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120 Classic Tom Cruise Quotes That All Film Buffs Should Know

Tom Cruise Film Quotes For All Movie Lovers

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Tom Cruise has been an acclaimed actor and producer from the '80s onwards, known for his versatility as an actor, and having charming good looks as a bonus.

Born on 3 July 1962 in New York, Tom began acting in high school and landed his first minor role in his debut film 'Endless Love' (1981). His big break as an actor came two years later, in his portrayal of a high schooler in the 1983 hit 'Risky Business'.

After his first successful movie, Tom Cruise became an icon for his work in 'Top Gun' (1986) which gave him recognition as a star actor in the industry.

After this, he worked as an actor in several legendary movies such as 'Born On The Fourth Of July' (1989) and 'Jerry Maguire' (1996), which earnt him Oscar nominations, 'Minority Report' (2002), 'Interview With A Vampire' (1994), 'Rain Man' (1988), 'Collateral' (2004), 'The Last Samurai' (2003), 'Edge Of Tomorrow' (2014) and the 'Mission Impossible' series.

Tom is not just popular for his skills as an actor, as he also insists on performing almost all of his action sequences by himself without relying on the work of a stunt double. Part of the reason why his action movies are so sought after is that they tend to include these realistic action-filled moments.

Over the past few decades, Tom has made his mark in the industry as one of the most successful actors with many memorable performances.

His fans are often found quoting his most famous lines such as "Nothing ends nicely, that's why it ends", "I love kids, I was a kid myself, once", or the iconic, "Show me the money! ".

Tom Cruise has given over 40 movies to the movie industry, both as an actor and a producer in some of them.

So let's take a look at his journey through this collection of Tom Cruise movie quotes, and once you've enjoyed these Tom Cruise quotes we've got more iconic quotes here, with these Tom Hanks quotes and Leonardo Dicaprio quotes.

Tom Cruise movies are entertaining and filled with action, with some great new lines worth remembering.

1. "Show me the money."

-Tom Cruise, 'Jerry Maguire'.

2. "It was great the way her mind worked. No guilt, no doubts, no fear. None of my specialties. Just the shameless pursuit of immediate gratification. What a capitalist."

-Tom Cruise, 'Risky Business'.

3. "People are dying every day over there, and nobody back here even seems to care."

-Tom Cruise, 'Born On The Fourth Of July'.

4. "Porsche. There is no substitute."

5. "You complete me."

6. "Well the rain is a lot like the shower, you get a little wet. What do you say, Ray? What do you say?"

-Tom Cruise, 'Rain Man'.

7. "Sometimes, Stevie, I think people, they know you're back from Vietnam, and their face - changes: the eyes, the voice, the way they look at you, you know."

8. "Help me help you."

9. "The witness is excused."

-Tom Cruise, 'A Few Good Men'.

10. "That's amazing! He is amazing! He should work for NASA or something like that."

11. "Should we or should we not follow the advice of the galactically stupid!"

-Tom Cruise., 'A Few Good Men'.

12. "I want to be a man again. Who's going to love me, Dad? Who's ever going to love me? Who's going to love me?"

13. "When it came right down to it, I just wasn't attracted to her."

14. "Don’t call me son. I’m a lawyer and an officer in the United States Navy, and you’re under arrest."

15. "I served my country and they just want to take from it, just take, take! Love it or leave it, that's what I think."

16. "Casinos have house rules: they don't like to lose. So you never show that you're counting cards. That is the cardinal sin, Ray."

17. "Is the colonel's underwear a matter of national security?"

-Tom Cruise, ' A Few Good Men '.

18. "What you have to understand is, four days ago he was only my brother in name. And this morning we had pancakes."

19. "Don't you know what it means to me to be a Marine, Dad? Ever since I was a kid I've wanted this - I've wanted to serve my country."

20. "It seems to me that if there were any logic to our language, trust would be a four-letter word."

Tom Cruise quotes from the hilarious parody movie 'Tropic Thunder', in which he plays Les Grossman.

21. "So whatever you're thinking, you'd better think again!"

-Tom Cruise, 'Tropic Thunder'.

22. "You paying attention? I'm talking — G5, Pecker. That's how you can roll."

23. "See, this is the good part, Pecker. This is when the job gets fun. Ask — and you shall receive."

24. "Speedman is a dying star. A white dwarf headed for a black hole. That's physics. It's inevitable."

25. "We don't negotiate with terrorists."

26. "The universe is talking to us right now. You just gotta listen."

27. "You play ball, we play ball. I know you want the goodies."

28. "Let's face it, the kids aren't exactly dressing up as The Scorcher for Purim anymore."

29. "Or, you can grow a conscience in the next five minutes and see where that takes you."

30. "A nutless monkey could do your job. Now, go get drunk and take credit at all the parties."

Quotes from the romantic comedy, 'Cocktail', in which Tom plays the lead, Brian Flanagan.

31. "Everything ends badly, otherwise it wouldn't end."

-Tom Cruise, 'Cocktail'.

32. "Believe me, Bonnie. You are gonna wake up tomorrow morning with a sigh of relief because I'm not there."

