You may think you know all there is to know about your favourite Hollywood stars, but today we’re hoping to prove you wrong. Below are 28 shocking revelations about some of the biggest 80s movie actors, so please make sure that you’re sitting down before you start to read!
Tom Cruise
1. He Could Have Been A Priest
Tom Cruise didn’t always want to be an actor, in fact aged 14 he planned on becoming a Catholic Priest, attending a Seminary (a college where you study theology). It didn’t work out however as he got kicked out for stealing alcohol!
2. He Auditioned For A New Wife
Cruise split up with Penelope Cruz in 2004 because she was unwilling to fully embrace Scientology. It is understood that he then allowed the organization to audition actresses to be his future spouse, all under the guise of ‘casting’ for a Mission: Impossible movie.
3. He Doesn’t Like Psychologists
It has been reported that when Cruise was filming War of the Worlds he overheard Steven Spielberg praising a psychiatrist who had helped a family member, causing him to send a Scientology group to picket the psychiatrist’s office. He has also publicly criticized Brooke Shields for her documented use of antidepressants. This is all because Scientology states that psychologists are ‘antisocial enemies of the people’.
Julia Roberts
4. She Dated Some Of Our Favourite Actors
Julia Roberts reportedly had romantic relationships with Jason Patric, Liam Neeson, Kiefer Sutherland, Dylan McDermott, and Matthew Perry. She was briefly engaged to Sutherland but unfortunately they broke up three days before their scheduled wedding in 1991.
5. She Used To Bite Her Toenails Off
Julia has admitted that she used to bite her toenails off instead of clipping them. “I was very limber,” she was quoted as saying in 2002.
Michael J. Fox
6. The ‘J’ Doesn’t Actually Stand For Anything
When trying to register with the Screen Actors Guild, Fox was informed there was already a Michael Fox. His middle name is Andrew but he didn’t want to be known as Michael A. Fox, so instead plumped for the J, as a tribute to actor Michael J. Pollard.
7. He Was Older Than An Actor Playing His Dad
In the classic 1985 film Back to the Future, Fox is actually 3 years older than his on screen dad, who was played by Crispin Glover. He was also only 1 week younger than his on on screen mum, who was played by Lea Thompson!
8. He Almost Died Filming A Scene
Shockingly, Fox almost died filming a scene in Back to the Future Part III. When ‘Mad Dog’ tries to lynch Marty, he was accidentally hanged for real, rendering him unconscious for a short time.
Winona Ryder
9. She Grew Up In A Commune
Winona Ryder lived on a hippy commune with her parents for four years, and apparently her mum allowed her to miss school to watch films.
10. She Called Out Mel Gibson
Winona has said that no-one believed her when she claimed that Mel Gibson was anti-semitic. This was 15 years ago after he called her a racial slur at a party after finding out she was Jewish.
11. She Was Arrested For Shoplifting
Winona was arrested for shoplifting in 2001 when she stole $5,500 worth of designer clothing and jewelry.
12. She Had A Spat With Gwyneth Paltrow
Winona and Gwyneth Paltrow have an ongoing feud after Gwyneth allegedly stole the Oscar winning role in ‘Shakespeare In Love’ from her. Paltrow has been quoted as saying that Ryder is “venomous, dangerous and hellbent on taking me down.”
Macaulay Culkin
13. His Father Was Abusive
Macaulay Culkin’s dad Kit was accused of abusing his wife by punching her whilst she was pregnant. This resulted in kit Kit losing, custody of his children.
14. His Mum Destroyed A Whole Tower Of Flats
In 1998, Macaulay’s mum accidentally started a fire that saw 4 people lose their lives and 22 get injured.
15. He Was Arrested In 2004
Macaulay was a passenger when his friend was caught speeding. The police searched the car and found some illegal drugs, meaning that Macaulay was also arrested.
Harrison Ford
16. He May Have Intentionally Given A Bad Performance
After terrible preview screenings for Blade Runner, a voiceover was written for the main character Deckard to make the film easier to follow. Urban legend has it that Harrison Ford intentionally gave a bad performance on it hoping (unsuccessfully) that the voiceover would be binned.
17. He Had A Very Expensive Divorce
Ford’s divorce from Melissa Mathison was listed as the ‘number 4 most expensive celebrity divorce’, costing him around $85 million.
18. He Once Crashed A Plane
A long time pilot, Ford was involved in some trouble after he had to make a crash landing on a golf course in California after experiencing engine trouble.
Edward Furlong
19. He Was A Heavy Drug User
In 2006, Edward Furlong was quoted as saying that from the ages of 22 to 26 he was “on and off hard drugs”, going on to say that: “I was a heroin and cocaine addict. It was really scary. I don’t even think about partying anymore. It seems lonely now, running and clubbing and doing coke. I have nightmares about doing hard drugs. I’ll wake up and I’m like, ‘Did I relapse?'”
20. He Was Sent To Jail
In 2013 Furlong was sentenced to 180 days in jail for a violation of probation against Monica Keena, his ex girlfriend, for which he served 61 days. He was arrested again the same year but avoided a jail sentence after agreeing to go to rehab for drug addiction, and undergoing 52 weeks of domestic violence counselling.
Jodie Foster
21. She Was Once Mauled By A Lion
Whilst acting in the 1972 film ‘Napoleon and Samantha’, Jodie Foster was mauled by a Lion which also carried her for a short distance in its mouth.
22. Her Stalker Tried To Assassinate The President
In 1981 she was stalked by a disturbed individual called John Hinckley Jr, who became so obsessed with Foster after watching her in Taxi Driver that he tried to assassinate US President Ronald Reagan to impress her.
23. Her Sons Don’t Know Who Their Father Is
Foster has two sons but has not revealed to them (or to the world) who their father is, saying that she will tell them when they grow up.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
24. He Went AWOL From The Army To Pursue His Dream
During a year of national service in the Austrian army, Arnie went AWOL during basic training so he could attend a bodybuilding competition. This disobedience meant that he had to spend a week in an army jail.
25. He May Have Been An Illegal Immigrant
Arnie moved to the US when he was 21 years old, but there have been claims that he may have violated his visa and so been an illegal immigrant.
Brad Pitt
26. He’s Banned From China
Brad Pitt is banned from entering the country of China. This is due to his starring role in the film ‘Seven Years in Tibet’ in 1997, which depicted China’s controversial takeover of Tibet.
27. A Fan Spent 10 Hours In His House Without Him Noticing
In 1999, a fan broke into Pitt’s home, dressed herself in his clothes, and was able to stay for 10 hours before his alarm went off.
28. He Spent A Day In A Psychiatric Ward
It’s actually true that Pitt spent a day in a psychiatric ward, but it was only to prepare for his role in Twelve Monkeys, a film for which he received a Golden Globe award and an Oscar nomination.
