tom cruise sports movies

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

Upcoming Movies and TV shows
Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

What's the Tomatometer®?
Login/signup

Movies in theaters

Opening this week
Top box office
Coming soon to theaters
Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

Fandango at Home
Netflix streaming
Prime Video
Most popular streaming movies
What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

A Quiet Place: Day One Link to A Quiet Place: Day One
Inside Out 2 Link to Inside Out 2
Daddio Link to Daddio

New TV Tonight

The Bear: Season 3
My Lady Jane: Season 1
Land of Women: Season 1
Orphan Black: Echoes: Season 1
Supacell: Season 1
That '90s Show: Season 2
Savage Beauty: Season 2
WondLa: Season 1
Zombies: The Re-Animated Series: Season 1

Jerry Maguire

Where to watch.

Rent Jerry Maguire on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

What to Know

Anchored by dazzling performances from Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Renée Zellweger, as well as Cameron Crowe's tender direction, Jerry Maguire meshes romance and sports with panache.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Cameron Crowe

Cuba Gooding Jr.

Rod Tidwell

Renée Zellweger

Dorothy Boyd

Kelly Preston

Avery Bishop

Jerry O'Connell

Frank Cushman

Movie Clips

The 40+ Best Tom Cruise Movies, Ranked By Fans

Vote up the films starring Tom Cruise that complete you.

When it comes to Hollywood royalty, few can hold a candle to Tom Cruise. Over the years, this megastar has delivered one jaw-dropping performance after another, solidifying his place as a cinematic legend. It's a formidable task to narrow down the best Tom Cruise movies of all time, but hey, someone's got to do it. From high-octane action flicks to soul-stirring dramas, Cruise's filmography is as versatile as it is impressive.

Take, for instance, Top Gun , the adrenaline-pumping story of competitive fighter pilots that catapulted Cruise to international stardom. Or A Few Good Men , where he delivered one of his most powerful performances, proving that he could handle weighty dialogues with the same ease as he does action-packed sequences. These films are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to top Tom Cruise films that have left an indelible mark on cinema.

But how did we curate such a coveted list? Well, it started with movie experts who have an eye for performances that define careers, creating a shortlist of films that truly showcase Tom Cruise at his best. Then, we turned it over to the fans, whose votes have shaped this definitive ranking. Whether you're a die-hard Cruise fan or just a movie buff looking to revisit some cinematic gold, this list has got you covered.

As an adrenaline-pumping display of aerial combat and rivalry, this movie takes viewers into the world of elite fighter pilots, with the lead actor embodying the brash, fearless pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. The audience follows Maverick's journey through the prestigious Top Gun Naval Fighter Weapons School as he battles his own ego, engages in astonishing dogfights, and learns the true meaning of teamwork. The sizzling on-screen chemistry with Kelly McGillis, the thrilling action sequences, and the beloved rendition of " Take My Breath Away " make it an unforgettable 80s classic.

Dig Deeper... Ranker Rundown: Flying High With 'Top Gun: Maverick'
# 106 of 262 on The 200+ Best War Movies Of All Time
# 17 of 399 on The Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked

A Few Good Men

In this tense courtroom drama, audiences are captivated by the exceptional performance as a young military lawyer assigned to defend two Marines accused of killing a fellow comrade. Alongside powerful performances from Jack Nicholson and Demi Moore, the film flawlessly showcases the protagonist's gradual transformation from a cocky, fresh-faced attorney into a fierce, skilled advocate determined to uncover the truth. The iconic line "You can't handle the truth!" immortalizes the film's memorable climax and solidifies the protagonist's status as one of Hollywood's most dynamic actors.

# 24 of 50 on The Biggest Movies Of The '90s, Ranked
# 44 of 66 on Movies You Wish You Could Still Watch for the First Time
# 37 of 379 on The Best Movies Of The '90s, Ranked

Top Gun: Maverick

Returning to the iconic role of Pete "Maverick" Mitchell after decades, the anticipation for this sequel has been immense, and it promises to deliver the same captivating thrills and aerial combat sequences of the original. As a mentor to the next generation of fighter pilots, including the son of his late best friend Goose, the protagonist guides these young talents while still facing his own personal demons and unresolved past. The combination of a compelling storyline, breathtaking stunts, and a nostalgic return to the character that made him a household name ensures this will be another hit.

# 19 of 164 on The Best Movie Sequels Ever Made
# 39 of 82 on The Most Rewatchable Action Movies
# 11 of 15 on '80s Movie Sequels Hollywood Has Been Obsessed With Making

The lead character delivers a heart-wrenching performance as Charlie Babbitt, a hustler who discovers he has an autistic savant brother named Raymond after their father's death. Through their cross-country road trip, Charlie learns to appreciate the gentle genius of his older brother while he evolves from a selfish, money-driven man to a compassionate and loving brother. This emotional journey resulted in a Best Actor nomination, and the film itself won numerous awards, including Best Picture, highlighting the powerful and touching bond between the two main characters.

Dig Deeper... Movies That Won Best Picture at the Oscars and Golden Globes
# 56 of 399 on The Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked
# 19 of 96 on The Very Best Oscar-Winning Movies For Best Picture

Mission: Impossible

In the role of super-spy Ethan Hunt, the leading man had audiences on the edge of their seats with the thrilling action and elaborate plots of this espionage thriller series. As Hunt, he displays an unrivaled level of physicality and commitment to his craft, performing most of his own stunts, resulting in a rollercoaster ride of adventure and suspense for moviegoers. The franchise has become synonymous with jaw-dropping stunts, twisty plots, and an evolving ensemble cast that perfectly complements the main character's charisma and determination.

Dig Deeper... 23 Things You Didn't Know About The 'Mission: Impossible' Films
# 30 of 50 on The Biggest Movies Of The '90s, Ranked
# 86 of 379 on The Best Movies Of The '90s, Ranked

Jerry Maguire

In this romantic dramedy, the audience witnesses a sports agent's fall from grace and subsequent redemption through his relationship with his sole client and love interest. Audiences are charmed by the stunning performances, emotional vulnerability, and undeniable chemistry between the characters, as well as the classic line, "You complete me." The film earned the lead actor an Academy Award nomination and remains an enduring favorite for its heartwarming relationships, brilliant dialogue, and bittersweet exploration of ambition and love.

# 39 of 50 on The Biggest Movies Of The '90s, Ranked
# 121 of 379 on The Best Movies Of The '90s, Ranked
# 559 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies

Edge of Tomorrow

Featuring a mix of action-packed sequences, science fiction elements, and dark humor, this film showcases the protagonist as a reluctant hero, forced to live the same day repeatedly while fighting alien invaders. The compelling story of survival and personal growth, alongside the intriguing concept of time loops, make this an unforgettable cinematic experience. Supported by a strong performance from Emily Blunt, this thrilling, fast-paced adventure cements its status as a modern sci-fi classic.

# 133 of 262 on The 200+ Best War Movies Of All Time
# 8 of 178 on The Best Alien Movies Of All Time, Ranked
# 23 of 167 on The 150+ Best Futuristic Dystopian Movies

Minority Report

Set in a dystopian future where crime is predicted and prevented by a specialized police force, this Steven Spielberg-directed sci-fi thriller sees the lead actor as a detective accused of a crime he has yet to commit. With its unique premise, thought-provoking themes, and stunning visuals, the film became an instant classic and served as a showcase for the protagonist's range and versatility as an actor. The combination of gripping storytelling, groundbreaking special effects, and a strong ensemble cast cement its status as one of the best sci-fi films of the 21st century.

Dig Deeper... The Best 'Minority Report' Quotes, Ranked
# 11 of 35 on Every Steven Spielberg Movie, Ranked By Fans
# 30 of 167 on The 150+ Best Futuristic Dystopian Movies

The Last Samurai

Set in 19th-century Japan, this epic historical drama follows the journey of Capt. Nathan Algren, an American military officer who becomes deeply immersed in the samurai culture. The protagonist brilliantly portrays a tortured soul seeking redemption and finding it through his connection with the titular warriors, resulting in a soulful and emotional performance. Aesthetically stunning and emotionally engaging, this film is impressively crafted and features outstanding performances from Ken Watanabe and the rest of the cast.

Dig Deeper... What A Historically Accurate Version Of 'The Last Samurai' Would Be Like
# 94 of 262 on The 200+ Best War Movies Of All Time
# 542 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies

Risky Business

As the high school senior who turns his family's home into a brothel after getting involved with a call girl, the lead actor delivers a charming and iconic performance that launched his career as a Hollywood heartthrob. The famous scene of the character dancing in his underwear to " Old Time Rock and Roll " has become a pop-culture staple, and the film itself remains a beloved 80s classic. With its unique blend of teen angst, dark comedy, and romance, this coming-of-age story showcases the beginnings of a truly remarkable talent.

# 104 of 399 on The Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked
# 628 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
# 173 of 675 on The Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

The fourth installment in the adrenaline-fueled franchise sees the protagonist perform even more heart-stopping stunts, including scaling the world's tallest building, Dubai's Burj Khalifa, further solidifying his reputation as a fearless action star. With a fresh team of dynamic actors, including Simon Pegg and Paula Patton, this film raises the stakes and balances its thrilling action with lighter moments of humor. Picking up where its predecessors left off, the film delivers an exhilarating, globetrotting adventure that leaves audiences eager for more.

# 21 of 82 on The Most Rewatchable Action Movies
# 34 of 98 on The Best Movies Based On TV Shows
# 22 of 73 on The Greatest Movies About CIA Agents & Operatives

In this gripping adaptation of John Grisham's best-selling novel, the protagonist plays an ambitious young lawyer who becomes entangled in a dangerous web of deceit and corruption at his prestigious law firm. The intense plot and stellar performances from the ensemble cast, including Gene Hackman, Holly Hunter, and David Strathairn, keep the audience absorbed and guessing until the very end. The smart script, thrilling twists, and central performance make it a must-watch for legal thriller enthusiasts and fans of the leading man alike.

# 40 of 50 on The Biggest Movies Of The '90s, Ranked
# 121 of 375 on The Best Movies Based On Books
# 45 of 82 on The 75+ Best Whodunit Murder Mystery Movies

Mission: Impossible - Fallout

In his sixth turn as super-spy Ethan Hunt, the main character's commitment to performing his own stunts reaches new heights with a harrowing high-altitude-low-opening (HALO) jump. Additionally, the film's electric helicopter chase and intense fight sequences showcase the actor's relentless dedication to delivering pulse-pounding action. With a gripping storyline that delves deeper into the personal life of Hunt and an exhilarating finale, this entry is widely regarded as one of the best in the long-running series.

# 42 of 73 on The Greatest Movies About CIA Agents & Operatives
# 8 of 13 on 13 Times Tom Cruise Came Close To Disaster Doing His Own Movie Stunts
# 10 of 13 on 13 Movie Heroes And Villains Who Are Two Sides Of The Same Coin

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation

The fifth installment of the popular action franchise sees the protagonist reprise his role as Ethan Hunt, this time facing a powerful, clandestine organization known as the Syndicate. With incredible stunts, including a breathtaking underwater sequence and a thrilling motorcycle chase, the lead actor continues to push the boundaries of what's possible in action cinema. Alongside new additions to the cast such as Rebecca Ferguson and Sean Harris, this thrilling adventure offers non-stop excitement and intrigue that maintains the high standards of the series.

# 46 of 98 on The Best Movies Based On TV Shows
# 32 of 73 on The Greatest Movies About CIA Agents & Operatives
# 12 of 14 on Things You Didn't Know About The Making Of Recent Action Movies

Interview with the Vampire (1994)

Portraying the tormented vampire Lestat in this adaptation of Anne Rice's novel, the protagonist delivers a mesmerizing and seductive performance that captivated audiences worldwide. Sharing the screen with Brad Pitt and a young Kirsten Dunst, the actor's portrayal of an immortal craving companionship and grappling with the morality of his actions is both chilling and heartbreaking. Though controversial at the time for its dark themes and explicit content, the film has since become a cult classic, showcasing a different side of the leading man's abilities.

Dig Deeper... 10 Behind-The-Scenes Stories From 'Interview with the Vampire' That Make Us Want Some More
And Deeper... The Best Episodes of 'Interview With The Vampire'
# 78 of 379 on The Best Movies Of The '90s, Ranked

In a rare turn as the villain, the lead actor plays a cold and calculating contract killer in this crime thriller directed by Michael Mann. Sharing the screen with Jamie Foxx's unsuspecting taxi driver, the actor's menacing performance offers a fascinating look into the psyche of his character and contrasts sharply with the vulnerable, heroic roles that have defined his career. With its gritty atmosphere, taut pacing, and unforgettable performances, the film stands as a testament to the versatility and range of the protagonist.

# 29 of 99 on The Best Movies Of 2004, Ranked
# 45 of 51 on The Best Movies to Watch on a Home Theater
# 5 of 13 on 13 Times Tom Cruise Came Close To Disaster Doing His Own Movie Stunts

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

The upcoming seventh installment in the blockbuster franchise promises to deliver even more breathtaking stunts, explosive action, and intriguing espionage as the lead character reprises his iconic role of Ethan Hunt. As the first part of a two-part cinematic event, the film will undoubtedly raise the stakes and further solidify the protagonist's status as an unstoppable action hero. With returning and new cast members, fans are eagerly anticipating the next thrilling chapter in the ever-evolving series.

# 43 of 73 on The Greatest Movies About CIA Agents & Operatives
# 5 of 116 on Which 2023 Movies Absolutely Had To Be Seen In The Theater?
# 3 of 7 on Every 'Mission: Impossible' Movie, Ranked

Days of Thunder

Reuniting with the Top Gun director, the protagonist stars as hotshot NASCAR driver Cole Trickle in this high-octane racing drama. With thrilling race sequences and an exploration of the competitive world of stock car racing, the movie allows the lead character to demonstrate his undeniable screen presence and physical prowess. The electrifying on-screen chemistry between the actor and his future wife, Nicole Kidman, adds to the allure of this compelling sports drama.

# 29 of 90 on The Best Movies of 1990
# 45 of 70 on The Greatest Sports Drama Movies of All Time
# 8 of 17 on 17 Movies That Totally Shattered Celebrity Marriages

The Color of Money

In this sequel to the 1961 classic The Hustler, the lead character plays pool protegé Vincent Lauria, who is mentored by Paul Newman's "Fast" Eddie Felson. A dynamic on-screen duo, they brilliantly convey the tension and rivalry between their characters, making for a compelling examination of ambition, redemption, and the cost of success. The film stands as a worthy follow-up to its predecessor, with a superb performance that further cemented the protagonist's status as a versatile leading man.

# 218 of 399 on The Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked
# 105 of 164 on The Best Movie Sequels Ever Made
# 21 of 87 on The Best Movies of 1986

Jack Reacher

Adapted from Lee Child's bestselling novels, the movie features the leading man as the tough-as-nails former Army investigator and drifter who finds himself entangled in a complex conspiracy. Showcasing his impressive range as an actor, the protagonist delivers a gritty and physical performance that captivates audiences and brings the beloved literary character to life. The film's thrilling action sequences, unexpected twists, and solid supporting cast make it a standout in the action-thriller genre.

Dig Deeper... All the Jack Reacher Books, Ranked Best to Worst
# 683 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
# 12 of 16 on Movies Meant To Be Trilogies That We'll Never Get To See Completed

The Outsiders

Based on the classic novel by S.E. Hinton, this coming-of-age drama set in the 1960s features the lead actor as part of an ensemble cast that includes Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze, and Rob Lowe, among others. As the youngest member of the "Greasers" gang and the brother of Ralph Macchio's Johnny, the actor delivers a tender performance that showcases his talent at an early age. The film has since become a cult classic, with its heartfelt portrayal of friendship, loyalty, and the trials of growing up.

# 50 of 399 on The Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked
# 32 of 66 on Movies You Wish You Could Still Watch for the First Time
# 310 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies

In this 80s drama, the leading man portrays an ambitious bartender who dreams of success and navigates the trials and tribulations of love and friendship. The role allows the protagonist to showcase his charm, charisma, and signature smile, resulting in a captivating performance that further establishes him as a Hollywood heartthrob. With memorable scenes and quotable dialogue, the film has earned a special place in pop culture nostalgia.

# 179 of 399 on The Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked
# 157 of 232 on The Best '80s Comedy Movies, Ranked
# 48 of 122 on The Best Movies Of 1988

Born on the Fourth of July

In a powerful and transformative performance, the lead actor takes on the real-life story of Ron Kovic, a disillusioned Vietnam War veteran who becomes an anti-war activist. Earning his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, the protagonist impeccably portrays the emotional turmoil, physical pain, and ultimate redemption of his character. The film's unflinching depiction of the war's aftermath and its impact on soldiers makes it a poignant and unforgettable viewing experience.

# 206 of 262 on The 200+ Best War Movies Of All Time
# 24 of 83 on The Best Movies Of 1989, Ranked
# 275 of 399 on The Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked

Mission: Impossible III

With J.J. Abrams at the helm, the third installment of the blockbuster franchise brings a personal and emotional depth to the series, as protagonist Ethan Hunt faces a ruthless villain with ties to his personal life. The leading man's captivating performance, along with an incredible supporting cast and intense action sequences, make this entry a standout in the spy thriller genre. Fans of the series appreciate the balance of character development, emotional stakes, and adrenaline-pumping action that this installment delivers.

# 24 of 101 on The Best Movies Of 2006
# 42 of 98 on The Best Movies Based On TV Shows
# 31 of 73 on The Greatest Movies About CIA Agents & Operatives

Tropic Thunder

In a surprising and hilarious turn, the protagonist takes on the role of an over-the-top Hollywood producer in this satirical war comedy. Sporting a bald cap and thick prosthetic makeup, he is nearly unrecognizable as he lampoons the movie industry with biting humor and infectious dance moves. His comedic prowess and willingness to poke fun at himself contribute to the film's status as a modern classic in the comedy genre.