33. "Days get shorter and shorter, nights longer and longer, before you know it, your life is just one long night with a few comatose daylight hours."

34. "Come on, put it to the floor! Come on! Let's go!"

35. "The game's not over yet."

36. "I swear I'll be the best dad I can."

37. "Coughlin's law: never show surprise, never lose your cool."

38. "I left a can of Spam in your refrigerator, I hope your Brewer's Yeast doesn't take it personally."

39. "Talk is overrated as a means of resolving disputes."

40. "I'm willing to start at the bottom."

Captain Nathan Algren played by Tom Cruise is one of his less popular roles. Check out these Tom Cruise quotes!

41. "I think a man does what he can until his destiny is revealed."

-Tom Cruise, 'The Last Samurai'.

42. "Every soldier has nightmares."

43. "For 500 bucks a month I'll kill whoever you want. But keep one thing in mind: I'd happily kill you for free."

44. "I just realized, I've been remiss. Forgive me, I forgot to thank you for protecting me yesterday. That is your job right? Protecting me. Well done 'Bob.'"

45. "They don't cut the heads off defeated, kneeling men."

46. "He was a murderer who fell in love with his own legend. And his troopers died for it."

47. "Because they come to destroy what I have come to love."

48. "I am surprised to learn that the word Samurai means, 'to serve', and that Katsumoto believes his rebellion to be in the service of the Emperor."

49. "My thanks, on behalf of those who died in the name of better mechanical amusements and commercial opportunities."

50. "There is some comfort in the emptiness of the sea, no past, no future."

Tom Cruise quotes from the science fiction thriller with some mind-bending themes, in which Tom plays the role of a special unit police officer Chief John Anderton.

51. "There hasn't been a murder in six years. The system, it is perfect."

-Tom Cruise, 'Minority Report'.

52. "You'll rot in hell with a halo, but people will still believe in precrime. All you have to do is kill me like they said you would. Except you know your own future, which means you can change it if you want to."

53. "You see the dilemma, don't you. If you don't kill me, precogs were wrong and precrime is over. If you do kill me, you go away, but it proves the system works. The precogs were right."

54. "I'm not being set up. I really am going to kill this man."

55. "Every day for the last six years I've thought of only two things. The first is what Sean would look like if he were alive today if I would recognize him if I saw him on the street, the second is what I would do to the man who took him if I ever found him."

56. "I need your help. You contain information. I need to know how to get at it."

57. "I'm not a murderer. I've never even met the man I'm supposed to kill."

58. "But it didn't fall. You caught it. The fact that you prevented it from happening doesn't change the fact that it was going to happen."

59. "I have to know. I have to find out what happened to my life."

60. "Why don't you cut the cute act, Danny boy, and tell me what it is you're looking for?"

These Tom Cruise quotes are from the movie that put Tom Cruise in the limelight with his defining role as the Navy jet pilot Maverick.

61. "It's classified. I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."

-Tom Cruise, 'Top Gun'.

62. "I feel the need... the need for speed!"

63. "You think I'm reckless? When I fly, I'll have you know that my crew and my plane come first."

64. "Sorry, Goose, but it's time to buzz the tower."

65. "I will fire when I'm good and ready! You got that?"

66. "You don't have time to think up there. If you think, you're dead."

67. "Just a walk in the park, Kazansky."

68. "I can see it's dangerous for you, but if the government trusts me, maybe you could."

69. "She's lost that loving feeling."

70. "This is what I call a target-rich environment."

Tom Cruise plays the antagonist, Vincent, in the hit thriller, 'Collateral'.

71. "A guy gets on the MTA here L.A. and dies. Think anybody'll notice?"

-Tom Cruise, 'Collateral'.

72. "Most people — same job, same gig, doing the same thing 10 years from now. Us, we don’t know what we are doing 10 minutes from now."

73. "Cause you’re good. We’re in this together. Fates intertwined. Cosmic coincidence."

74. "Max, six billion people on the planet, you're getting bent out of shape cause of one fat guy."

75. "There’s no good reason, there’s no bad reason to live or to die."

76. "Well, tens of thousands killed before sundown. Nobody's killed people that fast since Nagasaki and Hiroshima . Did you bat an eye, Max?"

77. "No, I shot him. Bullets and the fall killed him."

78. "Get with it. Millions of galaxies of hundreds of millions of stars, in a speck on one in a blink. That's us, lost in space. The cop, you, me... Who notices?"

79. "17 million people. This was a country, it'd be the fifth biggest economy in the world and nobody knows each other. I read about this guy, gets on the MTA here, dies."

80. "Take comfort in knowing you never had a choice."

The Tom Cruise line from the 'Mission: Impossible' catch phrase and some more 'Mission: Impossible' movie quotes to remind you why it is one of the most successful action movie franchises ever made.

81. "I am the storm."

-Tom Cruise, 'Mission: Impossible - Fallout'.

82. "The countdown is not helping."

-Tom Cruise, 'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol'.

83. "So the key to crushing Lane is sitting in a computer, just waiting for someone to take it."

-Tom Cruise, 'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation'.

84. "The terminal is in a black vault lockdown. The only person allowed in the room has to pass through a series of security checks."

