The Famous Actor You Didn't Know Is Related To Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise has transformed into one of Hollywood's most recognizable faces, and he hasn't been shy about sharing difficulties in his past, from being diagnosed with dyslexia at age 7 to his estrangement from his abusive father. One thing fans might not know about Cruise's personal life and childhood, however, is that he's also related to another fellow actor, "In the Bedroom" star William Mapother.

At first glance, one might not be able to tell if the "Mission: Impossible" star and "Lost" actor are related based solely on their appearances. However, their connection becomes more widely apparent upon remembering that Cruise changed his name when he got to Hollywood, and his stage last name is, in fact, actually his middle name. His full name is really Thomas Cruise Mapother IV. Cruise and Mapother are related through their fathers, Thomas Cruise Mapother III and William Reibert Mapother, Sr., who were brothers. The two actors grew up together in Louisville, Kentucky.

Beyond their familial ties, Tom Cruise and William Mapother are also connected professionally, having appeared in five movies together throughout their respective careers, including "Born on the Fourth of July," "Magnolia," "Vanilla Sky," "Minority Report," and "Mission: Impossible II." Using his A-list connections, Cruise has also lent a hand to help Mapother find roles. "[Cruise] has been kind enough a couple times to suggest to a director, if you're looking for an actor, why don't you audition this guy?" Mapother once said, per Ancestry. "And I haven't gotten all the roles. Directors won't do anything to jeopardize their film, so they're not going to put anybody in a role who's not up to it."

Mapother's ties to Cruise have sometimes warranted unwanted attention in light of one of Cruise's biggest controversies over the years: His affiliation with the controversial Church of Scientology. When asked about his own potential status as a Scientologist, Mapother gave a rather cryptic response that was also protective of Cruise. "I have kind of an unusual feeling about questions like that," he told BlogTalkRadio in 2010 (via Page Six). "On the one hand, I'm grateful that people are interested. At the same time, there's kind of an ever-wavering boundary between the things I'm willing to talk about, and the things I'm not. And part of the reason that I find myself particularly cautious in this area is because of the things my cousin has been through."