# 230 of 262 on The 200+ Best War Movies Of All Time
# 32 of 78 on The Greatest Movies To Watch Outside, Ranked
# 98 of 708 on The All-Time Greatest Comedy Films

In this gripping historical thriller, the lead actor portrays German army officer Claus von Stauffenberg, who leads a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler during World War II. With a strong supporting cast and a suspenseful narrative, the protagonist delivers a compelling performance that highlights his versatility as an actor. The film is a riveting exploration of moral courage and determination in the face of insurmountable odds.

# 64 of 262 on The 200+ Best War Movies Of All Time
# 269 of 307 on The 300+ Best Epic Movies Of All Time
# 31 of 54 on The Best Movies Released Christmas Day

In this visually stunning sci-fi thriller, the protagonist plays a drone repairman tasked with maintaining Earth's defense system after an alien invasion. Unraveling a twisted web of secrets and lies surrounding his mission, the lead actor delivers a gripping and emotional performance that keeps audiences engaged from start to finish. With its breathtaking cinematography, thought-provoking themes, and memorable score, the film solidifies its place as a captivating entry in the science fiction genre.

# 61 of 178 on The Best Alien Movies Of All Time, Ranked
# 63 of 167 on The 150+ Best Futuristic Dystopian Movies
# 119 of 186 on The Greatest Comic Book Movies Of All Time

War of the Worlds

In this modern adaptation of H.G. Wells' classic novel, the protagonist portrays a divorced father who must protect his children during a sudden alien invasion. Under the direction of Steven Spielberg, the lead actor excels in conveying the terror, desperation, and determination of his character while navigating a world on the brink of destruction. The film's riveting storyline, impressive special effects, and powerful performances create a thrilling and suspenseful ride for viewers.

# 33 of 178 on The Best Alien Movies Of All Time, Ranked
# 21 of 35 on Every Steven Spielberg Movie, Ranked By Fans
# 53 of 112 on The Greatest Movie Remakes Of All Time

Far and Away

Starring alongside Nicole Kidman, the protagonist takes on the role of an Irish immigrant seeking his fortune in America in this sweeping romantic epic. The film's lush landscapes and stirring score provide an exquisite backdrop for the passionate love story between the main characters. Despite some mixed critical reception, the undeniable chemistry between the lead actors and the film's grand scope make it a memorable viewing experience.

# 218 of 228 on The Best Movie Scores Of All Time, Ranked
# 45 of 98 on The Best Movies of 1992
# 21 of 58 on The Best '90s Westerns, Ranked

American Made

Based on a true story, the protagonist plays a commercial airline pilot turned drug smuggler and CIA informant in this fast-paced crime drama. The lead actor's charismatic performance, combined with a fascinating real-life plot and a vibrant 80s aesthetic, makes for an entertaining and thrilling ride. The film showcases the protagonist's ability to tackle complex characters and deliver engaging performances in diverse roles.

# 83 of 100 on The Best Period Movies Set in the '80s
# 131 of 165 on The Best Political Films Of All Time
# 40 of 73 on The Greatest Movies About CIA Agents & Operatives

All the Right Moves

In this high school football drama, the lead actor stars as a promising young athlete from a struggling Pennsylvania steel town, determined to earn a college scholarship and escape his bleak surroundings. The film allows the protagonist to showcase his talent for embodying relatable and ambitious characters, earning him praise for his performance as a driven, passionate teenager. Capturing the spirit of blue-collar America, this coming-of-age story resonates with its themes of perseverance, loyalty, and the pursuit of a better life.

# 310 of 399 on The Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked
# 27 of 72 on The 70+ Best Movies From 1983, Ranked
# 8 of 69 on The Best High School Sports Movies

Mission: Impossible II

The second installment in the blockbuster franchise features the protagonist returning as super-spy Ethan Hunt, this time facing off against a rogue former agent with a deadly virus at his disposal. Directed by action maestro John Woo, the film amps up the thrills and jaw-dropping stunts, including a gravity-defying rock climbing sequence performed by the lead actor himself. Although met with mixed reviews, the film remains a notable entry in the series for its memorable action sequences and its continued exploration of the character's personal life.

# 97 of 164 on The Best Movie Sequels Ever Made
# 56 of 98 on The Best Movies Based On TV Shows
# 37 of 73 on The Greatest Movies About CIA Agents & Operatives

Knight and Day

In this action-comedy, the protagonist partners with Cameron Diaz as a mysterious secret agent and an unwitting civilian who become entangled in a perilous mission. The lead actor's charm and charisma shine through in this lighthearted adventure, making it a fun and enjoyable romp for audiences. The film's blend of humor, romance, and thrilling action showcases the main character's ability to balance different genres with ease.

# 61 of 73 on The Greatest Movies About CIA Agents & Operatives
# 13 of 46 on The 40+ Best Spy Comedies Of All Time
# 7 of 11 on The Best Spy Movies Streaming on Hulu

In one of his earliest roles, the protagonist plays a military cadet who takes part in a student-led revolt against the closing of their school in this gripping drama. The film features a strong ensemble cast, including Timothy Hutton and Sean Penn, and allows the young actor to display his burgeoning talent and screen presence. The movie's exploration of loyalty, authority, and camaraderie remains a powerful and thought-provoking examination of human nature.

# 245 of 399 on The Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked
# 97 of 133 on The Most Utterly Depressing Movies Ever Made
# 28 of 75 on The Best Movies Of 1981

In this ambitious and sprawling ensemble drama from director Paul Thomas Anderson, the protagonist delivers a memorable performance as a morally conflicted self-help guru. With a complex narrative structure and an immense ensemble cast, the film delves into the interconnected lives of characters who are all experiencing their own personal crises. The movie's bold storytelling and the lead actor's nuanced performance contribute to its status as a modern classic in American cinema.

# 235 of 379 on The Best Movies Of The '90s, Ranked
# 224 of 675 on The Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars
# 67 of 80 on 80 Good Long Movies To Watch, Ranked

Eyes Wide Shut

In this final film from legendary director Stanley Kubrick, the protagonist stars alongside then-wife Nicole Kidman as a couple experiencing a crisis of sexual desire and jealousy. With its atmospheric cinematography, haunting score, and daring erotic scenes, the movie pushes the boundaries of traditional Hollywood storytelling. The lead actor's immersive performance and the film's controversial exploration of human sexuality make it a provocative and unforgettable entry in his filmography.

Dig Deeper... What Happened When Stanley Kubrick Took Over Tom Cruise And Nicole Kidman's Careers For Two Years
# 171 of 252 on The 200+ Best Psychological Thrillers Of All Time
# 56 of 125 on The 100+ Grossest Movies Ever

Vanilla Sky

Reuniting with Jerry Maguire director Cameron Crowe, the protagonist stars in this mind-bending psychological thriller that explores themes of love, loss, and the blurred boundaries of reality. The film's enigmatic plot, paired with the lead actor's intense and emotional performance, makes for an immersive and captivating viewing experience. Despite its polarizing reception, the movie remains an intriguing example of the protagonist's willingness to take on challenging and unconventional roles.

# 126 of 136 on The 100+ Best Movies For Date Night
# 108 of 133 on The Most Utterly Depressing Movies Ever Made
# 60 of 113 on The Best Movies Of 2001

In this visually stunning fantasy-adventure, the main character takes on the role of Jack, a pure-hearted hero who must save a magical land from eternal darkness. Directed by Ridley Scott, the film features lush landscapes, elaborate costumes, and a memorable performance from Tim Curry as the sinister Lord of Darkness. Though considered a commercial failure at the time of its release, the movie has since developed a cult following thanks to its fantastical world-building and the protagonist's earnest performance.

# 204 of 399 on The Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked
# 31 of 96 on The 90+ Best Movies Of 1985, Ranked
# 57 of 82 on The 75+ Best Fairytale Movies

Rock of Ages

In this star-studded musical adaptation, the lead actor portrays an aging rock star amidst the backdrop of 1980s Los Angeles. Embracing the era's iconic style, music, and larger-than-life personalities, the protagonist delivers an entertaining and energetic performance that showcases his singing abilities. The film may not have been a commercial success, but it offered audiences a chance to see the actor in a new light, embracing a fun and campy departure from his action hero roles.

# 173 of 204 on Musical Movies With The Best Songs
# 112 of 175 on The Best Movies About Music
# 36 of 39 on The Best Movies to Have Playing During a Party

Austin Powers: Goldmember

In a brief but memorable cameo, the protagonist hilariously lampoons his own action-star persona by portraying the titular character in a film within the film. The self-referential and irreverent nature of the cameo makes it a delightful surprise for fans and demonstrates the actor's willingness to engage in self-deprecating humor. The scene remains a standout moment in the popular comedy franchise.

Dig Deeper... The Best Characters in the Austin Power Movies, Ranked
# 380 of 708 on The All-Time Greatest Comedy Films
# 211 of 637 on The 600+ Funniest Movies Of All Time

In this reboot of the classic horror-adventure series, the protagonist takes on the role of a soldier-turned-treasure hunter who accidentally unleashes an ancient evil upon the world. Though the film received mixed reviews, the lead actor's charisma and commitment to performing his own stunts add an undeniable appeal for fans of action-packed adventure films. The movie offers an entertaining and thrilling ride that showcases the main character's enduring appeal as an action hero.

# 1 of 17 on 17 Gritty Reboots Of Popular Franchises That No One Asked For (Or Wanted)
# 4 of 16 on What The Original Cast And Crews Said About Reboots And Remakes Of Their Work
# 14 of 15 on 15 Thrillers And Chillers That Tried To Launch A Franchise But Failed Miserably

In this early 80s teen comedy, the protagonist plays one of a group of high school friends heading to Mexico for a weekend of debauchery. The film, while not critically acclaimed, offers a glimpse into the early days of the lead actor's career and his natural talent for comedy. With its raucous humor and nostalgic setting, the movie remains an interesting snapshot of the protagonist's beginnings in Hollywood.

# 13 of 16 on Underrated 1980s Movies That Got Overshadowed By Their More Successful 'Twin Film'
# 215 of 220 on '80s Movies We Wish Would Finally Get Sequels
# 10 of 19 on 19 Forgotten Comedies Of ’80s Movie Stars

Lions for Lambs

This thought-provoking political drama features an ensemble cast, including the lead actor as a Republican senator advocating for a new military strategy in Afghanistan. The film delves into complex themes of ethics, politics, and the human cost of war, showcasing the protagonist's versatility as an actor. While it may not have drawn major box-office success, the movie's timely subject matter and strong performances make it a compelling watch.

Endless Love

In this romantic drama loosely based on Scott Spencer's novel, the protagonist makes his feature film debut in a supporting role as the brother of the female lead. Though the film received mixed reviews, it offers a unique opportunity to witness the early days of the lead actor's career. With its passionate love story and memorable soundtrack, the movie has become a cult classic over time.

# 395 of 399 on The Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked
# 55 of 75 on The Best Movies Of 1981
# 211 of 220 on '80s Movies We Wish Would Finally Get Sequels
Entertainment
Watchworthy

All about the life and career of the ageless actor Tom Cruise.

Tom Cruise runs. But is he any good at it?

IN 2018 , TOM CRUISE finally joined Instagram, and fans sure felt the need for speed: He picked up 550,000 followers in less than an hour. Now he's up to 6.5 million followers, and they're greeted by the actor's self-assessment of his own career in his bio. He could have gone with "Three-time Oscar nominee," or "Sold $10 billion worth of movie tickets."

But instead, he picked: "Actor, producer, running in movies since 1981."

It's a winking, self-aware nod to this much-memed chapter of his Hollywood career. He always gets the rogue bad guy with the rogue nuclear codes from the rogue country, and he does it in a sprint. By one running blog's count , he's run in 44 of his 52 movies, and that includes two running scenes in his newest movie, "Top Gun: Maverick," which opens this week nationwide. A quick reminder: Tom Cruise is 59 years old, the same age as Wilford Brimley when he was chasing Mitch McDeere in "The Firm."

But that raises the question... Is Tom Cruise actually a good runner? We convened an elite panel of Olympians, film critics and former coaches and set out on a mission to analyze Cruise's running -- and might have stumbled onto a never-before-told origin story of his first theatrical running moment.

The evolution

The official start of Tom Cruise, the running actor, was in 1981 when he ran in his first movie, "Endless Love."

But perhaps the most formative run of Tom Cruise's life came in 1980, during his senior year at Glen Ridge High School in New Jersey. His old wrestling coach, Angelo Corbo, says Cruise -- then going by his legal name, Thomas Cruise Mapother IV -- was a decent 122-pounder.

But Cruise came in one day on crutches right before the 1980 wrestling postseason and said he'd slipped coming down the steps at his house. Since he was done with wrestling, Cruise wondered if it'd be OK to go out for his first play, "Guys and Dolls." Corbo said yes.

A few weeks later, though, Cruise came to Corbo and asked if he could come along to the state tournament to support his teammates. Corbo gladly welcomed him into the team van for the trip, and on the way to states in Princeton that March, they decided to get some lunch at a Mexican restaurant. His ankle had healed up enough to lose the crutches, so he walked in and sat down at the table with his teammates.

Almost immediately, Corbo says an assistant coach pointed at Cruise, then at a jar of hot peppers. "I'll bet you $5 you can't eat one of those peppers without drinking anything," the coach said.

Cruise quickly said yes -- "Tom always accepted any challenge, no matter what," Corbo says -- and chomped into it. Within seconds, everybody at the table thought smoke was going to start pouring out of his ears. Cruise leaped up and ran out of the restaurant with the rest of the team unable to keep up. "He ran real fast that day," Corbo says.

When they caught up to him, his teammates and coaches found him on the ground in the parking lot, face buried in a snowbank, stuffing snow into his mouth to cool it down.

"Well, he didn't technically drink anything in the restaurant," one kid said.

The assistant shrugged his shoulders and pulled a $5 bill out of his pocket. "Here, you win, Tom," he said.

With snow all over his mouth, Cruise gave a wide-eyed, toothy smile, similar to the one that would eventually sell somewhere around $10 billion worth of movie tickets. As Corbo describes the scene, he notes that Cruise had a look on his face of a satisfied performer who just captivated an audience for the first time. If there's a pre-Hollywood moment when Thomas Mapother turned into Tom Cruise, that might have been it.

That messy restaurant run sure sounds a lot like the version we see in Cruise's early movies. In "The Outsiders" and "Taps," Cruise runs quite a bit, and it's a sloppy, under-developed run. It's not until toward the end of "Risky Business" in 1983 when Cruise vaults up his high school's steps and jets through the hallways that the beginnings of a steady, faster form begins to emerge.

Caryl Smith Gilbert, a four-time NCAA champion coach who now leads the Georgia men's and women's programs, watched a reel of every Tom Cruise movie run and did a deep-dive analysis. She says she thinks Cruise steadily got better from 1981 until around the early 2000s, then had a breakthrough. Ever since, she says, you can see a clear desire to keep improving.

"It's right around the time he's in 'Collateral' that I could really see it," she says. "His technique got better, and I was like, 'Hmmm, he has to be getting real coaching.' And I also think you can tell that he must do this in his free time now. Like, he really is trying to get better."

Happy Birthday to @TomCruise , who wrestled at Glen Ridge (NJ) High School @NJSIAA shared that wrestling "helped him fit in after moving to the town from Kentucky. When an injury cut short his senior season, he tried out for the school musical. You know the rest ..." pic.twitter.com/goFrJYIwzn — NWHOF (@NWHOF) July 3, 2021

There is a common misconception that most great sprinters must be tall, and the success of Usain Bolt (6-foot-5) certainly has played a part in pouring concrete around that idea. But the truth is, most great male sprinters are in the 5-foot-6 to 6-foot-3 range, according to a study published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine.

And breaking news, Tom Cruise is, uh, not tall. He's often listed at 5-foot-7, but it's always felt like the way college football SIDs decide to round up all incoming freshmen by one inch and 20 pounds. Whatever his actual height, let's just say he won't exactly be playing Jack Reacher any time soon. (Checks IMDb, stands corrected.)

But Cruise's size shouldn't -- and doesn't -- matter much. "A lot of powerful runners are 5-foot-6 or below," says three-time Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee. "It's all about the turnover of your legs and generating velocity. I don't think his height is a disadvantage."

In "Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol," Cruise comes barreling out of a building as a massive sandstorm descends in the background. It's a long, striking visual because of the way Cruise's open hands slice through the air, over and over again, like he's in the middle of a round of Fruit Ninja.

It's one of the most glaring differences between his early film running and what he has done for the past 20 years or so. When Smith Gilbert says she thinks Cruise must have gotten some running coaching, she zeroes in on the major alteration to his hand movement -- he's gone from sporadically balled up, like many untrained amateurs, to remarkably straight in recent years. In many scenes from the past decade, Cruise's parallel flat palms are almost comical, as if a robot learned how to run from watching another robot.

That must be bad then, right? Not necessarily. People often associate running with balled-up fists, but quite a few great sprinters -- Carl Lewis, for example -- look an awful lot like Tom Cruise when they run, with their palms open. Many high-level runners say that the open versus closed hands debate is entirely a personal choice, that there's really no right answer.

In fact, coaches occasionally recommend that some runners consider a Tom Cruise-ish open-handed technique because, as strange as it might sound, great sprinters work hard to be as relaxed as possible. Smith Gilbert says clenching up hands can be the first sign that a runner is pressing, which affects the rhythm of their breath, which drains their speed and endurance.

"You can be open hand or close hand, as long as the shoulders are rather relaxed," she says. "The goal is good form and being as relaxed as possible. Tom Cruise knows what he's doing."

Cruise's technique can appear incredibly stiff at times, with his chest upright as though he's getting buckled into a roller coaster, flat palms churning, chin high with his face tensed up. Both Smith Gilbert and Joyner-Kersee independently flagged Cruise's running as being slightly too upright and recommended a little more forward lean. But only a little -- and neither was sure that that would be how he'd run without the cameras on.