-Tom Cruise, 'Mission: Impossible'.

85. "I have a charge in my head, I'm gonna die unless you kill me."

-Tom Cruise, 'Mission: Impossible III'.

86. "I can't protect you, that's why I need you to leave."

87. "If you're dealing with a man who has crushed, shot, stabbed, and detonated five members of his own IMF team, how devastated do you think you're gonna make him by hauling mom and uncle Donald down to the county courthouse?"

88. "It's a one-way street adjacent to the Vatican wall. We'll need thirty seconds and I'll need a truck."

89. "I'm not in the plane, I'm on the plane! Open the door!"

90. "Benji, we're trying to keep a low profile. You want drama, go to the opera."

91. "Look, Walker, whatever you've heard, if it makes your skin crawl, it's probably true."

92. "The Secretary is dead. The President has invoked Ghost Protocol. We're shut down. No satellite, safe house, support, or extraction. The four of us and the contents of this car are all that remains of the IMF."

93. "We'll burn that bridge when we get to it."

-Tom Cruise, 'Mission Impossible - Fallout'.

94. "This whole valley's gonna be incinerated in 15 minutes."

95. "Desperate times, desperate measures."

96. "We just rolled up a snowball and tossed it into hell. Now let's see what chance it has."

-Tom Cruise, 'Mission: Impossible 2'.

97. "Let me put it this way. If the Secretary wanted me out of there, it must be pretty bad out here."

98. "I let you know where I'm going... I won't be on holiday."

99. "You've never seen me very upset."

100. "What's done is done, when we say it's done."

Famous Tom Cruise quotes from real life that will inspire us to work hard to achieve our goals.

101. "I disagree with people who think you learn more from getting beat up than you do from winning."

-Tom Cruise.

102. "I want a world without war, a world without insanity. I want to see people do well. I don't even think it's as much as what I want for myself. It's more what I want for the people around me. That's what I want."

103. "I had to train myself to focus my attention. I became very visual and learned how to create mental images in order to comprehend what I read."

104. "I've never done work for money ever. If your choices are based on grosses and the film doesn't do well, what does that mean? It leaves you with nothing."

105. "I'm passionate about learning. I'm passionate about life."

106. "When I'm promoting a film, I'm not going to get caught up in anything else, and that includes all my personal things."

107. "I love what I do. I take great pride in what I do. And I can't do something halfway, three-quarters, nine-tenths. If I'm going to do something, I go all the way."

108. "The stunts, each time, we keep pushing ourselves harder and harder. And they are stunts, so there's always a danger in doing them, but fortunately, I have not had a problem."

109. "When I work, I work very hard. So I look to work with people who have that level of dedication. And I depend on that from everyone. From the director to my crews that I work with."

110. "I have respect for what other people believe. What I believe in my own life is that it's a search for how I can do things better, whether it's being a better man or a better father or finding ways for myself to improve."

111. "I don't care who you are, life has challenges."

112. "Individuals have to decide what is true and real for them."

113. "In this life, it’s not what you hope for, it’s not what you deserve – it’s what you take!"

114. "I look at the Samurai because they were the artists of their time. What I think struck me when I read Bushido is compassion. 'If there's no one there to help, go out and find someone to help.' That hit me because I try to lead my life like that."

115. "If you have kids, it is the most important thing to create good times."

116. "When you have to cope with a lot of problems, you're either going to sink or you’re going to swim."

117. "I've had such extremes in my life. From being this kind of wild kid to one year studying to be a Franciscan priest at the seminary."

118. "Here's how I've lived my life: I’ve never been late to a set. I make films I believe in. I feel privileged to be able to do what I love."

119. "It's well known I'm a Scientologist, and that has helped me to find that inner peace in my life and it's something that has given me great stability and tools that I use."

120. "I always look for a challenge and something that’s different."

Here at Kidadl , we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you like our suggestions for 120 classic Tom Cruise quotes from the much loved actor, then why not take a look at these Tom Hardy quotes , or Tom Hiddleston quotes for more?

‍Main image credit: Rene Teichmann / Shutterstock.com

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Tom Cruise Quotes

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Someday. That's a dangerous word. It's really just a code for 'never'.

When you have to cope with a lot of problems, you're either going to sink or you're going to swim.

I love what I do. I take great pride in what I do. And I can't do something halfway, three-quarters, nine-tenths. If I'm going to do something, I go all the way.

Nothing ends nicely, that's why it ends.

No dream is ever just a dream.

I don't pretend to be the character. I am the character.

There is Life in every breath.

I feel the need... the need for speed.

The important thing is to be relaxed in your work. Same in life. Don't make everything too intense. Then you can let everything go and not "act".

When you become successful in any type of life, there are people who are not contributing to the motion.

Perception and reality are two different things.

I don't care if you print something nasty about me. If it's true, fine. I don't care. But just make sure it's the truth.

Sex is great, if you are in a relationship. Otherwise, I find sex actually not so interesting. Without a relationship it is confusing.

I'm someone who doesn't believe in making my problems other people's problems.

I don't care who you are, life has challenges.

