Tom Cruise's attempt to play Santa Claus for his three kids failed miserably last year - they all realised it was him straight away.

The actor splashed out on a sophisticated suit to disguise himself as St.Nicholas, and crept up on their Telluride, Colorado holiday home to surprise his adopted children Isabella, 16, Connor, 14, and biological daughter Suri, two.

He tells People magazine, "(I was) trudging through high mounds of snow and ice on the driveway. I knock on the door and Kate's holding Suri.

"I say, 'Ho ho ho! Hello little Suri! Hello Bella, Connor. But Suri wasn't fooled. She looked at me and said, 'No, Dada, no."