"I bet that's something they make him do because it looks good on film," Joyner-Kersee says. "In real life, I could get his speed up by just angling him a little bit forward."

But they also both applauded Cruise's technical prowess, saying it's easy for a layperson to mistake stiffness for a good, consistent style.

"At the end of the day," Smith Gilbert says, "running is one foot in front of the other, as fast as possible. Running velocity is stride length times stride frequency. And he's pretty good in that regard."

Believe it or not, Tom Cruise might actually be fast. Like, really fast. A few years ago, a Quora user attempted to analyze Cruise's speed in several movies and estimated that Cruise hit about 15.3 mph at times, usually while wearing non-running shoes and full pants, no less. Cruise himself said he's been clocked at 17 mph.

Last year, marathoner Will Blase wrote a story for a running blog, The Harrier, in which he wanted to explore the idea that Cruise might be the fastest actor ever captured on screen. He pitted Cruise's "Mission: Impossible" runs against four other iconic movie sprints -- Tom Hanks from "Forrest Gump," Sylvester Stallone in "Rocky II," Harrison Ford running from a boulder in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and Marcus Henderson's terrifying nighttime sprint toward Daniel Kaluuya in "Get Out."

After poring over footage for days, Blase reached a verdict that surprised even him: Cruise edged out Henderson for the gold medal in his unofficial movie Olympics, with Hanks and Ford at third and fourth, respectively. Stallone finished last. "That dude is a robot," Blase says of Cruise. "It's incredible. He has it boiled down to science."

But would Cruise be better suited for sprints or slightly longer races? Smith Gilbert thinks Cruise would be great at the 800 meters or even the mile because she thinks he could sustain his top-end speed.

But Joyner-Kersee thinks Cruise could be a good 100-meter runner, and she says he looks like he might be in the 12-second range right now. "That's really fast for people who don't train to race," she says.

And what would happen if Cruise did train? Well, first of all, Cruise should know that he has an open invitation to come work with Joyner-Kersee and her husband, former U.S. track coach Bob Kersee. "I believe we could work with him, see what he's got," Joyner-Kersee says. "We could probably get him to 11.5 with ease."

For the record, 11.5 is very fast ... and definitely fast enough to catch up to Robert Duvall on pit row if they ever have a "Days of Thunder" rematch.

Mental toughness

In "Mission: Impossible Fallout," Cruise has a scene where he runs and leaps from one building to another. It's a long jump that the script called for him to not quite make, slamming into the side of the other building and pulling himself up.

Even with cables attached to his back, it was a brutally violent scene. On an early take, Cruise lands exactly where he is supposed to, a few feet short of making it onto the other roof. But Cruise's right foot bends at a gruesome angle -- he'd broken it on impact.

Yet Cruise claws his way onto the roof, climbs to his feet and limps past the camera with a broken ankle. That take is actually in the movie. Cruise took two weeks off but then returned to shooting, even though his ankle wasn't healed.

When he discussed it on "The Graham Norton Show" in 2018 alongside castmates Rebecca Ferguson, Henry Cavill and Simon Pegg, Cruise looks so proud when they roll bonus footage of the gruesome break. Pegg blurts out that he can't watch multiple times, and Norton tells Cruise he's nuts.

But Cruise took it as a challenge -- that word comes up over and over again when people talk about Tom Cruise.

"I knew I broke it instantly," Cruise says. "We have a release date, so we have to keep going."

Cruise has gotten only more aggressive about doing all of his own stunts, including the runs. He once told Men's Journal that he likes to spend as much time as possible training for his stunts -- and likes to oversee training for the rest of the cast, too. "If he wasn't an actor, he'd be a great stunt man," says legendary stunt coordinator Greg Powell, who worked with Cruise on the first "Mission: Impossible."

One aspect of Cruise's running that came up repeatedly with experts was the fact that so many of Cruise's runs are in suits or regular clothes. Sprinters are notoriously fickle about wardrobe, wanting as little as possible, Joyner-Kersee says. She specifically marveled at the amount of running Cruise does in "The Firm" where he has on a suit and a long coat and is carrying a briefcase, and he's soaked in sweat.

"I never even liked running if I got a few drops of rain on me," she says, shaking her head. "To do something over and over again like he does, that's good mental capability. He has the physical stamina, but to not get bored with it, doing it repeatedly and stay in character and still be able to produce what the scene requires. Even with breaks, it's impressive."

She laughs and looks back at a mural on her wall. It shows her running in her last Olympics. "I know toward the end of my career, I could always get up to 100% speed," she says. "But I could only do it once. I'm not sure how Tom Cruise is doing what he does."

Theatricality

There's not much debate about this fact: Cruise is the Meryl Streep of running, and it's virtually unfathomable to imagine anybody ever being able to put together both the body of work and the body to be running into their 60s.

And it's not just that he does a lot of running in movies; it's also that his running does a lot in his movies.

"His running always conveys something important in the movie," says Christy Lemire, a film critic at RogerEbert.com and cohost of the "Breakfast All Day" movie podcast. "He's running toward something and he is going to get there -- whether it's freedom or the truth or his wife is in danger. It's not just running as a crucial part of an action set piece. It is a physical manifestation of his ethos."

When author and film critic Amy Nicholson set out to write her book, "Tom Cruise: Anatomy of an Actor," she felt compelled to dedicate an entire page just to Cruise's running. As she worked her way through all of his movie runs, she picked out a few that stick with her.

For instance, she likes Cruise's transformational running in "Knight and Day," the oft-forgotten rom-com thriller with Cruise and Cameron Diaz. In that movie, Cruise is a covert operative pretending to be a schlub. So some of his runs are a little clunky ... until he needs to be Ethan Hunt-like again later in the movie. "Some of his characters are better runners than others," she says. "Watch that movie, because it's an example of him having a goofy run. He allowed himself to be sloppy."

She also thinks his range of runs in "War of the Worlds" is a key entry in the Tom Cruise running library. Before the movie began shooting, director Steven Spielberg and Cruise huddled about what kind of hero Cruise would be. Spielberg told Cruise that alien invasion movies always feature people who are standing up and fighting.

But he wanted to do something different -- he envisioned Cruise's Ray Ferrier as a scared dad, running away and running to survive, not to defeat the evil aliens. And the style of Ray's actual runs needed to convey that, that he was terrified and just trying to survive the world for once, not save it single-handedly.

"He is charged in that movie to do nothing but run in fear and convince other people to run in fear with him -- even when his own children want to stand up and fight back," Nicholson says.

Lemire is a runner herself and says she can't imagine having to combine the amount of physicality with whatever mood Cruise is trying to portray for audiences.

"He has to do so much with his eyes and his face and his gait," she says. "He's never going for a leisurely jog along the beach and enjoying the scenery. He's trying to convey to us whatever his character is going through in that moment. And we underestimate that skill, that ability to make running a physical and emotional experience."

So ... is Tom Cruise good at running?

When he was Glen Ridge's wrestling coach, Corbo would have his group of 20 or so wrestlers do a circuit around the high school. They'd run past the cafeteria, up the stairs to the second floor, all the way to the end of the school, down the stairs to the first floor, then all the way back to the cafeteria. "The loop," he calls it.

Cruise often got roughed up in the room by more experienced wrestlers -- by Corbo's count, Cruise was 7-12 as a varsity starter. But when it was time to do the loop, he would morph into that kid who couldn't back down from a challenge. He'd run the loop hard, getting competitive with some of the same teammates who'd squash him every day on the mat.

One time, Cruise had been hurtling through the hallways and sheepishly approached Corbo at the end of the run. He wanted his coach to come look at one of the big metal doors in the stairwell.

Corbo went with him and found that the small rectangular sliver of glass in one of the doors was cracked. Cruise had been trying to outsprint a teammate and plowed through the door so hard that he broke it. Corbo said thanks for telling him, and when he was asked later by a school administrator whether he had any idea how one of the thick glass windows had a long crack in it, Corbo covered for Cruise.

"I have no idea," he said. "Those are pretty hard to break."

So Corbo's answer to the billion-dollar question of Tom Cruise's running prowess is yes, he's a good runner.

And the running experts agree.

"I've been to the Olympics," Joyner-Kersee says. "And he has pulled me in: Tom Cruise is good at running."

Before Smith Gilbert will answer that question on a recent Zoom call, she tilts her chin up to the sky.

"I think he is good at running -- for Hollywood," she finally says. "By that, I mean, I think that is him actually running in the scenes. But if he came out to race us at Georgia, we would demolish him."

She drops her chin down and stares right into the camera then, and says, "But I bet he would love to challenge me on that."

Jerry Maguire: 9 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About The Tom Cruise Movie

CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links.

Every moviegoer remembers the first time they heard the words "Show me the money" or "You had me at 'Hello.'" This was 25 years ago when Jerry Maguire, the Academy Award-winning third feature by writer and director Cameron Crowe , was released to universal praise from critics and audiences alike, impressive box office returns, and a succeeding legacy as one of the most iconic, quotable, and inspirational comedy-dramas that technically qualifies as a sports movie. Equally as interesting as plot of the Tom Cruise movie , about a hot shot agent to pro athletes whose moral epiphany sends him on a drastic journey of self-rediscovery, is the behind-the-scenes facts that craft the story of how it was made, starting with the some of people whose own lives contributed to the story.

Cuba Gooding Jr. and Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire

Jerry Maguire Is Loosely Based On Real Sports Agents, Including Leigh Steinberg

In a making-of documentary included on the 20th Anniversary edition Blu-ray of Jerry Maguire , Cameron Crowe recalls how the inspiration for the film came from multiple avenues - some personal and some from the modern world of business. To put a face to a name, Leigh Steinberg was one of the more notable sports agents who largely served as the inspiration for the title character played by Tom Cruise . Steinberg told Sky Sports that Crowe spent a a year and a half shadowing the agent, whose most famous clients at the time included Dallas Cowboys’ Troy Aikman (who makes a cameo) and one who also sparked a few ideas in Crowe’s mind.

Aries Spears and Cuba Gooding Jr. in Jerry Maguire

Leigh Steinberg’s Client Tim McDonald Inspired Cuba Gooding Jr.’s “Show Me The Money” Line

The aforementioned doc sees Cameron Crowe go on to mention an athlete whom Leigh Steinberg represented when he was researching for Jerry Maguire named Tim McDonald. He recalls conducting an interview with the former football player that led to one of the film’s more memorable moments:

He was there with his buddy and his buddy was watching CNN Moneyline and [McDonald] had one eye on Moneyline, too, and he just said, ‘I have gotten my butt kicked for five years. My contract is finally up and I have told my agent one thing: “Show me the money.”’ And a little chill went through me because I just knew that was such a defining thing for him and I couldn’t get the line out of my head and I spent more time with this guy and found out he’s not greedy at all. He’s just got a few more years left where he can get paid for what he does and he had a family that was supported. And I just thought, That’s a hero, you know? That’s a hero - a guy who is, on the surface, perhaps, in the desperate pursuit of cash but, in fact, what is greed if greed is paying for the people you love and allowing them to survive?

Cameron Crowe then explains how that one sentence, which he adapted into one of the most recognizable movie quotes of all time, was the spark that led to the creation of Rod Tidwell - an Arizona Cardinals wide receiver who becomes Jerry Maguire’s sole client after he gets fired. The character is also remembered as the role that earned Cuba Gooding Jr. his Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 1997.

Tom Cruise writes his Mission Statement in Jerry Maguire

Jerry Maguire’s Mission Statement Was Inspired By A Real Disney Memo By Jeffrey Katzenberg

Say, speaking of Jerry Maguire getting fired, the inciting incident of this is what the hot shot agent calls a "mission statement" for his company about emphasizing personal relationships over monetary gain that he pens after suffering a moral crisis. As it turns out, Cameron Crowe also borrowed this creative and inspiring plot device from reality as well - specifically a 28-page memo that Jeffrey Katzenberg wrote when he was head of Disney after becoming dissatisfied with the company’s box office-driven mentality. The producer sent this manifesto to his employees in 1991 - three years before leaving to develop DreamWorks with Steven Spielberg and David Geffen.

Jerry Maguire’s Post-Firing Fall Was A Secret Between Tom Cruise And Cameron Crowe

Of course, Jerry Maguire’s exit came much quicker after releasing his statement, courtesy of Bob Sugar (Jay Mohr), who chooses to announce the termination at a public restaurant to avoid causing a scene. Jerry still manages to create a rousing moment at the agency when he returns in such a rush to contact his clients that he falls flat on his face on the way to his office - an unforgettable instance of physical comedy that, apparently, was not in the script. According to Cameron Crowe on the 2016 Blu-ray featurette, he suggested the stable to Tom Cruise last-minute without telling anybody else on set, resulting in the completely natural reaction we see in the final cut.

CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER

Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News

Cameron Crowe Wrote The Jerry Maguire Role With Tom Hanks In Mind

It is off-the-cuff decisions that end in great results like that which are why it is impossible to imagine anyone else but Tom Cruise playing the title character of Jerry Maguire . However, the Mission: Impossible movies star was not the first choice in mind Cameron Crowe, who actually wrote the part the intention of casting Tom Hanks originally. However, while on The Dan Patrick Show in 2017, the filmmaker revealed that, by the time he finished, the two-time Oscar winner was committed to his directorial debut, That Thing You Do! , which would prove to be a blessing in disguise when Cruise stepped in.

Jonathan Lipnicki Introduced His Famous Line To Cameron Crowe, According To The Director

Bonus fun fact: apparently Cameron Crowe was warned by some about Tom Cruise using his star power to try taking control of production if hired on Jerry Maguire , which he said could not have been further from the truth. In fact, it even worked in the film’s favor to cast relatively unknown actors (at the time) around the A-lister, such as then five-year-old Jonathan Lipnicki who won the hearts of many with his debut role as Ray Boyd. The now 30-year-old actor has said that people still come up to him to ask if he knows that “the human brain weighs eight pounds,” which, according to Yahoo! , Cameron Crowe claims the young actor would tell people on set, inspiring him to put it in the movie and, unwittingly, make history.

Renée Zellweger Thought Her Iconic Jerry Maguire Line Was A Typo

A more historical quote from Jerry Maguire , however, is said by Jonathan Lipnicki’s on-screen mother Dorothy Boyd, played by Renée Zellweger. After Tom Cruise’s character finally professes his genuine love for his estranged wife by saying she “completes” him, she shuts him up by replying, “You had me at ‘Hello.’” It is one of the most romantic, oft-quoted movie lines ever, but, as the future two-time Oscar-winner revealed to Newsday , she was not sure what to make of it at first:

Cameron had me say it a few different ways. It's so funny, because when I read it, I didn't get it — I thought it was a typo somehow. I kept looking at it. It was the one thing in the script that I was looking at going, 'Is that right? Can that be right? How is that right?' I thought, 'Is there a better way to say that? Am I not getting it? I just don't know how to do it.

In defense of Renée Zellweger , if the line had turned out to be a typo, it would not be the only time that Jerry Maguire benefitted from a happy accident as we have already established.

Cuba Gooding Jr. as Rod Tidwell in Jerry Maguire

Paula Abdul Choreographed Rod Tidwell’s Post-Concussion Dance In Jerry Maguire

Another memorable moment from Jerry Maguire that was also not by accident was the elaborate dance that Rod Tidwell performs after miraculously waking up from a concussion (which is something that doctors would strongly advise against these days). However, it is still an exciting moment that was achieved with the choreography of Paula Abdul - the pop star and future American Idol judge also known for lending her dance talents to films like Coming to America in 1988. When commenting on the dance in Jerry Maguire for Entertainment Tonight in 1996, Abdul mentions she had previously met Cuba Gooding Jr. after casting him in an ad for Bugle Boy.

Cameron Crowe’s Mom Makes A Cameo In Jerry Maguire

Someone who is frequently cast in Cameron Crowe’s movies is his own mother, Alice Marie Crowe, who notably appears in the Almost Famous cast as a guidance counselor who convinces Elaine ( Frances McDormand ) to let William (Patrick Fugit) follow Stillwater on tour. Her claim to fame from Jerry Maguire , according to Slate, is playing a member of the divorced women support group hosted by Dorothy’s sister, Laurel (Bonnie Hunt), who excitedly reveals to the other that she “finally got in touch with [her] anger.”

Believe it or not, that line might have gotten a harder laugh out of me than any other line in the film. Of course, Jerry Maguire is the kind of movie where the script tends to become a part of your vocabulary even before you see it - especially for those of younger generations like myself who caught the full experience a bit later. Luckily, the romantic sports dramedy is also the kind of film that never fails to entertain and inspire no matter if you are seeing the first time of the one-hundredth time, which is why it remains a classic a quarter of a century later.

Jason Wiese writes feature stories for CinemaBlend. His occupation results from years dreaming of a filmmaking career, settling on a "professional film fan" career, studying journalism at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO (where he served as Culture Editor for its student-run print and online publications), and a brief stint of reviewing movies for fun. He would later continue that side-hustle of film criticism on TikTok (@wiesewisdom), where he posts videos on a semi-weekly basis. Look for his name in almost any article about Batman.

10 Most Iconic Queer Grey's Anatomy Characters

The Best '90s Teen Movies And How To Watch Them

Nicola Coughlan's 'Shoes...More Shoes' Collaborator Shared The Story Behind Creating The Viral Song, And Apparently Jonathan Bailey Was Involved

All Tom Cruise Movies, Ranked By Tomatometer

Edge of Tomorrow celebrates its 10th anniversary!

From his teen idol days in the early ’80s to his status as a marquee-lighting leading man today, Tom Cruise has consistently done it all for decades — he’s completed impossible missions, learned about Wapner time in Rain Man , driven the highway to the danger zone in Top Gun , and done wonders for Bob Seger’s royalty statements in Risky Business , to offer just a few examples. Mr. Cruise is one of the few honest-to-goodness film stars left in the Hollywood firmament, so whether you’re a hardcore fan or just interested in a refresher course on his filmography, we’re here to take a fond look back at a truly impressive career and rank all Tom Cruise movies.

Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) 97%

Top Gun: Maverick (2022) 96%

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) 96%

Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation (2015) 94%

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) 93%

Risky Business (1983) 92%

Edge of Tomorrow (2014) 91%

Minority Report (2002) 89%

Rain Man (1988) 88%

The Color of Money (1986) 88%

Collateral (2004) 86%

Born on the Fourth of July (1989) 84%

American Made (2017) 85%

A Few Good Men (1992) 84%

Jerry Maguire (1996) 84%

Magnolia (1999) 82%

Tropic Thunder (2008) 82%

Eyes Wide Shut (1999) 75%

The Firm (1993) 76%

War of the Worlds (2005) 76%

Mission: Impossible III (2006) 71%

The Outsiders (1983) 70%

Taps (1981) 68%

Mission: Impossible (1996) 66%

The Last Samurai (2003) 66%

Interview With the Vampire (1994) 63%

Jack Reacher (2012) 64%

All the Right Moves (1983) 61%

Valkyrie (2008) 62%

Top Gun (1986) 57%

Mission: Impossible II (2000) 56%

Oblivion (2013) 54%

Knight and Day (2010) 52%

Far and Away (1992) 50%

Vanilla Sky (2001) 43%

Rock of Ages (2012) 42%

Legend (1985) 41%

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016) 38%

Days of Thunder (1990) 38%

Lions for Lambs (2007) 27%

Losin' It (1982) 18%

The Mummy (2017) 15%

Cocktail (1988) 9%

More Countdown

Kevin Costner’s Best Movies and Shows Ranked by Tomatometer

Best Movies of 2024: Best New Movies to Watch Now

25 Most Popular TV Shows Right Now: What to Watch on Streaming

Movie & TV News

Featured on rt.

June 28, 2024

The Bear : Season 3 First Reviews: Still One of the Best Shows on TV

June 27, 2024

A Quiet Place: Day One First Reviews: A Tense, Surprisingly Tender Thriller Anchored by Fantastic Performances

The Bikeriders Director Jeff Nichols on His Filmography and How He Lucked Out with Jodie Comer and Austin Butler

Top Headlines

Kevin Costner’s Best Movies and Shows Ranked by Tomatometer –
Best Movies of 2024: Best New Movies to Watch Now –
25 Most Popular TV Shows Right Now: What to Watch on Streaming –
30 Most Popular Movies Right Now: What to Watch In Theaters and Streaming –
All 73 Disney Animated Movies Ranked –
All Adam Sandler Movies Ranked –

an image, when javascript is unavailable

Tom Cruise’s 16 Best Performances: From ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ to ‘Magnolia’

By Clayton Davis

Clayton Davis

Senior Awards Editor

Oscars Invite 487 New Members: Lily Gladstone, Catherine O’Hara, Jessica Alba, ‘RRR’ Director S.S. Rajamouli and More 4 days ago
Gloria Calderon Kellett, Xolo Mariduena and Edward James Olmos and More Join NALIP’s 2024 Media Summit (EXCLUSIVE) 5 days ago
‘Wheel of Time’ Director Sanaa Hamri Talks Finale, Teasing ‘Rings of Power’ Season 2 and Being Open to Making ‘Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 3’ 1 week ago

With six decades around the sun, Tom Cruise still feels the need for speed and has crafted himself into one of the most successful and undeniably talented movie stars of his generation.

Variety is ranking his 15 best film performances to celebrate the actor’s 60th birthday.

With a breakthrough that started in the coming-of-age film “Risky Business” (1983), the Syracuse, N.Y.-born actor became a darling of Hollywood and consumer audiences around the world. As Joseph Kosinski’s “Top Gun: Maverick” still goes strong, making more than half a billion dollars domestically, Cruise has continued to etch himself into the cultural zeitgeist, crossing multiple generations.

Also a producer, Cruise has continued to elevate the entertainment medium with the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, which began in 1995. With five very successful sequels and two more on the way, he continues to push the boundaries for himself as a fearless stuntman and an advocate for the silver screen.

A career that only the most daring actors and creatives can dream of, Cruise has worked alongside two best actor winners — Paul Newman (“The Color of Money”) and Dustin Hoffman (“Rain Man”) — and has earned himself three Oscar nominations in “Born on the Fourth of July” (1989), “Jerry Maguire” (1996) and “Magnolia” (1999). But it hasn’t been about the accolades for Cruise. In May 2021, he returned his three Golden Globe Awards after the expose on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s lack of diversity, specifically no Black members.

Cruise’s films have grossed over $10 billion dollars worldwide and there are no signs of slowing down. Will he ever win a coveted Oscar? That remains to be seen, but the narrative is there if the Academy rewards an upcoming project.

Read Variety’s list of Tom Cruise’s best performances below:

Honorable mentions : “Far and Away” (1992); “The Last Samurai” (2003); “Rock of Ages” (2012)

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

EDGE OF TOMORROW, Tom Cruise, 2014. ph: David James/©Warner Bros. Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection

Role: Major William Cage

Director: Doug Liman Writers: Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth Distributor: Warner Bros.

The scene that proves it: Getting the device from Brigham

Kicking ass, taking names, then rinse and repeat. A military major goes through a “Groundhog Day” loop but it’s Cruise that ensures it’s not a gimmick, slithering into each scene with charm, raw magnetism and wonderful chemistry with an awards-worthy Emily Blunt. The science-fiction drama has been all too undervalued. Doug Liman’s thriller shows more than special effects and explosions. It also presents capable and talented stars at the helm, which makes all the difference.

Risky Business (1983)

RISKY BUSINESS, Tom Cruise, 1983, © Warner Brothers/courtesy Everett Collection

Role: Joel Goodson

Director: Paul Brickman Writer: Paul Brickman Distributor: Warner Bros.

The scene that proves it: Dancing to “Old Time Rock & Roll”

All it took was a button-down shirt, briefs and a Bob Seger track to make Tom Cruise one of the defining movie stars of his generation. In Paul Brickman’s directorial debut, Cruise’s turn in the teen comedy was as culturally massive as it was monetarily successful. With lots of praise also going to his co-star Rebecca DeMornay, this is just as enjoyable as any film that ranks in the listing.

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Role : Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell

Director : Joseph Kosinski

Writers : Peter Craig, Justin Marks, Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, Christopher McQuarrie (based on characters created by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr.)

Distributor : Paramount Pictures

The scene that proves it : “Maverick’s Test Run”

Cruise’s 80s high-flying sequel feels like it saved the movies. His return to “Maverick,” his beloved character has showmanship, charisma and the ability to shoot down planes with the enemy’s plane. Having great chemistry with his co-stars, particularly Miles Teller and Jennifer Connelly, Cruise is only getting better as he gets older.

Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)

Role: Lestat de Lioncourt

Director: Neil Jordan Writer: Anne Rice (based on “Interview with the Vampire” by Anne Rice) Distributor: Warner Bros.

The scene that proves it: “Claudia, you’ve been a very, naughty little girl.”

As the sinister and entrancing Lestat, Cruise hypnotized the audience with his soft-spoken flirtations with the living while persuading them to join the undead. Alongside memorable turns from Brad Pitt and a young Kirsten Dunst, Neil Jordan’s horror adaptation of the Anne Rice novel is still a popular selection.

The Firm (1993)

THE FIRM, From left: Jean Tripplehorn, Tom Cruise, 1993. © Paramount Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection

Role: Mitch McDeere

Director: Sydney Pollack Writers: David Rabe, Robert Towne, David Rayfiel (based on “The Firm” by John Grisham) Distributor: Paramount Pictures

The scene that proves it: “Did you ever think I would make a six-figure salary?”

Sydney Pollack’s invigorating legal thriller boasts an all-star cast and a dynamic Cruise as lawyer Mitch McDeere. While also featuring my personal favorite Tom Cruise signature run as he chases down his movie wife Jeanne Tripplehorn, the adaptation of the John Grisham novel was a box office success and even pulled in an acting nom for his co-star Holly Hunter.

Mission: Impossible (1995)

Role: Ethan Hunt

Director: Brian De Palma Writers: David Koepp, Robert Towne, Steven Zaillian (based on “Mission: Impossible” by Bruce Geller) Distributor: Paramount Pictures

The scene that proves it: “You’ve never seen me upset.”

The spy thriller from Brian De Palma still holds up almost 30 years later. Likewise, the action franchise that’s still going (with two more films on the way) keeps on delivering, thanks to Tom Cruise.

The cinematic remake of the classic television series has spawned multiple territories, generating massive revenue and showing Cruise’s defining action star beats, jaw-dropping stunts and magical smiles that have a way with the ladies as Ethan Hunt.

Keep dropping from those ceilings, Tom.

Rain Man (1988)

Role: Charlie Babbitt

Director: Barry Levinson Writers: Barry Morrow, Ronald Bass Distributor: MGM/UA

The scene that proves it: “You’re the Rain Man?”

The best picture winner of his arsenal, alongside an Oscar-winning turn from Dustin Hoffman, the film stands as one that hindsight has allowed us to rediscover as one of the bright spots of his filmography. If only Oscar were willing to recognize two leading actors as they did earlier that decade with “Amadeus.” Cruise would have made a fine addition.

Collateral (2004)

COLLATERAL, Tom Cruise, 2004, (c) DreamWorks/courtesy Everett Collection

Role: Vincent

Director: Michael Mann Writer: Stuart Beattie Distributor: DreamWorks Pictures

The scene that proves it: Searching in the club.

At best a co-lead to Jamie Foxx (who was nominated for best supporting actor in one of the most recent cases of category fraud), Cruise’s silver fox Vincent in Michael Mann’s thriller is an underrated delivery. He sends chills down the spine, moving like a shark through a club and listening to his prey with a mischievous grin. He keeps us at the edge of our seats, before finally allowing us to exhale by the end of the credits.

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Role: Bill Harford

Director: Stanley Kubrick Writers: Stanley Kubrick, Frederic Raphael (based on “Traumnovelle” by Arthur Schnitzler) Distributor: Warner Bros.

The scene that proves it: Listening to the story about Cape Cod.

Under the thumb of Stanley Kubrick and his final outing with his then-wife, Nicole Kidman, Cruise dives into the erotic drama that feels among the actor’s bravest character outings. Marking the last directorial outing of Kubrick, you can feel the ripple of his legacy hanging on the words of each of Cruise and Kidman’s interactions or in the defined stare as one pours their heart out to another.

Top Gun (1986)

Director : Tony Scott

Writers : Jim Cash, Jack Epps Jr. (based on “Top Guns” by Ehud Yonay

The scene that proves it : Tossing Goose’s dog tags.

Cruise feels the need… the need for speed in Tony Scott’s pulse-pounding action flick — a cemented classic in the 1980s. His undeniable charisma led to the following post-release and now has the global cinematic world taking in its sequel “Maverick” to more than half a billion dollars. There’s always been something about Maverick tossing Goose’s (Anthony Edwards) dog tags overboard following his death that always struck a chord.

Tropic Thunder (2008)

Role: Les Grossman

Director: Ben Stiller Writers: Justin Theroux, Ben Stiller, Etan Cohen Distributor: Paramount Pictures / DreamWorks Pictures

The scene that proves it: “G5”

It’s a transformation of epic proportions in Ben Stiller’s classic comedy. While Robert Downey Jr. received the lion’s share of praise, earning an Oscar nom for supporting actor, Cruise could only muster a Golden Globe nom for his turn as Hollywood producer Les Grossman. Screaming one-liners and a dance finale that still makes the world chuckle, it stands as his single best comedic outing.

Jerry Maguire (1996)

Editorial use only. No book cover usage.Mandatory Credit: Photo by Columbia Tri Star/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock (5884614x)Tom CruiseJerry Maguire - 1996Director: Cameron CroweColumbia Tri StarUSAScene StillComedy/KBLDRAMA

Role: Jerry Maguire

Director: Cameron Crowe Writer: Cameron Crowe Distributor: Sony Pictures

The scene that proves it: “You complete me.”

Writer and director Cameron Crowe pulled a movie star performance out of Tom Cruise for his sports agent dramedy. As the titular character, he lights up the screen with his Oscar-winning co-star Cuba Gooding Jr. and the Oscar-snubbed Renée Zellweger in a finale that had people quoting it for decades. And let’s not forget “Show me the money” and its stapled place in movie history.

A Few Good Men (1992)

Role: Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee

Director: Rob Reiner Writer: Aaron Sorkin (based on “A Few Good Men” by Aaron Sorkin) Distributor: Columbia Pictures

The scene that proves it: “I want the truth…”

Cruise is entitled to answers in Rob Reiner’s courtroom drama, maneuvering prominent personalities and moments alongside Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore and Kevin Pollack. Although nominated for best picture, Cruise’s work was passed over in lead actor. His defender of marines standing trial, under the words of Aaron Sorkin and one of his finest writing efforts, Cruise soars to new heights.

Minority Report (2002)

Role: John Anderton

Director: Steven Spielberg Writers: Scott Frank, Jon Cohen (based on “The Minority Report” by Philip K. Dick) Distributor: 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios)

The scene that proves it: Listening to Abigail about Sean’s life.

It’s a quiet and commanding standout in Cruise’s filmography when looking back on Cruise’s work in Steven Spielberg’s futuristic drama. However, as John Anderton, a police officer trying to clear his name for a murder he has yet to commit, it’s Cruise’s precise choice of listening to Abigail (played by a magnificent Samantha Morton) that breaks the heart in two.

Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY, Tom Cruise, 1989. ©Universal/courtesy Everett Collection

Role: Ron Kovic

Director: Oliver Stone Writers: Oliver Stone, Ron Kovic (based on “Born on the Fourth of July” by Kovic) Distributor: Universal Pictures

The scene that proves it: “I love America.”

Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone introduced what Cruise could achieve beyond sliding floors and jet planes. His Vietnam veteran spans years, with each chapter feeling authentic and layered. The film was nominated for best picture and earned Cruise his first Oscar nom for best actor.

Magnolia (1999)

MAGNOLIA, Tom Cruise, Jason Robards Jr., 1999

Role: Frank T.J. Mackey

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson Writer: Paul Thomas Anderson Distributor: New Line Cinema

The scene that proves it: “I hate you.”

Pouring in every ounce of himself, Cruise’s Oscar-nominated performance is (currently) the last time he’s been recognized by the Academy, and it stands as his finest hour in Paul Thomas Anderson’s mosaic drama. Full of life, energy and heartache, he invites the viewer on the journey, fearless in his interpretation and perfect in his execution.

More from Variety

Edward norton’s challenging new role could put him in tv’s battle for advertising dollars, the state of generative ai in hollywood: a special report, new bundles point to broadband’s growing power in svod packaging, more from our brands, janelle monáe is back from the future and ready to play, rimac is launching a self-driving ride-share service. here’s what we know., lebron opts out but plans to re-sign with lakers, per report, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, greenleaf mvp lynn whitfield shares a discouraging spinoff update: ‘but keep our fingers crossed’, verify it's you, please log in.

Tom Cruise Movies, Ranked From Worst to Best

He's more than a guy who looks good in Ray-Bans and runs a lot.

preview for The Top 10 Stunts From The 'Mission Impossible' Franchise

A movie so bad, it was the first and last entry in Universal’s planned monster movie cinematic universe.

Rock of Ages

Performance, Rock concert, Concert, Performing arts, Event, Stage, Public event, Music venue, Metal, Musician,

Amazon Hulu

In this extremely unfortunate musical about ‘80s hair metal, Tom Cruise plays a karaoke version of a rock and roll god named Stacee Jaxx.

Fun, Adaptation, Event, Night, Drink, Smile,

Amazon Tubi

Released the same year as Risky Business , Tom Cruise plays the hunk in this high school sex comedy that time forgot. Get it? They’re "losin’ it"—as in their virginity.

Endless Love

Barechested, Abdomen, Chest, Muscle, Thigh, Leg, Fun, Summer, Trunk, Arm,

In his first on-screen appearance, Tom Cruise is some random shirtless kid in Daisy Dukes bragging about being a pyromaniac.

Lions for Lambs

White-collar worker, Suit, Photography, Businessperson, Employment, Window, Job,

Nearly a decade before Trump coined the term “Fake News,” Tom Cruise plays a morally corrupt senator making a presidential bid by planting a story through a journalist played by Meryl Streep. In the end, this pretentious and convoluted plot says very little about its moving parts.

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back

Hand, Arm, Technology, Finger, Room, Gesture, Art, Media, Vacation, Interior design,

Though the tagline warns to never go back, Cruise unfortunately did go back to play the titular Jack Reacher, in a sequel that plays out like dumb, less tech-savvy Mission: Impossible.

Romance, Human, Interaction, Organism, Love, Adaptation, Photography, Scene, Movie, Cg artwork,

Tom Cruise and Mia Sara try to protect the last of the unicorns from Tim Curry, who is some sort of awesome devil muppet. It’s also the only straight-up fantasy movie Cruise has ever done—and it’s pretty obvious why.

Far and Away

Romance, Interaction, Forehead, Love, Fun, Photography, Gesture, Scene,

Seven years before they co-starred in Eyes Wide Shut (and two years after their wedding), Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman played star-crossed lovers and Irish immigrants trying to make it in America.

Digital compositing, Fictional character, Cg artwork, Adventure game,

In this post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller, Cruise is a drone repairman who’s also into American sports. When he finds a group of survivors (led by Morgan Freeman), he begins to question the nature of his entire reality. As always, Cruise holds down what is otherwise a pretty clunky plot.

Soldier, Army, Military, Motor vehicle, Vehicle, Mode of transport, Troop, Off-road vehicle, Military organization, Military uniform,

YouTube Pluto TV

Tom Cruise plays a German officer with an American accent who leads a group of German soldiers with British accents in a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler during WWII. It’s based on an actual military plot that could have entered some intriguing territory, had it not settled for being average historical escapism.