My childhood was extremely lonely. I was dyslexic and lots of kids make fun of me. That experience made me tough inside, because you learn to quietly accept ridicule.

I'm passionate about learning. I'm passionate about life.

I want a world without war, a world without insanity. I want to see people do well. I don't even think it's as much as what I want for myself. It's more what I want for the people around me. That's what I want.

Individuals have to decide what is true and real for them.

I always look for a challenge and something that's different.

I just eat life... I engage in life.

When I was about 7 years old, I had been labeled dyslexic. I'd try to concentrate on what I was reading, then I'd get to the end of the page and have very little memory of anything I'd read. I would go blank, feel anxious, nervous, bored, frustrated, dumb. I would get angry. My legs would actually hurt when I was studying. My head ached. All through school and well into my career, I felt like I had a secret. When I'd go to a new school, I wouldn't want the other kids to know about my learning disability, but then I'd be sent off to remedial reading.

I disagree with people who think you learn more from getting beat up than you do from winning.

I feel lonely at times, but I don't want to get into a relationship with someone if it is not right. I'm not the type of person who just does things to do them.

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Best Tom Cruise Movie Quotes of All Time, Ranked

From intense to charismatic, these quotes encapsulate Tom Cruise’s range as an actor, highlighting his lasting impact on the industry.

While most often known for his breathtaking stunt work in action films, Tom Cruise stands tall as an undeniable icon of talent within the realm of Hollywood with various roles in many genres. Over the course of a remarkable career spanning more than three decades, he has graced the silver screen with his presence and delivered performances that have left an indelible mark on the cinematic landscape. Yet, Cruise's contributions to the world of film extend beyond his acting prowess alone.

Throughout his illustrious career , Cruise has gifted us with an array of unforgettable lines that have transcended their respective movies to become embedded in the tapestry of popular culture. From awe-inspiring monologues that stir the soul to catchy and oft-repeated one-liners that echo in our collective consciousness, Cruise's movie quotes continue to resonate deeply with audiences across the globe. Below, we take an exhilarating journey to explore the best Tom Cruise movie quotes of all time, showcasing his most memorable moments on screen.

12 "Just put your paws together... and believe!" — Rock of Ages (2012)

In the vibrant world of the musical comedy Rock of Ages , Cruise takes center stage as the enigmatic rockstar Stacee Jaxx. With his portrayal of this larger-than-life character, Cruise not only showcases his versatility as an actor, but also delivers a quote that captures the very essence of Stacee Jaxx's eccentricity and rock 'n' roll persona.

This quote resonates with an air of whimsy and confidence. It serves as a rallying cry for the characters and the audience alike, inviting them to embrace their dreams, let loose, and immerse themselves in the electrifying world of music and performance. Cruise's delivery of this line amplifies its impact, infusing it with the charisma and magnetic charm that have come to define his portrayal of Stacee Jaxx.

11 "I'm gonna find it and I'm gonna destroy it. I don't know how yet. Possibly with dynamite." — The Mummy (2017)

In the action-adventure film The Mummy , Cruise takes on the role of Nick Morton, a quick-witted soldier whose life takes an unexpected turn when he becomes entangled in an ancient curse. Within this high-stakes narrative, his ability to infuse even the most intense situations with a dose of wit and charm becomes evident through a memorable quote that perfectly encapsulates his talent for delivering humorous one-liners.

The movie quote shows Cruise's knack for injecting levity into the film. In the midst of perilous encounters and supernatural threats, his character's resolute determination is tinged with a cheeky sense of humor. Cruise's delivery of this line not only elicits laughter but also adds a touch of lightness to the film's darker moments, allowing audiences to momentarily catch their breath before diving back into the heart-pounding action.

Related: Mission: Impossible 7 Clip Goes Behind the Scenes of Tom Cruise's Speedflying Stunt

10 "Help me, help you." — Jerry Maguire (1996)

Within the rich tapestry of Cameron Crowe's heartfelt drama Jerry Maguire , a poignant and memorable line emerges: "Help me, help you." As the sports agent on a redemptive journey toward genuine human connections, Cruise's delivery of this line encapsulates the essence of his character's unwavering commitment to support and uplift others.

In this pivotal moment of the film, Cruise's portrayal of Jerry Maguire underscores the transformative power of collaboration and the realization that true success is often attained through mutual support. The quote itself becomes a mantra, representing the symbiotic relationship between individuals working together to achieve their goals. It serves as a reminder that in the pursuit of greatness, the collective effort and genuine care for others can elevate us beyond personal aspirations.

9 "I'm jumping out a window!" — Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

In the adrenaline-fueled action thriller Mission: Impossible - Fallout , Cruise reprises his role as the indomitable Ethan Hunt, taking audiences on another thrilling adventure. Amidst the high-stakes missions and breathtaking stunts, one memorable quote stands out: "I'm jumping out a window!" This line serves as a declaration of Ethan Hunt’s fearlessness in the face of danger, encapsulating the essence of his daredevil persona.

As audiences witness Cruise's commitment to performing his own stunts, including the awe-inspiring building jump captured in the film, this quote takes on a whole new level of exhilaration and authenticity. It showcases his ability to embrace the physical demands of the role, pushing the boundaries of what is possible rallying cry for the thrilling escapades and jaw-dropping feats that define the Mission: Impossible franchise .

