After years of growing accustomed to their new life, Pfeiffer met a man named Jack South, who worked with plastics, at an electronics convention. By the time Cruise turned sixteen, Pfeiffer and South tied the knot. Initially, Cruise revealed he felt threatened by his stepdad due to his fierce love and protective spirit for his mother.
However, after seeing how much loved South Pfeiffer and getting to know him as an intelligent man, Cruise and his stepfather developed a good relationship, and their lives changed for the better. When the family moved to Glen Ridge, New Jersey, Cruise, who had been in his senior year, still had a restless spirit.
One day, on the advice of his father, Cruise auditioned for the high school musical “”Guys and Dolls”” and won the lead role. Of opening night, his proud mother recalled:
“”I can’t describe the feeling. It was an amazing experience to see what we felt was so much talent suddenly emerge. It had been dormant for years—not thought about, not talked about, not discussed in any way.”
After the show ended, when the family returned home, Cruise sat down with his mother and stepfather for a serious discussion. The daring teenager asked them if he could spend ten years looking for work in show business. After his parents agreed to his request, believing in his talent, the rising star skipped graduation. He shortened his name—dropping his father’s last name—and moved to New York City. His career was on!”