Knight and Day

Gun, Firearm, Shooter game, Airsoft gun, Airsoft, Trigger, Movie, Games, Recreation, Shooting,

In this action comedy, Cruise is once again a secret agent who accidentally ropes Cameron Diaz into an international conspiracy. For all his macho spy stuff, Cruise proves in Knight and Day that he can take this hero stuff lightly too.

Mission: Impossible II

Blue, Water, Light, Fun, Photography, Liquid bubble, Glass,

Paramount+ Netflix

The worst of Cruise’s six Mission: Impossible movies, this one sees Ethan Hunt trying to stop a deadly weaponized virus that’s going to be released by terrorists. Unfortunately, director John Woo’s style didn’t quite fit with the international espionage of this franchise.

Jack Reacher

In his first of two movies playing the titular former military police-officer-turned-vigilante-drifter, Cruise’s character tries to stop a military sniper on a killing spree. Of course, Cruise also did all his own driving stunts.

The Outsiders

Social group, People, Youth, Friendship, Fun, Team, Photography, Leisure, Jeans, Family,

Coming down from the golden phase of his career, Francis Ford Coppola assembled an incredible upcoming cast for The Outsiders that included Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Matt Dillon, Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Ralph Macchio, and Diane Lane.

Vehicle, Car, Fictional character, Family car, City car,

In his second-ever onscreen role, Cruise plays David Shawn, one of the military cadets who attempt to protect their academy from being torn down for local condo developers. Pretty low stakes as far as military dramas go.

War of the Worlds

Human, Jacket, Outerwear, Beard, Facial hair, Leather, Fictional character,

In this Steven Spielberg re-imagining of the H.G. Wells novel, Cruise plays a father attempting to keep his children safe throughout an alien invasion. Though it has all the highlights of a Spielbergian sci-fi, it wasn’t quite enough to cause riots like Orson Welles’s infamous radio broadcast.

The Last Samurai

Amazon Netflix

A white savior complex brings down what is otherwise a well-acted period period piece about an American Civil War veteran sent to train a 19th century Japanese army.

Mission: Impossible III

Romance, Interaction, Love, Human, Photography, Gesture, Scene, Happy, Flash photography, Dance,

Before he was put in charge of both Star Wars and Star Trek , J.J. Abrams’s big Hollywood blockbuster movie directorial debut was at the helm of Mission: Impossible III , which saw a retired Ethan Hunt brought back in the game to stop an excellent Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Vanilla Sky

Barechested, Chest, Muscle, Human, Arm, Human body, Neck, Flesh, Photography, Trunk,

Cruise stars in this philosophical thriller as a man haunted by the specter of a former flame after becoming disfigured in a car crash. (Fun fact: Penelope Cruz plays the same character in this remake of her Spanish film, Abre los Ojos .)

Days of Thunder

Vehicle, Car, Tire, Automotive wheel system, Motorsport, Automotive tire, Compact car, Team, City car,

NASCAR moved into the mainstream thanks to this movie in which Cruise plays a promising driver hoping to making it in the big leagues.

@media(max-width: 73.75rem){.css-1ktbcds:before{margin-right:0.4375rem;color:#FF3A30;content:'_';display:inline-block;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-1ktbcds:before{margin-right:0.5625rem;color:#FF3A30;content:'_';display:inline-block;}} Movies

The 8 Best Financial Thrillers to Watch Right Now

Sitting, Suit, Furniture, Formal wear, Tuxedo, Photography, Portrait, Chair,

Every Francis Ford Coppola Movie, Ranked

How to Watch the ‘Resident Evil’ Movies in Order

Check Out Daniel Craig’s New Look for Benoit Blanc

Paul Mescal Is Getting Swole for 'Gladiator 2'

a man with his head on another man's shoulder

The 50 Best LGBTQ Movies Ever Made

The 25 Sexiest Horror Movies of All Time

The Best Sci-Fi Films of 2024 (So Far)

The Best Book-to-Film Adaptations of 2024 (So Far)

The Best True-Story Movies of 2024 (So Far)

The Best Netflix Original Movies of 2024 (So Far)

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy . We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Tom Cruise’s 20 Best Performances, from ‘Top Gun’ to ‘Mission: Impossible’ to ‘Magnolia’

Share on Facebook
Share to Flipboard
Share on LinkedIn
Show more sharing options
Submit to Reddit
Post to Tumblr
Print This Page
Share on WhatsApp

Cruise has been leveraging looks and charm, and flexing his blockbuster muscles, for decades. Going all the way back to the early 1980s, his appeal never seems to age, even at 61 years old. He’s skillfully shepherded original movies as a star and producer, never falling into the trap of IP except, of course, with the franchises that are entirely his: “Top Gun,” “Mission: Impossible,” and “Jack Reacher.” Related Stories Tom Cruise Gave June Squibb and Director Josh Margolin His Blessing for Their ‘M:I’ Homage in ‘Thelma’ Johnny Depp Almost Didn’t Audition for ‘Edward Scissorhands’ After ’21 Jump Street’: I’m Just a ‘TV Actor Guy’

While some may say that Cruise’s sculpted movie star image lacks a certain vulnerability, many of the films below showcase his gifts for dramatic acting, proving him more than just a deft maneuverer of box office and death-defying stunts — though he is, of course, all those things.

Cruise may in fact be the Last Movie Star in a time where such a nomenclature doesn’t really mean much anymore. He’s worked with smart directors — from Martin Scorsese to Steven Spielberg, Paul Thomas Anderson and Stanley Kubrick — often chasing them down himself with a wicked idea or hopes for a collaboration. He’s thrived and held his own alongside iconic movie stars in classics, from Jack Nicholson in “A Few Good Men” to Paul Newman in “The Color of Money,” and even in duds alongside the likes of Meryl Streep and Robert Redford (“Lions for Lambs,” anyone?).

As we saw from the way he stood up against COVID rule-breakers on the set of “Mission: Impossible 7,” he cares about his collaborators and the work. And with “Dead Reckoning Part One” heading to theaters this week, Cruise has a brand new chance to showcase his charisma and talent for pulling off death-defying stunts onscreen.

Samantha Bergeson, Christian Blauvelt, and Kate Erbland also contributed to this story.

“Risky Business” (1983)

RISKY BUSINESS, Rebecca De Mornay, Tom Cruise, 1983. © Warner Brothers/courtesy Everett Collection

Few actors embodied the ‘80s as a time of simultaneous repression and entitlement like Tom Cruise in “Risky Business.” Paul Brickman’s capitalist satire, with its silky Tangerine Dream score and night cinematography by Bruce Surtees and Reynaldo Villalobos worthy of a Wong Kar-Wai movie, finds Cruise’s high school senior Joel having sex with a call girl (Rebecca De Mornay) on a dare and getting entangled in her orbit until he’s running a brothel from his house. He certainly expresses both an attraction and terror about losing his virginity, but morality or prudishness about profiting from sex workers? Hardly, despite the white-collar suburban setting. That is, after all, a world of materialism, of transactions, and running a brothel out of one’s home isn’t transgressive — it’s entrepreneurship. Or “human fulfillment,” the corporate buzzword label Joel gives it.

“Top Gun” and “Top Gun: Maverick” (1986, 2022)

TOP GUN, Tom Cruise, 1986. ph: ©Paramount / courtesy Everett Collection

Tom Cruise is both a great actor and a great movie star, two jobs that often overlap but don’t necessarily have to. The first “Top Gun” is a quintessential movie star performance from Cruise, relying more on excellent vibes than challenging character work. Pete Mitchell, aka Maverick, is a brilliant but cocky pilot, and we’re occasionally reminded that he’s tortured by the death of his father. But really, the movie is an excuse for Tom Cruise to wear cool sunglasses and leather jackets while he operates cool planes and motorcycles. No shame in that game, and Cruise can do it as well as anyone. But “Top Gun: Maverick” takes those good vibes and builds on them, and an aging Cruise turns the character into something much more three-dimensional as Maverick confronts the possibility of losing the life he has grown to love. Each movie is great in its own way, but the combination of the two serves as a perfect illustration of Tom Cruise’s unique set of skills. — CZ

“The Color of Money” (1986)

THE COLOR OF MONEY, Tom Cruise, 1986, (c) Buena Vista/courtesy Everett Collection

All you need to know about Cruise’s performance as Vincent — beyond the fact that he’s the kind of character who, totally unironically, wears a T-shirt printed up with just his name in massive letters across the chest — is contained in the iconic “Werewolves of London” sequence . Vince faces off against a fierce competitor just for kicks, displaying wild cockiness, total resilience, and a major panache for pool-playing that shouldn’t surprise anyone up to snuff on his dedication to practical stunts. The actor practiced for months on end and ultimately completed nearly every one of Vince’s trick shots on his own, but that’s not even the marquee attraction here: instead, it’s Cruise’s full-force charm. “Top Gun” made the initial case, but “The Color of Money” sealed it. — KE

“Rain Man” (1988)

RAIN MAN, Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, 1988

“Born on the Fourth of July” (1989)

Based on Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic’s autobiography, “Born on the Fourth of July” starred Tom Cruise as an anti-war activist grappling with PTSD after being paralyzed in military service. Kovic’s life is depicted over the course of two decades onscreen; fellow Vietnam vet Oliver Stone co-wrote the screenplay with Kovic and directed the Oscar-winning film. Despite Al Pacino originally being attached to the lead role, Cruise carved out his iconic performance and received his first Academy Award nomination. Stone went on to win for Best Director, with the film also taking home Best Editing.

“Days of Thunder” (1990)

DAYS OF THUNDER, Tom Cruise, 1990, (c) Paramount/courtesy Everett Collection

A sweat-soaked hotshot with a devil-may-care attitude and a taste for speed, danger, and zero gets handed a plum assignment that feeds all those desires and more. His love interest is smarter than him (and knows it). He rubs everyone the wrong way (including the similarly hotshot-y dudes also jockeying for a spot). He begrudgingly accepts a stately mentor. His unlikely best pal is grievously injured while on the clock. The soundtrack is a banger. Tony Scott directs.

No, this isn’t “Top Gun” — it’s the racecar drama “Days of Thunder,” which vroomed into theaters four years after the high-flying aviation hit, packed to the goddamn gills with the same elements that made the previous entry such a heart-pounder. As Cole Trickle, Cruise captures the same bravado and ballsy attitude as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, but in a decidedly earth-bound conveyance.

“A Few Good Men” (1992)

A FEW GOOD MEN, Tom Cruise, 1992, (c) Columbia/courtesy Everett Collection

“The Firm” meets “Top Gun” is probably the simplest way to explain Aaron Sorkin’s complicated legal drama starring Tom Cruise and directed for the screen by Rob Reiner.

Cruise plays Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee, a military attorney who is assigned a murder case involving three Marines. Demi Moore is Kaffee’s fellow lawyer Lieutenant Commander JoAnne Galloway who questions Kaffee’s motives and approach to the case.

The duo question officers at Guantanamo Bay as they uncover a conspiracy involving corrupt witness accounts and bogus testimony.

Jack Nicholson stars as Colonel Nathan Jessup, who defends the practices of his Marine unit, and Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland, Noah Wyle, and Cuba Gooding Jr. round out the ensemble cast.

The film was applauded by critics upon release in 1992, with its acclaim marking the Cruise star vehicle as the “anti-‘Top Gun.’” “A Few Good Men” was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. — SB

“The Firm” (1993)

THE FIRM, Tom Cruise, 1993. © Paramount Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection

Gene Hackman plays Mitch’s boss Avery, while Ed Harris is an FBI agent using Cruise to expose the Firm’s corrupt offshore dealings and Chicago mob ties. Mitch’s legal prowess leads him to a private investigator (Gary Busey) and an ingenious secretary (Holly Hunter, who landed an Oscar nomination for the role) but leaves countless bodies in his wake. The cat and mouse thriller is anchored by Cruise’s signature smile and innate ability to build tension through his typically fierce determination to prove the truth. Call it Cruise’s good guy version of “American Psycho,” if you will, because you’ll never look at a lawyer the same way again. — SB

“Interview With the Vampire” (1994)

Editorial use only. No book cover usage.Mandatory Credit: Photo by Francois Duhamel/Geffen/Kobal/Shutterstock (5883818w)Tom Cruise, Brad PittInterview With The Vampire - 1994Director: Neil JordanGeffen PicturesUSAScene StillHorrorEntretien avec un vampire

“Mission: Impossible” (1996 and onward)

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, Tom Cruise, 1996. © Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection

Tom Cruise seamlessly shifted into the action star status era of his career with 1996’s “Mission: Impossible.” Based on the action spy series of the same name, the film franchise has endured over 25 years of billion-dollar profits to date. Cruise transformed into charismatic CIA agent Ethan Hunt who leads the Impossible Missions Force. Brian De Palma directed the first film, originally with Cruise set to reteam with “The Firm” filmmaker Sydney Pollack before De Palma took over.

“Jerry Maguire” (1996)

For years, conceiving a great Tom Cruise role was as simple as coming up with a cool job that lots of men wanted. Fighter pilot? Check. Pool hustler? Cruise played one. Hot bartender? Ditto. So it was almost inevitable that he would play a sports agent at some point, and Cameron Crowe gave him a beautiful vehicle to do just that in “Jerry Maguire.” While the idea of a rom-com set in the world of sports may be the greatest marketing ploy of all time, the endlessly quotable film is elevated by a thoughtful script and great performances from Cuba Gooding Jr. and Renee Zellweger. But it’s Cruise’s singular charm that ties the movie together, seamlessly alternating between alpha-male swagger and sentimental romance without ever missing a beat. It’s the kind of performance that reminds cinephiles what a real movie star is. — CZ

“Eyes Wide Shut” (1999)

EYES WIDE SHUT, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, 1999

Kubrick stops short of stripping him down to that degree, but the filmmaker disarms Cruise into giving one of his most exposed turns. (Recall an earlier scene in the film, when a marauding pack of frat boys flings gay slurs at Dr. Bill, a moment that calls the character’s, and by extension the actor’s, masculinity into question.) When the masquerade is over, and he finally heads back to a sleeping Alice, only to see the Venetian mask he wore to the orgy displayed on the pillow next to her, he breaks down. “I’ll tell you everything,” he weeps. Kubrick doesn’t show what happens then, instead cutting to an emptied-out Alice smoking blankly, having now absorbed his confession. No matter, as Cruise’s sometimes arch but inevitably denuded performance up to here tells us what we need to know about this offscreen moment. And then, of course, there’s that one thing Bill and Alice need to do as soon as possible. — RL

“Magnolia” (1999)

Cruise had jitters over taking on the role of Frank T.J. Mackey in Anderson’s sprawling San Fernando Valley love letter “Magnolia,” and that’s unsurprising given the leaps he takes. (And singing Aimee Mann’s “Wise Up” in-camera? How’s that for vulnerability.) The character, a motivational speaker peddling misogynistic pickup tips with wildly slung onstage maxims like “respect the cock” and “tame the cunt,” is all sorts of unpleasant. He’s viciously guarded toward a broadcast journalist interrogating his toxic male persona, preening and jumping around in his underwear in a moment that might anticipate the real actor’s eventual “Oprah” onstage meltdown. Frank dodges questions about his estranged, ailing father (Jason Robards), obviously hiding volcanic levels of trauma. But in a movie where “we may be through with the past, but the past ain’t through with us,” Frank ultimately has to pay his tab. Cruise scored a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination most certainly for a cathartic deathbed breakdown in the movie’s operatic climax, clinging to his cancer-riddled father’s last rattle of life and watching redemption slip away. It’s the most moving single-scene performance of Cruise’s career. — RL

“Vanilla Sky” (2001)

Despite the movie’s constantly shifting timeline, Cruise conveys a compelling and coherent emotional arc, whether withdrawing into depression or huffing the fumes of his megalomania. With “Magnolia” and “Eyes Wide Shut” before it, “Vanilla Sky” capped a period of Cruise opening himself up emotionally to audiences. No other actor could better sell the wincingly cheesy line, with David tipping over a Manhattan high-rise ledge at the end (or beginning?) of his life, “I’ll see you in another life when we are both cats.” — RL

“Minority Report” (2002)

MINORITY REPORT, Samantha Morton, Tom Cruise, 2002. TM and Copyright © 20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved. Courtesy: Everett Collection.

“Collateral” (2004)

When Tom Cruise gives that unblinking, intense eye contact — come on, you know you’ve seen it in interviews as well as in movies — you can either think this is the most committed, fully realized performer (or, maybe, human?) in existence, or that he’s an “American Psycho” type come to life. So of course he had to play a serial killer at least once. Not just any serial killer, though. One who is a professional and demonstrates the level of professionalism Cruise brings to everything he does himself. His Vincent in Michael Mann’s “Collateral” is meticulous, and he comes up with a unique plan. He’ll hire an ordinary Los Angeles cabbie, Max (Jamie Foxx), to drive him around the City of Angels to carry out his hits in the course of one night. Cruise has been able to do something the past couple of decades that few others have managed: to make action thrillers that are also character studies, and “Collateral” is the ne plus ultra of that combination. His character’s shock of silver hair notwithstanding, this unexpectedly haunting movie is pure gold. — CB

“War of the Worlds” (2005)

WAR OF THE WORLDS, Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, 2005, (c) Paramount/courtesy Everett Collection

“Tropic Thunder” (2008)

Tom Cruise may have spent much of the 21st century cementing his status as the world’s greatest action star, but his surprise cameo in “Tropic Thunder” proved he can do comedy with the best of them. Cruise donned a fat suit and prosthetics to play studio executive Les Grossman, delivering a masterclass in the creative use of profanity (in addition to some legendary dancing to Flo Rida). Considering how carefully Cruise guards his image, seeing the movie star randomly pop up in a comedy and cut loose with an unhinged performance is a singular cinematic treat. — CZ

“Oblivion” (2013)

OBLIVION, from left: Olga Kurylenko, Tom Cruise, 2013. /©Universal Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection

“Edge of Tomorrow” (2014)

Part of what makes Cruise such a good movie star is that he helps the cast around him shine. As larger-than-life as he can be, he’s also a generous scene partner who builds wonderful dynamics with his co-stars (see how good he and Rebecca Ferguson are playing off each other in the “Mission: Impossible” movies for proof). One of the clearest cases of this is “Edge of Tomorrow,” the highly underrated action film he headlined in 2014. Playing a public relations officer in a future where humanity is at war with alien “mimics,” Cruise is a blast. He’s cast slightly against type as a clueless wimp in over his head; especially after he gets stuck in a time loop where he repeats the same 24 hours after being killed in combat. But the best performance in the film is from Emily Blunt as the seasoned veteran he allies with, and Cruise is more than happy to give her the spotlight she deserves, while still delivering sparky chemistry. –WC

Most Popular

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter

site categories

Tom cruise speeds off a cliff in ‘mission: impossible – dead reckoning: part one’ trailer.