8 "Sometimes, you gotta say, What the f***." — Risky Business (1983)

In the coming-of-age comedy Risky Business , Cruise steps into the shoes of the rebellious teenager Joel Goodson, delivering a line that would become one of his most iconic quotes. With youthful exuberance and a hint of defiance, he presents this phrase as a mantra for embracing the unknown, taking risks, and challenging the status quo. It captures the essence of youthful audacity, forever etching itself into the fabric of popular culture.

The line captures a universal truth about the journey of self-discovery and the pivotal moments in our lives when we are faced with choices that can shape our future. It represents a call to action, encouraging individuals to step out of their comfort zones and seize opportunities, even in the face of uncertainty. Cruise's portrayal of Joel Goodson brings an authenticity and relatability to the character, making the line all the more impactful.

7 "I love the smell of napalm in the morning." — Tropic Thunder (2008)

In a delightful departure from his more dramatic roles, Cruise delivers a comedic tour de force as the larger-than-life studio executive Les Grossman in the satirical comedy Tropic Thunder . Within this role, Cruise steals the show and showcases his comedic range, leaving audiences in stitches with one unforgettable line.

The quote in question, "I love the smell of napalm in the morning," perfectly captures the essence of Les Grossman's absurdity and intensity. With his delivery, Cruise infuses the line with a unique blend of outrageousness and hilarity, demonstrating his comedic timing and his ability to fully embrace the larger-than-life nature of his character. As the caricature of a Hollywood executive, complete with larger-than-life gestures, profanity-laden tirades, and a penchant for outrageous behavior. It is within this context that the quote becomes a standout moment.

6 "Throw the switch on and off. Don't forget OFF." — Mission: Impossible III (2006)

In the action-packed spy thriller Mission: Impossible III , Cruise returns as the daring IMF agent Ethan Hunt, navigating a treacherous world of espionage and high-stakes missions. Amidst the intricate web of suspense and danger, one quote stands out as a testament to Hunt's meticulousness and attention to detail: "Throw the switch on and off. Don't forget OFF."

Beyond its immediate impact within the film, this line stands for a universal truth applicable to various aspects of life. It serves as a reminder to be attentive, meticulous, and focused on the task at hand, not overlooking crucial steps or details that could have significant consequences. The quote's enduring popularity stems from its relevance beyond the world of espionage , resonating with audiences as a reminder of the value of diligence and careful consideration.

5 "I'm just a guy who loves a girl and wants to tell her that he loves her." — Jerry Maguire (1996)

Continuing the exploration of Tom Cruise's filmography, we return to the heartfelt drama Jerry Maguire to uncover yet another memorable quote that showcases Cruise's exceptional ability to convey raw emotion on screen. Within the film's rich tapestry of human relationships, this particular quote stands as a poignant reminder of the vulnerability and sincerity of the character.

Cruise's portrayal of Jerry's emotional journey and his delivery of the quote exemplify his ability to convey raw emotion and vulnerability on screen. It serves as a testament to his versatility as an actor and his innate understanding of the human condition. His performance captures the complexities of relationships and the profound impact they can have on our personal growth and happiness.

4 "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse." — Rain Man (1988)

In the critically acclaimed film Rain Man , Cruise delivers a remarkable performance as Charlie Babbitt, a self-centered man who embarks on a transformative journey alongside his autistic brother Raymond, portrayed by Dustin Hoffman. Amidst the emotional depth of the film, one quote stands out as a testament to Cruise's ability to infuse his own charm into the role, while paying homage to a cinematic classic.

Cruise skillfully navigates the emotional nuances of a man undergoing a transformative journey. The quote "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse," becomes a standout line within the film, highlighting Charlie's layers of vulnerability, arrogance, and the underlying need to be seen and appreciated. Cruise's delivery adds a layer of depth and authenticity to the character, solidifying his ability to embody complex and multidimensional roles.

3 "Show me the money!" — Jerry Maguire (1996)

Another entry from Jerry Maguire , “Show me the money,” became an instant catchphrase, expressing the desperation and determination of the character. This famous quote, which has transcended the boundaries of the film itself, instantly became ingrained in popular culture. With fervor and conviction, he embodies Jerry Maguire's relentless pursuit of success and financial validation, revealing the character's intense drive and hunger for recognition.

The quote encapsulates the central themes of ambition, self-discovery, and the commercialization of sports within the film. It represents Jerry Maguire's pivotal moment of breaking away from the traditional expectations of the industry, and it serves as a rallying cry for his clients and colleagues to demand the compensation they deserve. Cruise's passionate delivery elevates the line to an iconic status, making it one of the most memorable movie quotes of his career.

Related: Every Tom Cruise Movie from the 1990s, Ranked

2 "I want the truth!" — A Few Good Men (1992)

In the gripping courtroom drama A Few Good Men , Cruise delivers a riveting performance as Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee, a military lawyer defending two Marines accused of murder. Amidst the intense legal battle, one quote emerges as a defining moment that showcases Cruise's ability to command the screen and capture the essence of his character's pursuit of justice: "I want the truth!"

