It’s hard to imagine the present action landscape without Tom Cruise pulling off death-defying stunts on a regular basis, but this was almost not the case. Growing up in a catholic household, where his family struggled to make ends meet, the actor initially found solace in Catholicism.

Although later down the line, he sought solace in Scientology after making a name for himself in the 80s, the actor’s dream didn’t always involve becoming a movie star. According to reports, at one point in his life, Cruise seriously entertained the idea of becoming a Franciscan priest.
Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise once allegedly considered becoming a priest

The actor’s faith wasn’t the only reason why Tom Cruise enrolled in Francis Seminary of Cincinnati, as his financial conditions also played a factor in the Mission: Impossible star’s enrollment. The actor explained, “We didn’t have the money back then, and I went for the education for a year, and it was free.” Although the actor claimed that he did eventually leave the seminar voluntarily, it might not be the case, according to Shane Dempler, a friend of Cruise from St. Francis.

According to Dempler, Cruise’s ambitions of becoming a priest were genuine at the time, as the actor’s experience in the seminary was a happy one. However, Dempler claimed the reason behind the actor’s departure was not the one that Cruise stated. Dempler revealed he and Cruise were allegedly caught stealing booze from the Franciscans, leading to the actor’s exit.
Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise was allegedly ready to leave his acting career behind to pursue life as a monk

Even after rising to stardom in the 80s, it seems Tom Cruise might’ve considered leaving his acting career behind according to his ex-wife Mimi Rogers. Reflecting on her time with the Top Gun star, she claimed that Cruise once seriously considered leaving his stardom behind to pursue the rest of his life as a Monk. Although it wasn’t the only reason that led to their divorce, it might have added fuel to the fire that eventually resulted in their split. Rogers joked about the situation by stating,

“Tom was seriously thinking of becoming a monk. At least for that period of time, it looked as though the marriage wouldn’t fit into his overall spiritual need. And he thought he had to be celibate to maintain the purity of his instrument. My instrument needed tuning.”

Tom Cruise and Mimi Rogers
But in the end, things seem to have worked out perfectly for both the actor and his fans, as even at the age of 60, Cruise isn’t shying away from challenges, as he keeps on entertaining his fans.

Source: Tom Cruise: an unauthorized biography