These are two movies that truly don't need any publicity.
PHILLIPS: With more than two decades and nearly 30 films behind him, Tom Cruise, Hollywood's reigning top gun, continues to live his life in typical cruise control.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZAHN: And based on yesterday's opening of "War of the Worlds," it doesn't look like any of this other noise has mattered much. Kyra Phillips reporting for us. So far, Cruise and Holmes have not yet set a wedding date.
Well, Tom Cruise may have come dangerously close to losing control on camera lately, but Jeanne Moos will remind us, plenty of other people have done much worse.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELTON JOHN, MUSICIAN: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) you (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
(CROSSTALK)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZAHN: Think he's embarrassed now? Stay with us for more ghosts of tantrums past.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAHN: At the top of the hour, a case of life and death. Larry King talks with the husband of a brain-dead woman who is being kept alive to save their unborn child.
Right now, at nine minutes before the hour, time to check in with Erica Hill one more time to update the hour's top stories.
HILL: Thanks, Paula. President Bush wants to double aid to Africa over the next five years. And he pledged more than $1 billion to fight malaria at an aid meeting in Washington. He also told the Danish TV news interviewer that the U.S. is quote, "hooked" on foreign oil, calling it a national security problem.
The U.S. will continue to keep control of the Internet's 13 master computers for security and business reasons. Now, originally the government had planned to transfer control of the servers to a private organization.
In Spain, conservatives say they will challenge a new law that allows gay couples to marry. It also gives gays equal rights in adoption and inheritance. Spain is the third European country to legalize gay marriage. Canada passed its own law on Thursday.
The Federal Reserve nudged short-term interest rates a bit higher today. The quarter percent interest -- the quarter percent increase, rather, is the ninth in a year. The Fed is hinting, by the way, they will go higher.
And now, as CNN celebrates its 25th anniversary, here's Ali Velshi with some of the top business stories that redefined our lives.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The top business stories of CNN's first 25 years. We asked the editors at "Money" magazine to come up with a list.
At number 10, the rise of the 401(k). Companies shifting the burden of retirement to workers.
Number nine, it changed the way we work, play and live: The personal computer.
A dark day for the world is at number eight, September 11th, 2001. ELLEN MCGIRT, SR. WRITER, "MONEY" MAGAZINE: I think it would be impossible to overstate the impact that 9/11 had on the attitudes and psyches and actions of Americans, and really people around the world.
VELSHI: Number seven, the rise of the individual investor. Wall Street meets main street. Stock trading becomes America's new craze.
At number six, U.S. home prices have boomed recently. But is a bust on the horizon? Stay tuned as we count down to number one.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: And those are the headlines. Paula, back over to you.
ZAHN: Thanks so much, Erica. Appreciate it.
What is it about a TV camera that brings out the absolute worst in people? Coming up, a very bad day at the ballpark and much more. Jeanne Moos has a line-up ready to hit you with their best shot. Ouch. Next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAHN: There's a reason why your mother taught you never to throw a temper tantrum. Sooner or later, a camera will catch you, and those pictures will never go away. Even if you don't believe it, here's Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What do you say about a guy who has that look in his eye -- the look pitcher Kenny Rogers had as he shoved a couple of cameramen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He probably needs some lessons in anger management.
MOOS: Seems like a lot of guys could use anger management.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Artest is in the stands!
MOOS: Players are in the stands, they throw chairs at the stands, leaving bloodied fans. They perform head butts and turn hockey and football into boxing. Even a lowly sausage isn't safe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bang!
MOOS: And nothing sets athletes off more than the media.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No cameras, man.
Don't get in my face, and don't talk back to me. All right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome to New York.
MOOS: Pitcher Randy Johnson was welcomed to the Yankees with a headline, "Big Jerk."
How does a sports psychologist explain athlete aggression?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Athletes are never really taught about how to turn it on and turn it off. I mean, they are awarded for being aggressive.
MOOS: But no one's more aggressive than the press. Elton John called those chasing him "rude, vile pigs."
ELTON JOHN, MUSICIAN: Rude, vile pigs!
MOOS: Members of the media can also be rude to each other.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just shut up, will you?
ROBERT NOVAK, CNN COMMENTATOR: Will you shut up!
MOOS: Childish temper tantrums occur at the highest levels. Lawmakers from Taiwan to Russia occasionally duke it out.
And sometimes the guy having the tantrum barely knows what he's doing. Take George Brett.
GEORGE BRETT: I didn't realize when I was doing it, that I was doing all the hand motions and screaming. I just kind of lost control.
MOOS: Pictures like these always leave women saying...
(on camera): It is always guys who are losing it. I mean, there's definitely something male about losing it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The greatest predictor of violence is not testosterone level. It's not. The idea of violence being a male issue, it's just not accurate anymore.
MOOS: How can you possibly say that?
(voice-over): Even when women blow up, they tend to exercise restraint.
TERESA HEINZ KERRY: You said something I didn't say. Now, shove it!
MOOS: But even as we shake our heads disapprovingly over meltdowns, we sure seem to enjoy watching them. In honor of the Kenny Rogers incident, ESPN did a top 10.
Number nine...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: McEnroe keeps going, keeps going, keeps going, throws the camera to the ground.
MOOS: There's even a Web site where you can buy CDs of celebrity rants. For instance, Casey Kasem. CASEY KASEM: For the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) time, I want somebody (EXPLETIVE DELETED) that did not come out of (EXPLETIVE DELETED) record.
MOOS: Some ranters are never satisfied. For Mike Tyson, chewing off part of an ear was just an appetizer. Three years later?
MIKE TYSON, BOXER: I want to eat their children.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, that's going to cost a lot of money.
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZAHN: Oh, true love, indeed. It's Jeanne Moos, reporting for us tonight. Thanks so much for being with us. Appreciate you dropping by. We'll be back same time, same place tomorrow night. "LARRY KING LIVE" starts right now. Good night.
END
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