This iconic line, delivered by Cruise with fervent determination and unwavering resolve, encapsulates the relentless pursuit of the truth that drives Lieutenant Kaffee throughout the film. It serves as a pivotal moment in the story, representing the character's refusal to accept half-truths or cover-ups, and his unyielding commitment to uncovering the facts no matter the consequences. Adding to the drama is the responding line from Colonel Nathan Jessup (played by Jack Nicholson) who says, "You can't handle the truth!"

1 "I feel the need...the need for speed." — Top Gun (1986)

This line from the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun perfectly captures the adrenaline-fueled excitement of naval aviators. As Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, Cruise delivers the phrase with charm and assurance, capturing the kinetic spirit of the movie. He personifies Maverick's brash and daring personality with a blend of assurance and swagger, solidifying the character's place as a famous figure in movie history.

The statement has become well recognized outside of the context of Top Gun and has had a lasting influence on popular culture as a whole. It has become an anthem that conjures up feelings of excitement and adventure that go beyond the realm of aviation. The statement serves as a rallying cry for accepting life's experiences and pushing one's boundaries since audiences from all walks of life can identify with the desire for an exhilarating and thrilling experience. A sequel, Top Gun: Maverick was released in 2022 and broke records with its resounding success (per Variety ).

Tom Cruise movie quotes

killing (12)
soldiers (12)
relationships (8)
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friends (5)
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drinking (4)
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“Someday? Someday my dream will come? One night you will wake up and discover it never happened. It's all turned around on you. It never will. Suddenly you are old. Didn't happen, and it never will, because you were never going to do it anyway. You'll push it into memory and then zone out in your barco lounger, being hypnotized by daytime TV for...” (continue) (continue reading) Tom Cruise - Vincent

“Someday. That's a dangerous word . It's really just a code for 'never'.” Tom Cruise - Roy Miller

“- Katsumoto: You believe a man can change his destiny? - Nathan Algren: I think a man does what he can, until his destiny is revealed.” Ken Watanabe - Katsumoto Tom Cruise - Nathan Algren

“Benji, we're trying to keep a low profile. You want drama, go to the opera .” Tom Cruise - Ethan Hunt

“- Lt. Sam Weinberg: Nobody likes the whites, but we're going to Cuba. You got Dramamine? - Lt. Daniel Kaffee: Dramamine keeps you cool? - Lt. Sam Weinberg: No, Dramamine keeps you from throwing up. You get sick when you fly. - Lt. Daniel Kaffee: I get sick when I fly because I'm afraid of crashing into a large mountain . I don't think...” (continue) (continue reading) Kevin Pollak - Lt. Sam Weinberg Tom Cruise - Lt. Daniel Kaffee

“I'm a soldier , I serve my country. But this is not my country. I was lying out there bleeding to death, thinking, if I die now, I leave nothing to my children but shame. I know now there is only one way to serve Germany, and doing so I'll be a traitor... I accept that.” Tom Cruise - Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg

“Look at the people. Now tell me which ones are free. Free from debt. Anxiety. Stress. Fear. Failure. Indignity. Betrayal . How many wish that they were born knowing what they know now? Ask yourself how many would do things the same way over again?” Tom Cruise - Jack Reacher

“- Rachel Ferrier: I'm allergic to peanut butter. - Ray Ferrier: Since when? - Rachel Ferrier: Birth.” Dakota Fanning - Rachel Ferrier Tom Cruise - Ray Ferrier

“There are four types of people who join the military. For some, it's a family trade . Others are patriots , eager to serve. Next, you have those who just need a job. Then there's the kind who want a legal means of killing other people.” Tom Cruise - Jack Reacher

“- Raymond Babbitt: 246 total. - Charlie Babbitt: How many? - Sally Dibbs: 250. - Charlie Babbitt: Pretty close. - Sally Dibbs: There's four left in the box.” Dustin Hoffman - Raymond Babbitt Tom Cruise - Charlie Babbitt Bonnie Hunt - Sally Dibbs

“- Katsumoto: I will die by the sword. My own, or my enemy's. - Nathan Algren: Then let it be your enemy's.” Ken Watanabe - Katsumoto Tom Cruise - Nathan Algren

“I tried to prove myself to you, but I know nothing of books, or alphabets, or sun, or moon or… All I know is Joseph loves Shannon.” Tom Cruise - Joseph Donnelly

“- Nathan Algren: What else has she told you? - Katsumoto: That you have nightmares . - Nathan Algren: Every soldier has nightmares . - Katsumoto: Only one who is ashamed of what he has done.” Tom Cruise - Nathan Algren Ken Watanabe - Katsumoto

“We walk , and Afghanistan reverts back to the Taliban. Only now the Taliban has metastasized into something infinitely more vicious and potent because they're now 2-0 versus superpowers. They butcher the people who helped us, who voted and were stupid enough to put their faith in our word . So call it not only the end of hope for 10s of millions...” (continue) (continue reading) Tom Cruise - Senator Jasper Irving

