It started with that now legendary jump on Oprah’s sofa back in May 2005 and ended coming fittingly full circle with Tom poking fun at that reputation destroying incident. And now, three years later, TOM CRUISE has finally stumbled out of the wilderness years that saw the one time most powerful and most popular actor in the world (with Hollywood-watchers now pinning that distinction on Johnny Depp) mocked, ridiculed and dumped by his studio home of 14 years, Paramount.

Ahlan! reveals exactly how Tom bounced back…

Jumped-up to joker

Made up with Matt Lauer
The problem: Right up there with the sofa jump for pure car crash TV, was Tom’s June 2005 on-air row with The Today Show host Matt Lauer, over psychiatry. Tom called the respected TV anchor “glib”, and told him, “You don’t know the history of psychiatry. I do.”

While TV audiences were turned off by Tom attacking not only the show host, but also Brooke Shields again, for having used anti-depressants to combat post-natal depression, fans of the star were put off by his refusal to accept different opinions.

The solution: Tom jetted to New York two weeks ago, to appear in a comedy ‘roast’ for Matt Lauer, and stole the show.

Alluding to their famous row, Tom said on stage, “Matt and I talk two, three, four times a day… You’re the one who told me to talk about Katie on Oprah!” Adding, “Lose my number, you glib putz.” And Tom took it in good part, when Matt replied, “Why don’t you sit down? We’ll get you a booster seat!” And the MC added, “Tom can’t stay, his spaceship has to leave tonight.”

Tommy the doting dad

The suri factor
The problem: The fact that Tom adopted two children with his ex-wife Nicole, rather than have them biologically (which they both went on to do with other partners, debunking the ‘infertility’ myth), kept Hollywood whispering about the true state of their marriage for years. And Tom kept tongues wagging with his very public courtship of Katie, and their speedy engagement. With his reputation already in tatters, news of Katie’s pregnancy sparked rumours from whether the child was conceived using the frozen sperm of Scientology leader L Ron Hubbard, to speculation that it was a fake pregnancy and an adopted baby.

The solution: Now that she can walk and talk, Suri has become a weapon of mass cuteness for Tom, as he dotes on the adorable tot. Spotted out and about with the two year old, Suri has helped restore normality to Tom’s image, as fans see him as a devoted dad, who sweetly gushes, “She’s so charming; she’s so beautiful; she’s just great,” rather than a ranting actor, out of touch with his fans.

Becks backs preachy pal

The David Beckham effect
The problem: At the heart of Tom’s downfall, lay his split from his publicist of 14 years, Pat Kinglsey, who was replaced with Tom’s Scientology follower sister, Lee Anne DeVette. Lee Anne immediately advised Tom to go public with his religious views and also with his love for Katie both of which backfired in a big way.

Tom fell out with War Of The Worlds director, Steven Spielberg who felt Tom’s opinions overshadowed the promotion for the movie and Paramount studio boss, Sumner Redstone said his antics were a “turn off” for women.

The solution: The emergence of David Beckham as one of Tom’s close friends has helped his comeback in a big way.

The darling of LA society, both for his looks and sporting prowess, David, despite his millions, still comes across as a regular nice guy, and his opinions on Tom’s religion are being heard.

“Tom is a big believer in Scientology,” David told GQ. “But he’s never pushed anything onto us about it. Friends don’t do that.”

Rolling over to comedy

That tropic thunder role
The problem: After years as Hollywood’s number one leading man, Tom saw his stock fall in 2006, when Mission Impossible III pulled in just Dhs540 million, compared to the second installment’s Dhs780 million.

Tom then tried his hand at serious drama, which resulted in the mega-flop Lions For Lambs.

The solution: Tom took a top secret cameo in the Ben Stiller directed comedy Tropic Thunder, donning a fat suit, bald wig and oversized hands for the part of despicable studio head, Les Grossman.

Ben Stiller enthused, “Tom said, ‘I want to play the studio guy. I want to dance, and I want to have big hands.’ Tom’s a funny guy and people need to remember that.”