TOM'S WORLD

HIS MOVIES HAVE MADE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. BUT OFF-SCREEN, THRICE-DIVORCED MEGASTAR TOM CRUISE IS ISOLATED AND ALONE.

On Guard "Tom hates being asked questions about his private life," says an insider.

TOM CRUISE is back. His latest film, Top Gun: Maverick the sequel to the hit T 1986 flick-raked in a whopping $156 million dollars during its opening weekend, shattering box-office records and officially marking Tom's return to form as a cocky but charismatic superstar. Asked about why he does his own stunts, the actor, who turns 60 July 3, quipped, "No one asked Gene Kelly, 'Why do you dance?"

He's not just talking about shimmying in his tighty-whities, a la Risky Business. As he takes his victory lap, a reflective Tom has admitted to making plenty of mistakes. His once picture-perfect public persona, for one, took a beating following high-profile divorces, a string of disastrous TV interviews and, most recently, leaked audio footage featuring him screaming expletives at the crew on the Mission: Impossible 7 set for allegedly breaking Covid protocols. But the actor claims mistakes only help him grow. "Even if you fail, try to walk away and ask, "What have I learned?" he's said. "It's always better to try than not do it. Ask the question."

LONELY LIFE

For such an A-lister, Tom is virtually absent from the Hollywood scene. He sold his $40 million Beverly Hills estate in 2016, and has since put down roots in England (he also owns a luxury penthouse in Clearwater, Fla.). A self-professed workaholic who turned to theater as a kid to channel his abundant energy, he's a man on a mission. "Tom's been consumed by the Top Gun sequel and Mission: Impossible," an insider tells Star. MI:7 is due out in July 2023, and the eighth installment is set to hit theaters in June 2024. "He considers the movies to be modern-day masterpieces and he's thrown himself into making them."