“- Maverick : Mustang, this is Maverick , requesting fly-by. - Air Boss Johnson: Negative, Ghost Rider. The Pattern is full. - Merlin: Uh, excuse me, something I should know about? - Air Boss Johnson: [gets his coffee] Thank you. [ Maverick does a fly-by past the Enterprise , causing Air Boss Johnson to spill his coffee] - Air Boss Johnson: Goddamn...” (continue) (continue reading) Tom Cruise - Maverick Duke Stroud - Air Boss Johnson Tim Robbins - Merlin

“Evil is a point of view . God kills indiscriminately and so shall we. For no creatures under God are as we are, none so like him as ourselves.” Tom Cruise - Lestat

- Miles: Sometimes you gotta say "What the fuck", make your move. Joel, every now and then, saying "What the fuck" brings freedom. Freedom brings opportunity, opportunity makes your future. So, your parents are going out of town . You got the place all to yourself. - Joel Goodson: Yeah. - Miles: What the fuck. Curtis Armstrong - Miles Dalby Tom Cruise - Joel

“I'm a soldier , but in serving my country, I have betrayed my conscience.” Tom Cruise - Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg

“You see the dilemma don't you. If you don't kill me, precogs were wrong and precrime is over. If you do kill me, you go away, but it proves the system works. The precogs were right. So, what are you going to do now? What's it worth?” Tom Cruise - Chief John Anderton

“What does it mean to be Samurai? To devote yourself utterly to a set of moral principles. To seek a stillness of your mind. And to master the way of the sword.” Tom Cruise - Nathan Algren

“- Bonnie: Please, I don't want to end it this way. - Brian: Jesus , everything ends badly, otherwise it wouldn't end.” Lisa Banes - Bonnie Tom Cruise - Brian Flanagan

“You bitch! Why didn't you just tell me it was a Rum and Coke?!” Tom Cruise - Brian Flanagan

“I left a can of Spam in your refrigerator... I hope your Brewers Yeast doesn't take it personally.” Tom Cruise - Brian Flanagan

“You're not God, Nickerson. You're just a typing teacher .” Tom Cruise - Stefen Djordjevic

“- Kittridge: I can understand you're very upset. - Ethan Hunt: Kitridge, you've never seen me very upset. - Kittridge: All right, Hunt. Enough is enough. You have bribed, cajoled, and killed, and you have done it using loyalties on the inside. You want to shake hands with the devil, that's fine with me. I just want to make sure that you do it in...” (continue) (continue reading) Henry Czerny - Kittridge Tom Cruise - Ethan Hunt

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Tom Cruise’s Top 10 Movie Quotes: From ‘Mission: Impossible’ to ‘Jerry Maguire’

The three-time Oscar nominee wants you to “show him the money” and reveal who ordered the Code Red

Tom Cruise is a national treasure. Competing with a sea of foreign actors ranging from Tom Hardy and Henry Cavill to Michael Fassbender and Christian Bale , Cruise is one of the last American Movie Stars still standing — which also seems to be the one thing he never does in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise. He’s constantly in motion, whether he’s running for his life, climbing the Burj Khalifa or flying on the outside of an airplane.

With the release of “Mission: Impossible: Rogue Nation” this weekend, TheWrap decided to take a look back at Cruise’s incredible 34-year career and highlight his most memorable lines of dialogue. Join us for a trip down memory lane — on Cruise control, if you will.

And if there’s a classic Cruise zinger we missed, let us know in the comments section below.

1. The Cameron Quote – Jerry Maguire (tie) – “You complete me.” & “SHOW ME THE MONEY!” No one writes for Tom Cruise like Cameron Crowe , who served up a screenplay full of classic one-liners that allowed Cruise to prove he was at the peak of his powers in 1996. You could say anything, but we say they complete each other.

2. The Shared Quote – A Few Good Men – “Colonel Jessup! Did you order the code red? … I think I’m entitled. … I want the truth!” It takes two to tango, and there’s no better dance partner than Jack Nicholson . Coming to set armed for battle with an Aaron Sorkin script doesn’t hurt either. Nicholson’s half of the exchange continues to endure, but Cruise’s role in this classic courtroom scene is often overlooked and underappreciated.

3. The Classic Quote – Top Gun – “I feel the need… the need for speed.” C’mon Iceman, have a heart for this little ditty, which gets bonus points for rhyming. Who hasn’t said this while passing an old lady on the freeway?

4. The Adult Quote – Magnolia – “Respect the c-ck! And tame the c-nt!” Cruise is all grown up as Frank T.J. Mackey, a magnetic motivational speaker who empowers men to take what they want from women. Cruise went out on a limb to take a chance on Paul Thomas Anderson and it paid off with his third and most recent Oscar nomination back in 1999.

5. The Action Hero Quote (tie) Mission: Impossible – “Red light. Green light.” Minority Report – “Everybody runs.” Action heroes have to speak in short bursts and make their words count. They don’t have time to make long speeches, as they’re too busy saving the world from one disaster or another. Cruise made saving the world look effortless in these two mid-’90s efforts.

