Actor and producer Tom Cruise is regarded as one of the most pivotal stars of the 21st century. His childhood began in Syracuse, New York, where he was raised by his father, an electrical engineer, and his mother, a special education teacher. Although his upbringing provided a traditional yet turbulent structure, Cruise had an early aptitude for acting. When he was 18 years old, he moved to New York City to pursue an acting career, where he worked as a busboy to make a living. However, it was after he moved to Los Angeles and signed with CAA that opportunities began to open up.