The seventh installment in the billion-dollar action-spy franchise returns familiar faces and sets Ethan Hunt (Cruise) up for more high-octane stunts.

By Jackie Strause

Jackie Strause

Managing Editor, East Coast

Share on Facebook
Share to Flipboard
Send an Email
Show additional share options
Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest
Share on Reddit
Share on Tumblr
Share on Whats App
Print the Article
Post a Comment

Ethan Hunt’s next mission is going to cost him dearly.

The new trailer for Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning: Part On e reveals more of what Tom Cruise has in store when he returns to the IMF agent role he originated in 1996.

THR Newsletters

More from The Hollywood Reporter

‘big daddy’ turns 25: how adam sandler proved his star power with the comedy hit, amazon prime video’s new releases coming in july 2024, what ‘a sacrifice’ director jordan scott learned from father sir ridley, ‘trans memoria’ director victoria verseau on how the film “saved me” and everyone is in “transition”, kevin costner’s moment of truth: with ‘horizon,’ has the gambler’s luck finally run out, kevin costner says he makes “movies for men” but always strives to include “strong women characters”.

32 of Tom Cruise's greatest movie moments

The undisputed action legend boasts an incredible decades-spanning career

Whether he’s scaling a building or producing Oscar-nominated performances, there’s no denying that Tom Cruise is a Hollywood legend. It’s been that way since his early work in Risky Business and Top Gun cemented him as a leading man, before his performance as everyone’s favorite IMF agent in the Mission: Impossible movies confirmed him as the go-to action man.

Born in Syracuse, New York, Cruise first started acting at the age of 18, landing bit parts in Endless Love and Taps before making it big time in The Outsiders. Over the years since, he’s broken countless box office records for his leading roles, as well as earning his fair share of acting accolades from his peers. It doesn’t matter what the movie is, if Cruise is making an appearance, it’s sure to be memorable.

While he’s often known for his risky stunts that have seen him defying gravity and the laws of physics, there have also been countless powerful performances in his filmography too. As you might imagine with such a lengthy and impressive career, he's also had his fair share of iconic scenes as well. So in celebration of a Hollywood career like no other, here are the 32 greatest Tom Cruise movie moments.

32. The Color of Money: "Doom"

The Martin Scorsese-directed The Color of Money may have been one of Tom Cruise’s earlier movies, but it still contains some of his most iconic moments. Starring the actor as Vincent Lauria, a young hotshot pool player, it’s a sequel to The Hustler that sees Paul Newman reprise his role as 'Fast Eddie' Felson. Cruise nails the youthful energy and charisma of Vincent, a man in complete control of his powers. At one point, when he encounters a new opponent, he whips out a custom cue case at a pool hall. "What do you have in there?" they ask him, as Vincent grins and quips back, "Here? Doom." Effortlessly cool, it's one for the Cruise quotes book. Fun fact, too, this is such a memorable quote that it even inspired the name of first-person shooter game Doom.

31. Mission: Impossible 2: Motorcycle chase

Mission: Impossible 2 ’s most pulse-thumping scene comes during its motorcycle chase. Tom Cruise’s IMF agent Ethan Hunt is on the run after capturing the only antidote to the Chimera virus from rogue agent Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott). Jumping on a nearby Triumph motorcycle to make his escape, the high-octane chase scene is incredible and features fake-out masks, explosions, and helicopters. It’s one of Cruise’s most memorable action scenes, and of course, the actor did most of it himself too.

30. Legend: Jack destroys Darkness

Ridley Scott’s 1985 movie Legend is a hidden gem in Tom Cruise’s filmography. Extremely dark, weird, and atmospheric, the movie is one of the few times Cruise really embraced fantasy filmmaking. He plays 'man of the forest' Jack, whose romance with Princess Lili has a chilling effect when the Lord of Darkness plots to use their relationship to send the world into eternal night. After kidnapping Lili and luring her into his nefarious ways, Tim Curry’s devil-like Darkness is confronted by Jack in this memorable final fight. Showering him with sunlight, Jack sends him off into the void before awakening back in the forest.

29. Running in any movie

Any Tom Cruise fan will know, the actor loves to run. Endless compilations of the star running in his movies can be found on YouTube as he heads on a sprint in almost every movie he stars in. From Minority Report to War of the Worlds, there have been a lot of great Cruise runs, but probably the best comes in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol when IMF agent Ethan Hunt runs away from a sandstorm. Capturing the iconic gait of Cruise’s run from a low angle, he sprints through Dubai while barely breaking a sweat.

Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox

28. Valkyrie: The plan explained

The 2008 thriller Valkyrie sees Tom Cruise play real-life historical figure Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, who was one of the men who plotted to assassinate Adolf Hitler in 1944. It is one of the actor’s most heavily researched roles, with Cruise having worked for eight months before filming began to nail the characterization, which included wearing an eyepatch throughout. But it’s a scene towards the end that really stands out as one of the most memorable moments of Cruise’s career. After the plan has been foiled, General Fromm (Tom Wilkinson) sentences all of the plotters to be executed before his involvement can be revealed. Cruise's Colonel fires back a chilling, and simple, warning: "No one will be spared."

27. Rock of Ages: Stacee’s performance

Rock of Ages sees Tom Cruise channel his inner rock star in the ensemble musical. Playing the Axl Rose homage, Stacee Jaxx, his most memorable moment comes when he performs "Pour Some Sugar on Me" on stage to rapturous applause. It’s an impressive feat, and one Cruise rehearsed for hours each day to get right. What’s more, it’s one of his boldest performances, taking him right out of his comfort zone and allowing audiences to see a new shade to the star's talents. Action hero, awards-bait, and rock star – Cruise is no one-trick pony.

26. Edge of Tomorrow: The exosuits

Edge of Tomorrow features a lot of incredible Tom Cruise stunts, but undoubtedly the best come when his character William Cage is donning the exoskeleton suit. Described as one-man tanks, they protect the soldiers in battle and, of course, Cruise didn’t want to resort to CGI for them. Instead, he, Emily Blunt, and the other stars of the film wore very real and very heavy suits for all of their stunts. This makes all of the scenes of Cage and Blunt’s Rita Vrataski running through explosions all the more impressive. Fun fact, the 90-pound suits were actually designed by the same person who made the Batman suits.

25. Jerry Maguire: "You had me at hello"

Tom Cruise shows off his romantic comedy chops as a struggling sports agent in Jerry Maguire . He plays a man desperate to do things his own way after being fired for gaining a conscience while working at a cutthroat agency. But at the heart of the drama is a love story with Renée Zellweger’s Dorothy Boyd, who he makes a tearful confession of love to near the end of the movie. "You complete me," he tells her, before she replies the endlessly quotable response: "Just shut up, you had me at hello." It’s undoubtedly one of the most romantic scenes of Cruise’s career.

24. Magnolia: "Tame It" speech

Tom Cruise played a memorable part in Paul Thomas Anderson’s kaleidoscopic Magnolia as Frank T.J. Mackey, a crass motivational speaker. He’s in his element as the misogynistic pick-up artist, which we see glimpses of throughout the movie. The best of these is his "tame it" speech to a group of like-minded misanthropists as he tells them to take what they feel they deserve. In a cast filled with stars like Philip Seymour Hoffman and Julianne Moore, Cruise gives it all in a performance that really asks him to go there .

23. Austin Powers cameo

For someone who’s had a lot of serious roles, Tom Cruise isn’t afraid of a little silliness on screen either. A great example of this is his cameo in Austin Powers in Goldmember , where he plays the British agent in a biopic of himself. His cameo in the movie-within-the-movie may only be brief, but Cruise nails his mannerisms and looks pretty spot-on in the iconic get-up. Skydiving into a moving car is a pretty Cruise-level move too, making this parody even more perfect. "Yeah, baby," indeed.

22. Jack Reacher: "Two things are going to happen"

Marking the classic book-based action hero’s on-screen debut, Tom Cruise played the brutally effective Jack Reacher in two movies. The second, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, contains the perfect encapsulation of why Cruise was the right man to play the nomad killing machine, despite their physical differences. This comes in the diner scene. "Two things are gonna happen in the next 90 seconds," he warns the sheriff who’s arrested him, "First, that phone over there is going to ring; second, you’re going to be wearing these cuffs on your way to prison." Reacher is a man of few words, but when Cruise delivers these taciturn and furious ones, he looms way beyond his stature to put the naysayers of his casting to rest.

21. Rain Man: The bathroom scene

While Rain Man contains a lot of incredible moments, it’s the scene when Tom Cruise’s Charlie Babbitt finds out the truth of how his brother left that secures itself as one of the actor’s best on-screen moments. "You’re the rain man," he says to Dustin Hoffman’s Raymond "Ray" Babbitt in the bathroom as he discovers that someone he thought was his imaginary childhood friend was actually his brother all along. Hoffman deservedly received a lot of acclaim for his performance in Rain Man, but watching Cruise work through his emotions as he discovers Ray actually lived with him before being sent away is hugely emotional, and marks one of the most nuanced performances of his career.

20. War of the Worlds: The aliens arrive

Tom Cruise has starred in plenty of sci-fi movies, but War of the Worlds contains one of his most chilling on-screen moments. The Steven Spielberg-directed adaptation takes Cruise’s character Ray Ferrier’s perspective as the chaos of an alien invasion begins. Playing with ominous sounds and smoke as Ray tries desperately to find safety as destruction happens around him, the audience is thrown right into the chaos. This all makes the moment when the towering Martian tripods emerge from the surface of the Earth all the more terrifying and sets the stakes for the rest of the film.

19. Knight and Day: Motorcycle chase

Tom Cruise’s career has been marked by several motorcycle scenes, but one of the best actually comes in the romantic action comedy Knight and Day. The tongue-in-cheek satire sees Cruise playing a secret agent called Roy Miller, who is on the run from the CIA when he meets Cameron Diaz’s June Havens. After becoming caught up in each other's lives, towards the third act of the film, the pair ride through Seville during a bullfighting ceremony. Navigating bulls storming the streets and bad guys in pursuit, it’s one of the most impressive chase scenes of Cruise’s career.

18. Eyes Wide Shut: Ritual scene

Tom Cruise has worked with plenty of incredible directors over his career, and Eyes Wide Shut is no different as he collaborates with Stanley Kubrick. The most memorable moment comes during the ritual scene as Cruise’s Dr. Bill infiltrates a cabal of New York’s elite, all wearing masks. It’s deeply unsettling, takes several chillingly dark turns, and is considered by some to be one of the most disturbing scenes of Cruise’s career.

17. Born on the Fourth of July: "I love America"

Tom Cruise’s performance as Ron Kovic in Oliver Stone’s Born on the Fourth of July is one for the ages. He plays the real-life anti-war activist over decades of his life through his military service and paralysis in the Vietnam War. It’s a portrayal full of great nuance, but it’s the "I love America" speech that stands out as one of its most powerful moments. At a rally against the war, as Richard Nixon accepts the presidential nomination, Ron is cornered by a reporter asking what he wants to say to these people. "People say if you don’t love America, then get the hell out. Well, I love America," he says as he criticizes the government’s decision to continue the war before he’s dragged away by Nixon’s supporters. The performance landed Cruise a Best Actor nomination at the Academy Awards too.

16. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation: The plane

Tom Cruise's stunts don’t get much bigger than his plane scene in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation . Playing IMF agent Ethan Hunt, the sequence sees him hanging onto the side of an Airbus A400M as it takes off, before flying to 1,000 feet at high speed. And yes, of course, Cruise actually did the stunt himself with just a wire attached to the side of the plane and special contacts to protect his eyes. Another amazing fact about this moment too is that Cruise didn’t just perform the stunt once, he did it eight times.

15. Tropic Thunder: The call

It’s always fun to see Tom Cruise not taking himself too seriously, and his role in the satire Tropic Thunder is just that. He plays ill-tempered studio executive Les Grossman who’s financing the war film. Sporting prosthetics that make him almost unrecognizable, his best moment is the profanity-filled call to the Flaming Dragon. It all ends with a mic-drop moment as he chucks the mobile over his shoulder to Matthew McConaughey’s Rick, who has watched the whole exchange in awe. Robert Downey Jr.’s performance in the film may have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars, but Cruise’s performance remains one of the most memorable parts of the 2008 comedy.

14. The Last Samurai: "Tell me how he died"

Tom Cruise’s period epic The Last Samurai sees him play military veteran Nathan Algren who befriends samurai Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe) after he decides to spare him. Over the course of the film, the pair develop a bond as Algren is trained in the ways of Japanese swordsmanship. This all leads to the movie’s most poignant moment after Katsumoto has been killed, as Algren presents his sword to Emperor Meiji. "Tell me how he died," the ruler asks, to which Algren emotionally replies, "I will tell you how he lived." The subtext here is pretty clear: do not forget the ways of traditions of the samurai as Japan modernizes.

13. A Few Good Men: "Truth" speech

A Few Good Men’s 'truth' speech contains one of the most quotable lines in movie history, and while it’s not Tom Cruise himself who utters those iconic words, he’s a central part of what makes the scene so electric. The 1992 Rob Reiner-directed drama follows a trial of two U.S. Marines charged with the murder of a fellow Marine. Cruise’s Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee is the scrappy lawyer defending them as the situation comes to a head when he faces off against Jack Nicholson’s Colonel Nathan R. Jessep in the courtroom, pushing him on his involvement in the crime.

"I want the truth," Kaffee bellows, before Jessep erupts, "You can’t handle the truth." Scripted by none other than Aaron Sorkin, it’s considered one of the best scenes in cinematic history, and for good reason too, as it marks one of Cruise’s most powerful performances as he goes toe-to-toe with Nicholson.

12. Top Gun: The volleyball scene

If you think of Top Gun, probably the first scene you’ll think of is the volleyball scene. Yes, the drama features some epic action set pieces and plenty of romance too, but who are we kidding? Tom Cruise’s Pete "Maverick" Mitchell playing volleyball in the scorching sun to Kenny Loggins’ "Playing With the Boys" is one of the most memorable moments of 1980s cinema, and has been parodied endlessly. In fact, it’s so iconic that Cruise even included an homage in the long-awaited sequel Top Gun: Maverick too.

11. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol: The Burj Khalifa

Tom Cruise doesn’t do anything by half, and the Burj Khalifa scene in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is a great example of that. The stunt, which sees Ethan Hunt scaling the skyscraper in pursuit of Cobalt, saw Cruise really climb the tallest building in the world. All done with just a harness and no stunt double, the actor did it all himself, from running along the outside of the building to jumping between sections while helicopters filmed around him. The crew only broke 35 windows during the shoot too, which is nothing short of miraculous.

10. Jerry Maguire: "Show me the money"

Tom Cruise plays a sports agent with a conscience in the 1996 romantic comedy Jerry Maguire. After being fired for gaining some moral integrity, his character Jerry Maguire starts his own sports agency, which proves to be a little harder than he first thought. Still, he lands one superstar client in Cuba Gooding Jr.’s Rod Tidwell who he’ll do anything to keep, even shouting, "Show me the money" in a crowded office. As Tidwell urges him on, Maguire gets louder and louder until everyone is looking on. It’s one of the most quotable moments from Cruise’s career, and the actor’s whole performance was considered so iconic that he landed an Oscar nomination too.

9. Top Gun: "You’ve lost that loving feeling"

Tom Cruise has had his fair share of great needle-drop moments throughout his career, as well as never shying away from a performance. But his rendition of "You’ve Lost that Loving Feeling" in Top Gun is up there with the best. Performing off-key with his best friend Goose (Anthony Edwards), Pete "Maverick" Mitchell does his best to win over Kelly McGillis’ Charlie at the bar in this charming scene. Try and stop from beaming when the whole bar erupts into the chorus.

8. Interview With The Vampire: Lestat's final scene

"I assume I need no introduction," Tom Cruise’s vampire Lestat drawls in the final scene of Anne Rice adaptation, Interview With The Vampire. Subduing Christian Slater’s reporter before he can release Louis’ story to the world, this is the first time we meet the louche Lestat in the present day, and he certainly makes his (fang-shaped) mark. The ending is the perfect twist to the chilling drama directed by Neil Jordan, and Cruise nails his character’s menace right up to the credits crawl. It’s the small details that sell it too, from Lestat’s straightening of his shirt sleeves as he takes the wheel to his cackle as the needle drops to The Rolling Stones’ "Sympathy for the Devil." It marks a fitting curtain call to one of Cruise’s most iconic characters.

7. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1: Motorcycle jump

Never one to be topped in a stunt, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One ’s motorcycle stunt is one of the most brutal of Tom Cruise’s career. During the movie’s climactic final sequence, Ethan Hunt has to work out a way to get on a moving train. Naturally, his solution is riding his motorcycle off a cliff before parachuting down onto the top of one of the carriages. It wouldn't be a Cruise stunt if the actor didn’t do it himself either so, of course, the action man rode off a real ramp with a harness attached. Would you expect anything less?

