Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise stars in exciting films, is an Oscar nominated actor, and has been a movie star for decades. I first saw Tom in Top Gun (1986), playing a fighter jet pilot opposite Val Kilmer, and I instantly wanted to ride a motorbike and fly a plane like him. He was cool but intense, charming but naive, and is definitely made to be on camera. His boyish charm has only slightly warn off over the years, and a sequel has recently been green lit named after his character in the first film. A more prolific franchise of his is Mission: Impossible, the first of which released in 1996 was the first film he co-produced, and a part 6 is in the works. In that series, Tom plays the lead action hero who travels the world and saves the day, and includes some of the best action pieces in cinema. Cruise balances the bankable action films with more dramatic takes, 3 of which earned Tom an Oscar nomination. That included best actor in a supporting role for Magnolia (1999), and in a leading role for both Jerry Maguire (1996) and Born on the Fourth of July (1989). All of which demonstrated his versatility as a leading man, something he hasn’t explored too much in recent years, but fans of his action and science fiction films won’t mind.
Tom was born in Syracuse, New York, aspired to become a priest, and got his first part in a film in 1981, called Endless Love (starring Brooke Shields). Also in 1981, Tom appeared in Taps (with Timothy Hutton), and in 1983, the ensemble drama The Outsiders (with Matt Dillon). A more star making turn in Risky Business (1983), followed by All the Right Moves (1983) and Legend (1985) before starring in Top Gun. Working with top notch actors, Tom was able to learn the craft from the best with major roles in Rain Man (1988 with Dustin Hoffman), Days of Thunder (1990 with Robert Duvall), A Few Good Men (1992 with Jack Nicholson), The Firm (1993 with Gene Hackman), before losing himself in a role in Interview with the Vampire (1994). Cruise is able to attract sexy thrillers like Eyes Wide Shut (1999 with Nicole Kidman) and Vanilla Sky (2001 with Penelope Cruz), then make 2 films with Steven Spielberg, Minority Report (2002) and War of the Worlds (2005). Some roles where he stretched himself away from the straight up action hero included Tropic Thunder (2008 with Ben Stiller, a spin off film centered on Tom’s character has been rumoured ever since), The Last Samurai (2003 with Ken Watanabe, more spiritual), Lions for Lambs (2007 with Meryl Streep, more political), and Rock of Ages (2012, more musical). Lately he has found success with 2 Jack Reacher films (2012-2016), Edge of Tomorrow (2014 with Emily Blunt), and is currently in theatres with The Mummy (the first of a new Universal monster cinematic universe). Also coming from Tom Cruise is Luna Park (science fiction, action film), and later this year, American Made (reteaming with his Edge of Tomorrow director Doug Liman for an action comedy set in the 1980s.
Thank you and Happy Birthday Tom!