Happy Birthday Tom Cruise: Hollywood Superstar's 10 Best Roles Explored As He Turns 62

As Tom Cruise, one of the biggest stars in Hollywood is celebrating his 62nd birthday, let's have a look at his top 10 roles in career.

Published on Jul 03, 2024  |  07:01 AM IST |  135.8K
Tom Cruise's Top 10 Movie Roles
Tom Cruise (PC: YouTube/Paramount Pictures)

Tom Cruise hasn’t aged. In fact, he is living his best life from attending Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour show in London to enjoying Glastonbury recently. In his career so far, Cruise keeps us entertained all the time. The Hollywood icon’s career is a testament to his hard work, dedication to his craft, and passion for what he loves doing for the people. As the actor turns 62, let’s talk about the 10 best roles he has featured in so far. 

American Made (2017)

American Made follows the outrageous (and true) adventures of a hustler and pilot who are unintentionally hired by the CIA to lead one of the largest covert operations in American history. Tom Cruise reunites with Doug Liman, his director from Edge of Tomorrow in this international adventure. 

Minority Report (2002)

Steven Spielberg's Minority Report, which is based on a short story by renowned science fiction author Philip K. Dick, tells the story of a future as colorful as the worlds Dick visualizes for himself. In the world of the film, individuals are arrested by the police for crimes before they are even committed, thanks to a specialized unit known as the Precrime Unit.

In the movie, Cruise plays Precrime Chief John Anderton, a man who faces charges of murder in the near future. In an attempt to clear his record and avoid being tracked down by the same unit that has been tracking him down, Anderton goes on the run.

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A Few Good Men (1992)

A Few Good Men is about the court-martial of two Marines charged with murdering a colleague. From acclaimed writer Aaron Sorkin, this movie is one of the best courtroom dramas of all time. Tom Cruise plays Lt. Daniel Kaffee. Cruise brings a certain intensity to his role 

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Stanley Kubrick's last film is an intense drama about the one-night sexually charged odyssey of a New York doctor (Tom Cruise), whose wife (Nicole Kidman) has admitted to having fantasies about another man. It's about as cold as a Christmas movie can get. Although Cruise's fans have always thought him attractive, it has not been a major part of his on-screen persona; Eyes Wide Shut is an erotic thriller. It was Stanley Kubrick's last film; he died six days after showing his finished product to Warner Bros. 

Collateral (2004)

The movie centers on Max (Jamie Foxx), a Los Angeles taxi driver with higher ambitions. One evening, he meets Vincent, played by Tom Cruise, a hitman who makes Max drive him around the city in order to help him finish his task. 

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Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

This is certainly one of the best ten action movies ever made if not the best five. With Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and the IMF team, Fallout continues where Rogue Nation left off, revealing the existence of an underground organization known as the Syndicate that is dedicated to gaining dominance over the world. Knowing that danger might come anywhere, Ethan must go undercover to prevent the Syndicate's remnants from getting plutonium cores, which they could use to create nuclear weapons. 

The Last Samurai (2003)

Set in the world of 1870s Japan, The Last Samurai is a historical epic. Even though it's seen through the eyes of a white American, that perspective isn't sufficiently represented in Hollywood blockbusters; in the end, it's one of the greatest samurai films of the twenty-first century. Cruise portrays Nathan Algren, a US military captain who was sent to Japan to guide the newly formed Imperial Japanese Army. Cruise finds a way to connect with the Japanese people, after being captured by Katsumoto's rival Samurai army.

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Rain Man (1983)

Rain Man offers a surprisingly complex perspective on the complicated nature of brothers while telling a touching story about the value of family over materialism. Tom Cruise portrays Charlie, a charming con artist driven by greed who tries to use money to win over his autistic older brother after learning that their father broke him out of his will. Rain Man is a movie about love, compassion, and unity that does an excellent job of delivering its points genuinely and emotionally.

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

In the dystopian future film Edge of Tomorrow, based on a manga, Tom Cruise plays Major William Cage, a public relations officer with little combat experience who is compelled by his superiors to assist in facing an alien-occupied Europe. In addition, Cage repeatedly dies and reboots throughout the film after realizing he is stuck in a time loop. With its intense action and sharp humor, Edge of Tomorrow—one of the best science fiction films of the 2010s—offers a unique view of its source material. Together, Cruise and his fellow soldier Rita—the role that turned Emily Blunt into an action star—seek to end the alien cycle.

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

With all the elements we've come to expect from Hollywood's most reliable star, this movie plays like a legacy sequel to both the 1986 picture and 40 years of Tom Cruise films. In this film, Tom Cruise plays Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, who returns to the titular school to mentor the newly admitted group of graduates while he faces some personal conflicts. Top Gun: Maverick solidified Cruise's place among the biggest stars in Hollywood.   

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ALSO READ: Tom Cruise Reunites With Mission Impossible Co-Star Simon Pegg To Watch Coldplay Headline Glastonbury 2024, Week After Taylor Swift Concert

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Prantik, a seasoned Hollywood content writer at Pinkvilla, boasts a wealth of experience garnered over four years in the

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