Side-By-Side Photos Of Tom Cruise Don't Help Plastic Surgery Rumors

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Tom Cruise's stunning transformation is right up there with the best. He went from a geeky teen dreaming of a future as a Franciscan priest to an A-lister with a megawatt smile and blockbuster action star creds. Cruise's metamorphosis continues, as you'd expect with age. However, there's speculation that it's not all down to Mother Nature — and side-by-side photos taken over the years do little to stem the enduring plastic surgery rumors that plague Cruise.

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Cruise's features have changed considerably over the past three decades. But they've done so all while seemingly escaping the ravages of time that mere mortals inevitably suffer. In fact, although Cruise is far from a real-life Benjamin Button, several of his features appear to have aged in reverse. The star was 30 years old in the pic on the left, which was taken at the Golden Globe Awards in January 1993. Meanwhile, he's 62 in the more recent image, which shows him at the May 2025 "Mission Impossible 8: The Final Reckoning" global premiere in London.​

Defying gravity, Cruise's forehead has seemingly lifted over the years, and his eyebrows have risen and arched. In addition, his face shows no signs of the collagen and fat depletion that occur with age, resulting in jowls forming, skin drooping, and a loosening of the neck — quite the opposite. Cruise's face looks even plumper and tighter now than it did thirty-plus years ago. So, are the plastic surgery rumors about Cruise true, or just more pesky tabloid tattle?

Tom Cruise is aging like a fine wine — albeit a suspiciously plumped-up and seemingly tweaked vintage. The actor is in great physical shape, as expected from the world's biggest action star. He famously insists on doing all of his own stunts while filming "Mission Impossible" and maintains a grueling workout regimen and super strict diet. 

According to the Daily Mail, Cruise indulges in the same tried-and-tested low-cal meal when dining out: steamed white fish and vegetables, without any butter, oil, sauce, or anything else that may add a little pizzazz to his repast. He also has a personal chef who whips up carb-free fare cooked at low heat (supposedly better for nutrient retention than regular temperatures), and keeps to a low calorie count. Oh, and Cruise ensures that no alcohol shall ever pass his lips — undoubtedly making daily 5:30 a.m. gym trips way easier to navigate for him than those wallowing in bed with a hangover.​

Well, that all explains his fine physique, but what about the face? Sure, exercise can help to improve complexion and skin tone, but no amount of bench presses or leg curls is ever going to raise brows, add collagen, and stop jowls from forming. Still, Cruise insists (or he did a decade ago, anyway) that he's 100% au naturel. "I haven't, and I never would," he told Playboy magazine in May 2012 when asked if he'd partaken in any nip tuck action (via Today).