by Sherif M. Awad
Tom Cruise is one of the most iconic and successful actors of our time, with a career spanning over four decades. He has starred in some of the biggest blockbusters in Hollywood history and has won multiple awards for his outstanding performances. In this article, we will take a look at the top ten career-defining moments of Tom Cruise’s illustrious career
## The Outsiders (1983)
Tom Cruise’s breakout role was in the 1983 film The Outsiders, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The film was based on the novel by S.E. Hinton and starred a young and talented cast, including Cruise, Emilio Estevez, and Matt Dillon. Cruise played the role of Steve Randle, a member of a group of teenage boys known as “Greasers.” The film was a critical and commercial success and launched Cruise’s career.
## Risky Business (1983)
In the same year, Cruise starred in the comedy-drama Risky Business. He played the role of Joel Goodsen, a high school student who turns his parents’ house into a brothel while they are away. The film was a box office success and became a cultural phenomenon, thanks in large part to Cruise’s charming and charismatic performance.
## Top Gun (1986)
Top Gun is arguably one of the most iconic films of the 1980s, and it is impossible to talk about Tom Cruise’s career without mentioning it. In the film, Cruise played the role of Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, a talented and reckless fighter pilot who attends the elite Navy Fighter Weapons School. Top Gun was a massive commercial success and solidified Cruise’s status as a leading man in Hollywood.
## Rain Man (1988)
In 1988, Tom Cruise starred alongside Dustin Hoffman in the film Rain Man. Cruise played the role of Charlie Babbitt, a selfish and arrogant young man who discovers that he has an older brother named Raymond, played by Hoffman, who is autistic. The film was a critical and commercial success and won multiple awards, including four Oscars.
## Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
Born on the Fourth of July is a biographical war drama film directed by Oliver Stone. Cruise played the role of Ron Kovic, a paralyzed Vietnam War veteran who becomes an anti-war and human rights activist. The film was a critical and commercial success and earned Cruise his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
## Mission: Impossible (1996)
In 1996, Tom Cruise starred in the first installment of the Mission: Impossible film series. He played the role of Ethan Hunt, a skilled and daring secret agent who works for the Impossible Missions Force. The film was a huge box office success and spawned several sequels, making it one of the most successful franchises in Hollywood history.
## Jerry Maguire (1996)
Jerry Maguire is a romantic comedy-drama film directed by Cameron Crowe. Cruise played the role of Jerry Maguire, a sports agent who has a moral epiphany and decides to start his own company. The film was a critical and commercial success and earned Cruise his second Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
## Magnolia (1999)
Magnolia is a drama film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. In the film, Cruise played the role of Frank T.J. Mackey, a charismatic and controversial motivational speaker who teaches men how to seduce women. The film was praised for its ensemble cast and complex storytelling, and Cruise’s performance was widely acclaimed, earning him his third Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Tom Cruise is known for performing his own stunts in the Mission: Impossible movies. In Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, there will be an impressive behind-the-scenes look at a dangerous stunt involving a cliff and a motorcycle. The death-defying setup sees Cruise ride his bike off a cliff, jump off it, and then parachute down. Cruise says, “This is far and away the most dangerous thing we’ve ever attempted. It’ll be a motorcycle jump off a cliff into a base jump. I’ve wanted to do it since I was a little kid”1. The movie is set to release on July 14, 20231. Is there anything else you would like to know?