6. Top Gun: Maverick: Flight sequence

Ever the action man, Tom Cruise made sure his return to the skies in Top Gun: Maverick came with its fair share of epic flight sequences. The most heart-stopping comes in the final sequence as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell leads the team through their near-impossible mission. Full of moments requiring incredible precision, it leaves audiences on the edge of their seats at every turn. Add to this the fact that Cruise was really up in that aircraft, and it’s undoubtedly secured its place as one of the most impressive action sequences in cinematic history.

5. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation: Underwater scene

For Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation , Tom Cruise couldn’t just perform a death-defying underwater scene as Ethan Hunt, he had to break a few records too. If you’ll recall, the IMF agent had to access an underwater secure vault through a vertical tunnel in his team’s battle against the Syndicate. Things don’t quite go to plan though (this is a Mission: Impossible movie after all) and Hunt is trapped in the currents for six minutes, rather than the planned three. However, what’s more amazing than his miraculous escape is that Cruise actually did the dive himself after learning to breathe underwater from a freediver.

4. Risky Business dance

Despite being one of Tom Cruise’s earliest films, 1983’s Risky Business looms large in the actor’s filmography. And there’s one scene in particular that stands out: Joel Goodsen’s living room dance to "Old Time Rock and Roll." Seeing the overachiever letting loose and enjoying himself, and cracking out some memorable dance moves (the slide, come on), is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. Then there’s the outfit. Spawning countless spoofs - and becoming a Halloween staple - the shirt, boxers, and socks combo is iconic. It’s no wonder Risky Business marked Cruise’s breakout Hollywood role.

3. Top Gun: Maverick: Reunited with Iceman

As well as plenty of top-notch action, Tom Cruise's big return to the screen as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell was also hugely emotional. Throughout the movie, he is still grappling with the guilt of losing his best friend all those years ago as he tries to rebuild the relationship with Goose’s son. Struggling, he turns to his old friend Tom "Iceman" Kazansky in a powerful on-screen reunion with Val Kilmer. "It’s time to let go," his former rival tells him in the powerful scene. Good luck keeping a dry eye during this one.

2. Mission: Impossible – Fallout: HALO jump scene

The Mission Impossible – Fallout HALO jump was one that was on Tom Cruise’s bucket list for a while, and he finally pulled it off in the sixth movie. Standing for High Altitude Low Open, the jump is used by military personnel to jump at 25,000 feet before opening their shoot at less than 2,000 feet. This allows them to, as Ethan Hunt does in the film, sneak into another country undetected. Cruise is actually the first actor to perform it on-screen as well, making it another record-breaking movie moment to add to his list.

1. Mission: Impossible: Langley Heist

It’s an iconic image that any action fan will know well: Tom Cruise hanging from wires to complete the Langley heist in Mission: Impossible. The nearly 20-minute-long scene sees Cruise’s IMF agent Ethan Hunt infiltrating a secure terminal in the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. Navigating a pressure-sensitive floor, a temperature-controlled environment, and an alarm that will go off if a sound louder than a whisper echoes, the tension ratchets as Hunt tries to break into the computer. While it’s not as loud and death-defying as most of the stunts in Cruise’s films, it’s no less iconic, and it cemented Mission: Impossible as the actor’s first franchise.

I’m the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for the Total Film and SFX sections online. I previously worked as a Senior Showbiz Reporter and SEO TV reporter at Express Online for three years. I've also written for The Resident magazines and Amateur Photographer, before specializing in entertainment.

5 ways the new Superman movie costume blends details from over 80 years of comic book history, all the way back to 1938's Action Comics #1

Fantastic Four star Joseph Quinn hasn't reached out to Chris Evans or Michael B. Jordan: "It’s important to claim these opportunities as your own"

After 25 years, one of the OG anime visual novels has finally hit Steam with its first official English translation

Whatever happened to the sports movie?

Once a staple of the cinematic experience, sports films have been on the decline, but some in the industry believe a comeback is in the works

If all goes according to plan, one year from now sports fans will be treated to something they haven’t seen in many, many years: A huge-budget sports feature film.

Formula One and Apple Original Films last week announced their yet-untitled F1 blockbuster will hit U.S. theaters on June 27, 2025 . Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Chad Oman, the movie stars Brad Pitt as an F1 driver who comes out of a wreck-induced retirement to mentor a young phenom teammate played by Damson Idris. Bruckheimer has contradicted reports of a $300 million-plus budget, but all signs still point to it being one of the most ambitious sports films made in years.

These days, the big-budget sports blockbuster is a rarity. But the upcoming film is, of course, not Bruckheimer’s first foray into motorsports. More than three decades ago, the legendary producer made “Days of Thunder,” the 1990 hit movie about NASCAR life starring Tom Cruise.

In many ways, “Days of Thunder” was a key inflection point in the history of sports filmmaking. Its theatrical gross of nearly $160 million — or some $368 million in today’s dollars — more than doubled that of “Field of Dreams” the year before. It was the highest-grossing sports movie since “Rocky IV” five years earlier and, after accounting for inflation, the second-highest grossing non-Rocky sports film to date (only 1978’s football-adjacent “Heaven Can Wait” topped it).

What soon followed was a never-before-seen flood of sports feature films, with many becoming beloved classics for an entire generation. Consider a sample of these rewatchable favorites from the mid-1990s: “White Men Can’t Jump,” “A League of Their Own” and “The Mighty Ducks” in 1992; “The Sandlot,” “The Program” and “Rudy” in 1993; “Blue Chips,” “Little Big League” and “Little Giants” in 1994; and “Happy Gilmore,” “Tin Cup” and “Space Jam” in 1996. The biggest stars in Hollywood routinely headlined sports films. Kevin Costner had his trio of baseball movies (“Bull Durham,” “Field of Dreams” and “For Love of the Game”) in an 11-year period. Denzel Washington made a sports movie in three consecutive years: “He Got Game” (1998), “Remember the Titans,” (1999) and “The Hurricane” (2000). In the early part of this century, sports movies were frequent Oscar contenders, including “The Blind Side,” “Million Dollar Baby” and “Moneyball.” Sports movies weren’t just ubiquitous, they also carved out meaningful cultural relevance.

Yet the theatrical sports movie has now been on the decline for over a decade, and it’s a trend that began well before the rise of streaming or the pandemic began putting the squeeze on theaters. In fact, a total of 910 movies were released in theaters in 2019, a 41% increase from a decade prior. (All box office statistics in this story are from BoxOfficeMojo.com.) Sports films, meanwhile, trended in the opposite direction. When Clint Eastwood’s “Invictus” came out in 2009, it was the sixth major sports release over the prior 12 months. A decade later, moviegoers were lucky to get one or two sports films a year.

Speaking to Sports Business Journal from his F1 film’s London set, Bruckheimer detailed some of the challenges facing sports storytellers — and what it takes to convince studios to back a big-budget sports project.

“What got those made are movie stars,” Bruckheimer said. “Whether that’s Tom Cruise — in fact, it was his idea to make ‘Days of Thunder’ — or Brad Pitt in the F1 movie we’re making. … If you can get a movie star and make it for a good price, you have a better chance of it getting made. Other than that, they’re hard. They’re really hard to do.”

For some industry insiders, the decline of the theatrical sports release has been mystifying.

“The question is, ‘What the hell is going on here?’” said Tom Bernard, co-founder and co-president of Sony Pictures Classics. “Nobody is making those movies. A lot of them are underdog movies, a lot of them are unlikely people who rose to the occasion, and they can be at any level, from coach to player to owner. Why are there not more of those?”

Nobody knows the underdog sports movie better than ballplayer-turned-movie producer Mark Ciardi. A former pitcher who appeared in four games for the Milwaukee Brewers, Ciardi had been minor league teammates with Jim Morris, who famously made his MLB debut at age 35. Thanks to that relationship, Ciardi and then-partner Gordon Gray managed to secure the rights to Morris’ life story, which eventually became the 2002 Disney hit “The Rookie” starring Dennis Quaid.

Ciardi and Gray’s Mayhem Pictures landed a first-look deal with Disney through which they produced major sports projects, including “Miracle,” “Invincible” and “Secretariat,” among numerous others. Despite those films’ success, Ciardi could sense where things were headed around a decade ago.

“I saw it towards the end of my Disney days,” Ciardi recalled. “I left my Disney deal because I saw the change with streaming, and I felt like that’s where these movies were going to live most successfully.”

That’s not to say that Ciardi is no longer producing theatrical films — he made the Kurt Warner biopic “American Underdog” in 2021 — but he sees upside for sports projects landing on streaming platforms rather than in theaters.

“These movies work really well on streaming,” said Ciardi, who in 2020 produced “Safety,” about a Clemson football player caring for his younger brother, for Disney+. “I always remember when you’re talking about marketing a movie, it’s ‘What’s the urgency to be in theaters?’ … For a lot of people, you find they want to see the movie, but they don’t mind waiting. That’s why they can do very big numbers on streaming platforms.”

Bruckheimer and others likewise point to changes in viewer behavior as the main culprit for the decline in theatrical sports releases.

“It’s a shift in the audience,” Bruckheimer said. “The audience hasn’t supported sports films. They don’t travel well, so they don’t do well overseas. So the studios are reticent to greenlight them, and they’re very hard to get made. ‘Young Woman and the Sea’ [which Bruckheimer produced and came out last month] took nine years to get made, and it was originally made for streaming because they didn’t think it would work in theaters.”

The need for global appeal — which drives the saturation of superhero movies and franchises — has especially put the damper on films about quintessentially American sports such as football and baseball. “American Underdog” was the first major football film since “Concussion” in 2015, and there hasn’t been a big theatrical baseball film since “Million Dollar Arm” a decade ago.

Jason Reed, who in October was named the head of Skydance Sports, went deeper in explaining why many formative sports classics of yore wouldn’t cut it in today’s theatrical environment.

“What audiences are expecting out of a theatrical experience has changed,” said Reed, who previously spent nearly two decades at Disney. “Would you be able to make ‘The Sandlot’ and release it in theaters today? I don’t think so. I think it’s a streaming movie. I don’t think it’s a movie you’d be able to release in theaters, given what the current audience trends are.”

“Now is ‘Any Given Sunday’ a movie you could still open? Quite possibly,” Reed continued. “I think if you have the actual NFL involved with a movie like that, you could open it in the theater, given the scale and scope of it and a desire to see the spectacle.” Reed noted that part of the issue is an oversaturation of sports films. In other words, no matter how good a sports movie may be, you’ve likely seen something like it before. He said that 2006 basketball film “Glory Road,” which told the story of Texas Western’s landmark 1966 NCAA men’s basketball title, tested incredibly well in screenings, and yet the same viewers who loved watching the film also indicated they weren’t likely to suggest others see it.

Studios aren’t the only ones bearish on sports theatrical releases. Longtime show business executive Joe Roth suggested the same is true of top movie stars. Roth has been making sports films since the late 1980s, when he helped produce “Major League,” and he later served as the chairman of 20th Century Fox and Walt Disney Studios. His production credits include “Angels in the Outfield,” “Million Dollar Arm” and, more recently, Adam Sandler’s “Hustle” for Netflix. “You don’t find big movie stars in baseball movies. ‘The Natural’ isn’t going to have the new Robert Redford in it today, it’s just not attractive for the actors,” said Roth, who noted that contemporary stars such as Sandler and Ben Affleck have done basketball projects in part because they’re personally fans of the game. “There are so many choices, especially for these actors of stature, that they’re not going to go into what we would now think of as niche films where the best you can hope for is a double.”

Adjusting for inflation, no sports film has grossed more than $300 million since “The Karate Kid” remake released 14 years ago. Four sports movies — “Space Jam,” “The Waterboy,” “Million Dollar Baby” and “The Blind Side” — crossed that threshold in the prior 14 years. Another potential challenge? Licensing. Bernard of Sony Pictures Classics noted that pro leagues tend to be very protective of their marks, which poses a hurdle for filmmakers telling historical stories, or even those hoping to leverage the leagues’ branding in fictionalized ones.

FredAnthony Smith, SMAC Entertainment vice president of non-scripted, said MLB has long been a leader in that realm, with the league’s teams featured in flicks such as “Little Big League,” “Rookie of the Year,” and others. But the rest of the sports world has also grown wise to how leaning into original content can generate new fans, similar to how “Drive to Survive” helped push Formula One to new heights.

“It feels like the NFL and the NBA are loosening the reins a little bit,” said Smith, who spent 17 years producing original content for the NFL. “There seems to be a desire to tell more of their stories and to be a part of the storytelling and the scripted space.”

To wit, the NFL and NFL Films in late 2022 partnered with Skydance Media, restructuring its sports vertical as a joint venture with the league. Skydance’s Reed made the case that the NFL is one of the few properties that is still capable of reaching across demographic categories, which could be critical for reaching a broader audience.

“The fracturing of the media environment makes it almost impossible to generate that sort of wide audience impact or that sort of communal storytelling event, unless you find something unique that crosses all demographics and there’s a singular point of reference,” said Reed.

Though it wasn’t a scripted feature — or a football film — the Michael Jordan docuseries “The Last Dance” proved that sports projects can still leave a broad cultural imprint. Achieving that sort of success outside of a sports-starved pandemic, though, is no small task.

Nevertheless, the leagues’ softening approach is just one reason why top sports storytellers are optimistic about the years to come.

What to watch

Sports documentaries debuting this summer, espn: “dude perfect: a very long shot”: part of the newest “30 for 30” slate, this film takes a look at the five friends who turned backyard trick shot videos into a business empire. (aug. 3), netflix: “simone biles rising”: part 1 of the series will follow the u.s. gymnastics superstar as she prepares for the paris olympics; part 2 will follow her journey through the summer games. (july 17), amazon: “federer: twelve final days”: the legendary tennis champion provides an all-access pass to the final moments of his career. (july 20), hbo" “hard knocks: new york giants”: for the first time, hbo’s acclaimed nfl series will follow a team through its offseason in this five-part series. (july 2), what to read, five sports books for this summer, recommended by our class of forty under 40 honorees:, “project rainbow: how british cycling reached the top of the world,” by rod ellingworth (phil andrews), “winning fixes everything,” by evan drellich (dan august), “born to run: a hidden tribe, superathletes, and the greatest race the world has never seen,” by christopher mcdougall (jonas carr), “shoe dog,” by phil knight (from matt duarte and alex steinberg), ”row the boat,” by jon gordon and p.j. fleck (dan gaiman).

Brian Grazer’s projects have amassed more than three dozen Oscar nominations across his four decades in Hollywood, and the Imagine Entertainment co-founder has had his fingerprints all over the sports entertainment landscape, from feature films “Cinderella Man” and “Friday Night Lights” to the newly released Apple TV+ docuseries “The Dynasty: New England Patriots.” He makes the case that the film industry’s broader trends are ultimately cyclical, and thus we should expect the return of the classic sports film.

“Americana values will be coming back,” said Grazer, speaking from his Santa Monica home a few days after playing pickleball with Larry David. “Those values or underdog stories live very much inside sports movies. … I think, if you’re in the media business and telling stories as I do, you’re searching for great sports stories with really interesting characters that are not predictable.”

There are certainly reasons to believe that the sports feature film could soon have new momentum.

For one, as streaming platforms continue to snatch up live sports rights, they have a growing need for original sports content to minimize churn and keep their sports fan subscribers entertained in the offseason. That demand has fueled the boom in sports documentaries, in no small part because those projects tend to be cheaper and quicker to make, but scripted feature films and series provide premium, standout content. Those projects may no longer be able to achieve the same sort of broad cultural relevance of their precursors a few decades ago, but there is still significant potential viewership waiting in living rooms around the world. Plus, scripted projects are now getting a push from the booming unscripted side of the business. “A great sports documentary helps contextualize the film that would follow,” Grazer said. “It begins the brand of that particular experience.”

Few have better insight into that dynamic than SMAC’s Smith, who likewise sees opportunities for scripted to draft off momentum from various forms of nonfiction storytelling. He pointed to the critical acclaim for “Winning Time,” the HBO series about the Showtime Lakers based on a book by Jeff Pearlman, and the newly released Donald Sterling miniseries “Clipped,” based on an ESPN “30 for 30” podcast.

“In the last five or 10 years, so many unscripted projects end up becoming scripted films or limited series after the fact,” said Smith, who added that SMAC is now working on a limited series about the Bishop Sycamore high school football scandal, a subject the production company previously tackled in an HBO documentary last year. “There is a lot of overlap. And when we look at properties and projects, more often than not, recently, we’re looking at them from a space of, how else can we leverage this property? … Everybody talks about IP, but how can we turn this story or this world into IP that extends beyond just a scripted or a podcast or an unscripted?”

Some of the industry’s leading storytellers are doing just that:

■ Grazer revealed that he’s in the early stages of developing a film about Peter Ueberroth’s efforts to secure the 1984 Los Angeles Games (working title: “The Last Olympics”).

■ Ciardi is producing a movie based on Bill Plaschke’s “Paradise Found: A High School Football Team’s Rise from the Ashes,” about a small-town California football team’s response to the devastating 2018 Camp Fire.

■ SMAC is developing a limited series on the 1972 Miami Dolphins from Sonja Warfield, daughter of former Dolphins wideout Paul Warfield.

■ Bruckheimer has acquired the rights to develop a project on famed soccer player-turned-NFL kicker Garo Yepremian.

The film also continues what appears to be an uptick in new theatrical sports projects. Last year saw six sports or sports-adjacent films in “Creed III,” “Air,” “Gran Turismo,” “The Iron Claw,” “Ferrari” and “The Boys in the Boat.” Tennis drama “Challengers” followed this past March, “Young Woman and the Sea” got a limited theatrical run in May, and “The Fire Inside,” about boxer Claressa Shields’ road to winning gold at the 2012 Olympics, is slated for a December release.

