Tom Cruise reveals he was fired from his first job at 8 years old and got it back by working for free "I remember I was 8 years old. I got fired from a job. My first job...Eight? Eight, I was eight. I was cutting grass and I got fired" "And I was like wow. I got fired. What happened? And I went and studied how everyone in the other neighbourhood was cutting grass and everything...And I went back to the guy and said look, I'll do it for free. I'll cut your grass for free" "And then I was just testing. I cut the grass and I did it for free and eventually I did a pretty decent job and he actually paid me. Not back pay but paid me for that"