Tom Cruise completes his mission to sell in Beverly Hills
Tom Cruise has a reputation for over-the-top stunts and high-octane action, but his recent home sale can best be described as under-the-radar. The box-office star sold his home in Beverly Hills for $38 million, property records show.
The acre-plus estate quietly came up for sale last year with a whisper price of $50 million. Cruise bought the property in 2007 for $30.5 million in another deal finalized outside the Multiple Listing Service.
The buyers were Leon Black and his wife, Debra, who made the purchase through a limited liability company. Black co-founded the private equity firm Apollo Global Management in 1990 and has an estimated net worth of $4.7 billion.
While details are scarce, tax records show that the hedged and gated estate centers on a main house of more than 10,000 square feet. Seven bedrooms and nine full bathrooms are among 35 total rooms.
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A swimming pool, a tennis/basketball court, two detached structures, lawns and formal landscaping make up the grounds. A large motor court sits off the entrance to the home.
Michael Eisenberg of Keller Williams held the pocket listing. Sharyn Gertz of the Agency and Fred Bernstein of Westside Estate Agency represented the buyers.
Cruise, 53, received Oscar nominations for “Magnolia” (1999), “Jerry Maguire” (1996) and “Born on the Fourth of July” (1989). He is set to reprise his role as Jack Reacher in the action film “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back,” due out later this year.
The sale is among a number or recent moves made by the “Mission: Impossible” franchise star to pare down his real estate portfolio.
Last year, Cruise divested himself of a gated compound in Hollywood Hills West for $11.4 million. His 298-acre retreat in Telluride, Colo., was also put up for sale last year and is currently listed for $59 million.
Departing from the hills
Voice actor, podcaster and “@medium” host Chris Hardwick, who last year bought a storied estate in Los Feliz with his fiancée, Lydia Hearst, has sold his home in Hollywood Hills for $3.477 million in a deal closed off-market.
Set behind gates on a quarter of an acre, the 1920s two-story has an eclectic European vibe with wrought-iron details, Venetian plaster walls and modern fixtures.
The lower level of the home, an original Bronson Canyon hunting cabin, evokes a rustic lodge, with knotted wood siding, colorful chandeliers and a stone fireplace. The space was a favorite of Hardwick’s, who used it as an in-house retreat during his four years of ownership.
The 5,100 square feet of interiors include formal living and dining rooms, an art studio and a center-island kitchen with doors that open to a dining patio. A separate media room features vaulted ceilings and a Juliet balcony.
A master suite has a terrace balcony and a separate studio for a total of four bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. Two of the bathrooms have claw-foot soaking tubs.
Outdoors, stone pathways wind through mature trees and terrace gardens.
The house listed for sale last November at $4.05 million before exiting the market in February, records show.
Sharon Hills of Kobeissi Properties listed the property on behalf of Hardwick. Juliette Hohnen and Annie Stewart of Douglas Elliman represented the buyer.
Hardwick, 43, is the co-founder and chief executive of the multimedia company Nerdist Industries. Besides Comedy Central’s “@midnight,” he hosts the AMC after-show “Talking Dead.”
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He bought the property in 2012 for $2.05 million.
She’s all ready to sell
Rachael Leigh Cook, known for her roles in “She’s All That” and “Josie and the Pussycats,” has put her longtime home in Hollywood Hills West up for sale at $3.295 million.
Purchased by the actress more than a decade ago, the gated compound known as Vila das Flores centers on a classic 1930s traditional filled with character details. An attached guesthouse and a two-car garage also lie within the grounds.
Within the 3,050 square feet of space are interiors layered with soothing tones, crisp white wainscoting, built-ins and molding. There’s a formal entry, dining room, a den/study with a brick fireplace and an updated eat-in kitchen. The living room has another fireplace and French doors that open to a covered porch.
A curving staircase leads to three second-floor bedrooms, including a master suite with a walk-in closet, delicately rolled ceilings and a claw-foot soaking tub. A terrace balcony done in Saltillo tile overlooks the grounds.
Outdoors, the manicured setting is filled with various gardens, fountains, patios and a blue-tiled spa.
Patrick Martin of Sotheby’s International Realty holds the listing.
Cook, 36, is an actress, voice artist and model. Among her television credits are the series “Perception,” “Robot Chicken” and “Psych.” She has also voiced characters in the “Star Wars: The Old Republic” and “Kingdom Hearts II” video games.
She is set to star in an upcoming modern-day film adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
It’s no Wisteria Lane
Actress Nicollette Sheridan, of “Desperate Housewives” fame, has sold an income property in Bel-Air for $2,724,650 — more than double what she bought it for nearly three decades ago.
Sheridan bought the 2,731-square-foot ranch house in 1989 for $1.15 million and, in recent years, had leased it out for as much as $13,500 a month. She had been asking $2.95 million for the home.
Tucked against the hillside on 1.5 acres, the property centers on a single-story retreat with high ceilings, French doors and Spanish paver floors. A formal living room with a brick fireplace, a dining area, an office and a tiled kitchen are among the common areas.
The master suite has another fireplace, oversized walk-in closets and French doors that open to a private patio. There are three bedrooms and three bathrooms as well as a guesthouse with a separate entrance across the grounds.
A swimming pool, a covered brick patio with a barbecue and a lawn complete the setting.
David Parnes and James Harris of the Agency were the listing agents. Marlene Okulick of Sotheby’s International Realty represented the buyer.
Sheridan, 52, made a name for herself on the comedy-drama series “Desperate Housewives” (2004-09) and “Knots Landing” (1986-93). Among her film credits is “Let’s Kill Ward’s Wife” (2014), “Beverly Hills Ninja” (1997) and “Spy Hard” (1996).
Home court connection
Apparently the basketball doesn’t fall far from the court in Memphis, Tenn.
Sacramento Kings forward Rudy Gay has sold his home in a gated community to new Memphis Tigers men’s basketball coach Tubby Smith for $1.48 million.
The two-story house came back on the market in April and closed sale in under 60 days. Gay, who began his career with the Memphis Grizzlies, bought the house six years ago for a shade more than $1.176 million.
Updated during the basketball player’s ownership, the 8,400-square-foot house features a two-story living room, a chef’s kitchen and a media room with a wet bar. The master suite has a custom closet and a spa-like bathroom for a total of four bedrooms and five bathrooms.
Outdoors, there’s a tiered deck and trellis. Mature trees, lawns and a three-car garage fill out the 1.6-acre grounds.
Ashley Pickens of Realty One Group 1st National, in collaboration with Ikem Chukumerije of Athlete Concierge Group, held the listing. Joel Hobson of Hobson Realtors represented Smith.
Gay, 29, appeared in 70 games for Sacramento last year, his third season with the team. The Connecticut Huskies alum came over to the Kings in a 2013 trade with the Toronto Raptors and has averaged 18.4 points per game across 10 NBA seasons.
Smith previously led the Kentucky Wildcats to five SEC Conference championships and a national title (1998). He accepted the head coaching position at Memphis after three seasons at Texas Tech.
He was the AP College Coach of the Year in 1998.
There’s some history between the player and coach, with the two having met in 2006 during the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Gay made two free throws late in the game to help No.1 seed Connecticut seal an 87-83 win over Smith’s eighth-seeded Kentucky squad.
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