“I don’t think we’ve lost it. I think we’re now going to enter a new era of wanting to celebrate greatness,” Grazer said. “When you’re referring to the ’90s, the 2000s, those movies celebrated greatness. And then we went through a period where the landscape of films and TV reshaped itself, and we might have lost the narrative..

“People want to stand up in a theater and cheer, and they want to celebrate brotherhood and unity. That’s what sports films do better than anything.”

Executive Transactions
International
Events and Attractions
Labor and Agents
People and Pop Culture
Sports and Society

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: June 28, 2024

What's next for NFL after Sunday Ticket ruling? Takeaways from two days in Atlanta; who will solve the dearth of licensed merchandise around women's sports and a big development moves forward in Raleigh

New deal for Big East, U.S. Olympic trials, and getting set for Wimbledon

Sbj presents: protecting athletes in this time of change with luke fedlam, tom friend on what espn's main nba booth could look like without jj redick, george killebrew talks new role as cro of united pickleball association, andrea hopelain interview.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2024/06/24/whatever-happened-to-the-sports-movie

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

© 2024 Leaders Group. All rights reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Leaders Group.

Already a subscriber? Click below to sign in.

Upgrade your subscription to get all the news you need:

Adding SBJ weekly content will give you the comprehensive view of sports business with:

Award-winning original reporting, with in-depth profiles, timely research and expert opinions on the biggest issues and stories in sports business.
49 print issues delivered to your home or office.
Access to easy-to-read digital editions of weekly issues.
More than two decades of archival stories, profiles, research and data.

Adding SBJ daily content will give you the comprehensive view of sports business with:

Daily updates aggregating the stories and spin from more than 600 outlets across the globe.
Timely, daily updates provide the latest developments and news relied upon by industry leaders.
The latest personnel hires and promotions, plus exclusive ratings and research from the sports industry.

Want more celebrity and pop culture news?

Start your day with Page Six Daily.

Thanks for signing up!

Please provide a valid email address.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy .

Want celebrity news as it breaks? Hooked on Housewives?

The teen, who has been estranged from Tom for years , even dropped her dad’s famous last name, instead using “Suri Noelle” in the graduation pamphlet.

Suri will be attending Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh in the fall.

A source exclusively told Page Six in April that the action movie star has not seen Suri since 2012 . (They were last seen together at Disney World that summer.)

“Katie has safeguarded Suri and she’s a devoted mom,” an insider told us. “This is a girl who is a private citizen. She hasn’t lived her life in public.”

Holmes, who filed for divorce from Tom when Suri was only 6 years old in June 2012, revealed in November 2013 court docs that she left the “Jerry Maguire” star “to protect Suri from Scientology ,” a religion that is often referred to as a cult.

“Suri is not a Scientologist and never will be … she deserves love and sympathy,” former Scientology spokesperson Mike Rinder told Page Six.

Share this article:

Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
Click to copy URL

Travis Kelce and Tom Cruise at a concert.

Screen Rant

Tom cruise approved mission: impossible footage for action movie led by 94-year-old star.

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

This 2024 Movie Is Repeating Jason Statham's $152 Million Action Hit With 1 Brilliant Twist

10 horror comedy flops that absolutely should’ve been bigger hits, next monsterverse movie after godzilla x kong gets release date.

Thelma stars June Squibb in her first leading role, showcasing her dramatic and humorous range in an unconventional action hero role.
Director Josh Margolin received approval from Tom Cruise to use Mission: Impossible footage, adding depth to the comedy.
Thelma explores issues faced by older adults with clever humor, confronting mortality without oversimplifying it, earning high praise.

Tom Cruise approved the use of Mission: Impossible footage in Thelma , with director Josh Margolin explaining how he received permission. Thelma stars 94-year-old June Squibb in her first-ever leading role . The 93-year-old character, Thelma Post, seeks revenge and becomes an unlikely action hero after being scammed out of $10,000. Margolin based the character and the story on his own 104-year-old grandmother while having the film explore issues that older adults face in a meaningful and entertaining fashion.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter , Margolin was asked about the action-comedy's references to the Mission: Impossible franchise via clips and images from the films and of Cruise, and whether Margolin needed to receive permission from the star himself. Margolin explains the process behind including these references and how it impacted Thelma 's production. Read his explanation below:

It came during production. We shot two versions of those scenes, one with Tom on [TVs and newspapers] and then one with like a replaceable green box. It was surprisingly smooth. Nicky Weinstock, who’s a producer on the movie, was at the same agency as him and has some pals in common there. We ended up sending the scene in the script to give him a little context and then a clip of the table read. We got his signoff and then we went to Paramount, which I suspect made things a lot easier there.

The Tom Cruise & Mission Impossible References Are Only A Small Part Of What Makes Thelma Great

A great lead performance, strong themes, & an unconventional action hero add to the experience.

With a 99% critical score and 79% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes , Thelma proves that it has more to offer than its Cruise and Mission Impossible references. Squibb's hilarious performance in Thelma is enough to make the film a stellar comedy. Margolin shared with THR that Squibb was the only actor he ever wanted for the role, emphasizing that she reminded him of his grandmother who inspired the story, and that Squibb had the perfect dramatic and humorous range needed for the role.

Squibb also currently voices Nostalgia in Inside Out 2, meaning she has two movies in theaters.

In addition to Squibb's standout performance, Thelma has been well-received for how it handles issues that older adults face . The action-comedy genre enables Thelma to explore these issues through clever humor that doesn't talk down to its characters or to viewers. It confronts difficult topics, including mortality, without oversimplifying and without becoming overly bleak, an approach Margolin is able to master by drawing on his real-life experiences with his grandmother.

One upcoming 2024 action movie takes the premise of Jason Statham's $152 million hit The Beekeeper and makes it even better with an ingenious twist.

The Cruise and Mission: Impossible references aren't the main reason Thelma has a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, but as one of the most recognizable action stars from one of the most well-known action franchises, they serve a purpose as Thelma becomes an action hero in her own story. Margolin revealed that Squibb did as much as she could and more than what was expected of her when it came to Thelma's stunts , including doing all the scooter driving herself, yet another reason to see Thelma while it plays in theaters and when it becomes available to stream.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Thelma (2024)

Thelma is a 2024 comedy film written and directed by Josh Margolin. Thelma Post finds herself duped out of money and more when a scam caller pretends to be her grandson. Unwilling to sit back and let herself be a victim, she sets off into the city to find the perpetrator and take back what is hers.

Tom Cruise Movies List

Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis in Top Gun (1986)

3. The Outsiders

4. Losin' It

Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay in Risky Business (1983)

5. Risky Business

6. All the Right Moves

8. The Color of Money

9. Cocktail

Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man (1988)

10. Rain Man

Tom Cruise in Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

11. Born on the Fourth of July

12. Days of Thunder

13. Far and Away

Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, and Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men (1992)

14. A Few Good Men

15. The Firm

Tom Cruise and Kirsten Dunst in Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)

16. Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles

17. Mission: Impossible

18. Jerry Maguire

Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

19. Eyes Wide Shut

Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, Philip Baker Hall, Jason Robards, and Jeremy Blackman in Magnolia (1999)

20. Magnolia

Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible II (2000)

21. Mission: Impossible II

22. Vanilla Sky

23. Minority Report

24. The Last Samurai

25. Collateral

More to explore, recently viewed.

Tom cruise went to taylor swift's eras tour show in london and seemed to have a fantastic time, share this article.

Apparently, Tom Cruise doesn’t have insane stunts to film this weekend for whatever the next installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise is, or fighter jets to fly for another potential Top Gun sequel , so he’s acting like a normal celebrity.

Which means, like a lot of other really famous folks , he went to London to see a Taylor Swift concert at Wembley Stadium .

And the 61-year-old movie star seemed to have a blast.

Videos and photos quickly surfaced on social media of Cruise walking around the crowd, taking photos with fans, exchanging friendship bracelets , and even dancing near a group of people that included Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Greta Gerwig and, of course, Travis Kelce .

Here’s a quick roundup of Cruise’s fantastic time at the Eras Tour :

THIS VIDEO IS ICONIC! Ashton, Mila, Tom Cruise, Ross, & Travis dancing to Shake it Off! pic.twitter.com/MhKYGTfEN5 — 🏈👑 (@TayvisHaze) June 22, 2024

He's just having a great time. #TomCruise #TaylorSwift pic.twitter.com/fCjAZDc51A — Tom Cruise News (@TCNews62) June 22, 2024

🚨| Tom Cruise exchanging friendship bracelets at today's show! #LondonTSTheErasTour pic.twitter.com/55UVeXFhLC — The Eras Tour (@tswifterastour) June 22, 2024

We know that Swift won’t be appearing in the new Deadpool movie , but if Cruise is such a big fan of hers, maybe there’s room for Swift – or aspiring actor Travis Kelce – to collaborate with Cruise in one of his future action-packed films.

Most Popular

2024 nhl draft tracker: grading every pick in the first round, caitlin clark knocked down an unbelievable 3-pointer from the storm midcourt logo with ease, 16 wonderful wnba pregame outfits from the league's seventh week, including kamilla cardoso's exquisite lace-up top, caitlin clark and aliyah boston had an extremely awkward exchange with reporters after brutal storm loss, caitlin clark somehow got an assist from the storm free-throw line on this unreal pass, tracking where the top undrafted free agents in the 2024 nba draft have signed after round 2, bolt of lightning obliterates ancient tree in 'incredible footage'.

Please enter an email address.

Thanks for signing up.

Please check your email for a confirmation.

Something went wrong.

IMAGES

Tom Cruise’s Best Running Scenes in Movies, Ranked
5. All The Right Moves from Top 10 Super Football Movies
Tom Cruise takes on speedflying for 'Mission: Impossible
Here are some underrated sports movies to enjoy during quarantine
The Waterboy Cast
sports, nature, movies, sword, samurai, Tom Cruise, The Last Samurai

VIDEO

Tom Cruise All Movie List
TOM CRUISE MOVIE'S DIRECTOR DIED BEFORE RELEASE MOVIE#shorts #movie#podcast#trending #trendingshorts

COMMENTS

Jerry Maguire (1996)
Jerry Maguire: Directed by Cameron Crowe. With Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., Renée Zellweger, Kelly Preston. When a sports agent has a moral epiphany and is fired for expressing it, he decides to put his new philosophy to the test as an independent agent with the only athlete who stays with him and his former colleague.
Jerry Maguire
Jerry Maguire is a 1996 American sports comedy-drama film directed and written by Cameron Crowe.It was produced by Crowe and James L. Brooks for Gracie Films and distributed by TriStar Pictures.It stars Tom Cruise as the sports agent Jerry Maguire, alongside Cuba Gooding Jr., Renée Zellweger, Kelly Preston, Jerry O'Connell, Jay Mohr, Bonnie Hunt and Regina King.
All the Right Moves (1983)
All the Right Moves: Directed by Michael Chapman. With Tom Cruise, Craig T. Nelson, Lea Thompson, Charles Cioffi. An ambitious young football star is trapped in a dying mill town--unless his gridiron skills can win him a way out.
Tom Cruise Movies List
Tom Cruise Movies List. by ratul-majumder0 • Created 12 years ago • Modified 12 years ago. List activity. 532K views • 2.5K this week. Create a new list. List your movie, TV & celebrity picks. 36 titles. ... When a sports agent has a moral epiphany and is fired for expressing it, he decides to put his new philosophy to the test as an ...
Jerry Maguire
In Theaters At Home TV Shows. When slick sports agent Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) has a crisis of conscience, he pens a heartfelt company-wide memo that promptly gets him fired. Desperate to hang ...
The 40+ Best Tom Cruise Movies of All Time, Ranked
Over 4K filmgoers have voted on the 40+ Best Tom Cruise Movies, Ranked By Fans. Current Top 3: Top Gun: Maverick, Top Gun, A Few Good Men ... In this romantic dramedy, the audience witnesses a sports agent's fall from grace and subsequent redemption through his relationship with his sole client and love interest. Audiences are charmed by the ...
Tom Cruise runs. But is he any good at it?
But the truth is, most great male sprinters are in the 5-foot-6 to 6-foot-3 range, according to a study published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. And breaking news, Tom Cruise is ...
Jerry Maguire: 9 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About The Tom Cruise Movie
Jerry Maguire Is Loosely Based On Real Sports Agents, Including Leigh Steinberg. In a making-of documentary included on the 20th Anniversary edition Blu-ray of Jerry Maguire, Cameron Crowe recalls ...
Jerry Maguire
Rating. Comedy. arrow_forward. info_outline. Tom Cruise stars as Jerry Maguire, a sports agent who is brought to a point of crisis in his life when he unexpectedly decides to become an honorable decent man. The film follows his comedic journey to redemption through an unlikely alliance with a female accountant, and the least important client on ...
Jerry Maguire: The Real Agent Who Inspired The Movie (& What Happened Next)
Here's what you need to know about Leigh Steinberg, the real-life inspiration for Jerry Maguire. Released in 1996, Cameron Crowe's dramedy stars Tom Cruise, of Mission Impossible franchise fame as a 35-year-old sports agent who seeks professional credibility and a healthy love life. The narrative of the movie is mostly fictional but does incorporate big events from Steinberg's life.
Tom Cruise Movies Ranked
All Tom Cruise Movies, Ranked By Tomatometer ... Cuba Gooding Jr., and Renée Zellweger, as well as Cameron Crowe's tender direction, Jerry Maguire meshes romance and sports with panache. Synopsis: When slick sports agent Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) has a crisis of conscience, he pens a heartfelt company-wide memo that ...
Best Tom Cruise Movies & Performances Ranked
Role: Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. Director: Joseph Kosinski . Writers: Peter Craig, Justin Marks, Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, Christopher McQuarrie (based on characters created ...
Best Tom Cruise Movies, Ranked
Paramount Pictures. 20. The Firm (1993) At a time when Cruise's star status had grown so immense a legal thriller qualified as a summer blockbuster, Sydney Pollack 's film from John Grisham 's ...
The 10 Best Tom Cruise Movies, Ranked
Read our review of Mission: Impossible. 7. Magnolia (1999) It's rare to see a Tom Cruise movie where the actor isn't front and center the entire time. But Cruise tried something a little different ...
44 Best Tom Cruise Movies of All Time, Ranked
In 1981, Tom Cruise, who may be the last real movie star, made his first on-screen appearance shirtless, wearing a pair of cut-off shorts.Since then, he's led an illustrious career, remaining one ...
Tom Cruise's Best Movies, from 'Top Gun: Maverick' to 'Magnolia'
Tom Cruise may be the last Great Movie Star, and these 20 films will tell you why: "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning," "Rain Man," and more. ... Even the long blonde ponytail he sports in the ...
The 11 best Tom Cruise movies, ranked
From his early dramatic turns in legal dramas and sports films to his franchise work in Top Gun and Mission: Impossible, there are plenty of options to enjoy the best Tom Cruise movies. 11 ...
Tom Cruise Movies Ranked
R | 154 min | Action, Drama. Nathan Algren, a US army veteran, is hired by the Japanese emperor to train his army in the modern warfare techniques. Nathan finds himself trapped in a struggle between two eras and two worlds. Director: Edward Zwick | Stars: Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Billy Connolly, William Atherton.
Tom Cruise filmography
Tom Cruise filmography. Tom Cruise is an American actor and producer who made his film debut with a minor role in the 1981 romantic drama Endless Love. [1] [2] Two years later, he made his breakthrough by starring in the romantic comedy Risky Business (1983), [3] [4] which garnered his first nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor ...
Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One Trailer: Tom Cruise Speeds
NBA Agent Sues Klutch Sports, Rich Paul Over LeBron Fees ... Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One reveals more of what Tom Cruise has in store when he returns to Ethan Hunt in the 7th movie in ...
32 of Tom Cruise's greatest movie moments
Ridley Scott's 1985 movie Legend is a hidden gem in Tom Cruise's filmography. Extremely dark, weird, and atmospheric, the movie is one of the few times Cruise really embraced fantasy filmmaking.
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962) is an American actor and producer. Regarded as a Hollywood icon, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for four Academy Awards. His films have grossed over $4 billion in North America and over $11.5 billion worldwide, making him one of the highest-grossing box ...
Whatever happened to the sports movie?
More than three decades ago, the legendary producer made "Days of Thunder," the 1990 hit movie about NASCAR life starring Tom Cruise. In many ways, "Days of Thunder" was a key inflection point in the history of sports filmmaking. ... Sports movies weren't just ubiquitous, they also carved out meaningful cultural relevance.
Tom Cruise bonds with Travis Kelce at Taylor Swift's Eras Tour after
In another clip, Tom, 61, danced along to Swift's "Shake It Off" while standing in a VIP section with several other stars, including "Barbie" director Greta Gerwig, Mila Kunis, Ashton ...
Tom Cruise's Incredible 'Speed Flying' Stunt Is Highlighted ...
Tom Cruise and stunts go together like peanut butter and jelly, and it's been that way for a long time. This effective combination has been shown off best in the Mission: Impossible movies ...
Tom Cruise Approved Mission: Impossible Footage For Action Movie Led By
Tom Cruise approved the use of Mission: Impossible footage in Thelma, with director Josh Margolin explaining how he received permission. Thelma stars 94-year-old June Squibb in her first-ever leading role.The 93-year-old character, Thelma Post, seeks revenge and becomes an unlikely action hero after being scammed out of $10,000. Margolin based the character and the story on his own 104-year ...
Tom Cruise Movies List
Tom Cruise Movies List. by shafkat-98330 • Created 1 year ago • Modified 1 year ago. List activity. 1.8K views • 3 this week. Create a new list. List your movie, TV & celebrity picks. 44 titles. ... When a sports agent has a moral epiphany and is fired for expressing it, he decides to put his new philosophy to the test as an independent ...
Eras Tour London: Tom Cruise shows up to watch Taylor Swift at Wembley
Tom Cruise went to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour show in London and seemed to have a fantastic time. Share this article ... And the 61-year-old movie star seemed to have a blast.