6. The Young and Cocky Quote – Risky Business – “Porsche. There is no substitute.” This is the youngest Tom Cruise on this list and thus, the purest. He wasn’t “ Tom Cruise ” yet. He was just a cocky guy singing in his underwear without a care in the world. Talk about human fulfillment …

7. The Deep Quote (tie) The Last Samurai – “I think a man does what he can, until his destiny is revealed.” Eyes Wide Shut – “No dream is ever just a dream.” ( no clip available ) Cruise is a man of many philosophies and he went all philosophical on us with these two movies, in which he spouts some “deep” stuff. Fidelio, indeed…

8. The Screaming Quote (tie) Vanilla Sky – “Tech support!” Born on the Fourth of July – “I fought for my country! I am a Vietnam veteran! I fought for my country!” Other than Al Pacino and (maybe) Nicolas Cage , is there anyone you’d rather watch scream/shout/yell than Tom Cruise ? He has it down to a science, whether he’s missing his legs or his face.

9. The Funny Quote – Tropic Thunder – “First, take a big step back… and literally FUCK YOUR OWN FACE!” Cruise played a supporting role in Ben Stiller ‘s “Tropic Thunder” and disappeared into the character of Les Grossman, a powerful studio head with hair everywhere but his head. Cruise stole the show, so much so that Paramount developed a spinoff movie for his character, though unfortunately, it never got the greenlight.

1o. The Creepy Quote (tie) Interview With the Vampire – “Don’t be afraid. I’m going to give you the choice I never had.” Collateral – “Don’t get me cornered. You don’t have the trunk space.” (no clip available) Cruise makes a great upscale creep, whether he’s threatening to kill two cops or take a bite out of Christian Slater . Living or undead, there’s something primal about his performances, which are never less than 100 percent believable. Even in his lesser films, he’s always completely committed to his characters.

See Video: How on earth is Tom Cruise still alive after doing all his own stunts?

Here are a few of our favorite movie quotes from Tom Cruise.

Tom Cruise pictured (left) in Mission: Impossible III This Tribute is not officially endorsed or authorized by Tom Cruise. Unauthorized use of this material is strictly prohibited. © 2001-2011 Destination Hollywood. All rights reserved.

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.

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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.

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Tom Cruise’s Top 10 Movie Quotes: From ‘Mission: Impossible’ to ‘Jerry Maguire’

Tom Cruise is a national treasure. Competing with a sea of foreign actors ranging from Tom Hardy and Henry Cavill to Michael Fassbender and Christian Bale, Cruise is one of the last American Movie Stars still standing — which also seems to be the one thing he never does in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise. He’s constantly in motion, whether he’s running for his life, climbing the Burj Khalifa or flying on the outside of an airplane.

Also Read: 5 Reasons Tom Cruise's 'Mission Impossible' Went Rogue

And if there’s a classic Cruise zinger we missed, let us know in the comments section below.

1. The Cameron Quote – Jerry Maguire (tie) – “You complete me.” & “SHOW ME THE MONEY!” No one writes for Tom Cruise like Cameron Crowe, who served up a screenplay full of classic one-liners that allowed Cruise to prove he was at the peak of his powers in 1996. You could say anything, but we say they complete each other.

2. The Shared Quote - A Few Good Men - “Colonel Jessup! Did you order the code red? … I think I’m entitled. … I want the truth!” It takes two to tango, and there’s no better dance partner than Jack Nicholson. Coming to set armed for battle with an Aaron Sorkin script doesn’t hurt either. Nicholson’s half of the exchange continues to endure, but Cruise’s role in this classic courtroom scene is often overlooked and underappreciated.

6. The Young and Cocky Quote - Risky Business – “Porsche. There is no substitute.” This is the youngest Tom Cruise on this list and thus, the purest. He wasn’t “Tom Cruise” yet. He was just a cocky guy singing in his underwear without a care in the world. Talk about human fulfillment …

8. The Screaming Quote (tie) Vanilla Sky – “Tech support!” Born on the Fourth of July – “I fought for my country! I am a Vietnam veteran! I fought for my country!” Other than Al Pacino and (maybe) Nicolas Cage, is there anyone you’d rather watch scream/shout/yell than Tom Cruise? He has it down to a science, whether he’s missing his legs or his face.

9. The Funny Quote – Tropic Thunder – “First, take a big step back… and literally FUCK YOUR OWN FACE!” Cruise played a supporting role in Ben Stiller’s “Tropic Thunder” and disappeared into the character of Les Grossman, a powerful studio head with hair everywhere but his head. Cruise stole the show, so much so that Paramount developed a spinoff movie for his character, though unfortunately, it never got the greenlight.

1o. The Creepy Quote (tie) Interview With the Vampire – “Don’t be afraid. I’m going to give you the choice I never had.” Collateral – “Don’t get me cornered. You don’t have the trunk space.” (no clip available) Cruise makes a great upscale creep, whether he’s threatening to kill two cops or take a bite out of Christian Slater. Living or undead, there’s something primal about his performances, which are never less than 100 percent believable. Even in his lesser films, he’s always completely committed to his characters.

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The 25 most memorable Tom Cruise performances

There are few true movie stars left, but Tom Cruise is one of them. He’s not just a movie star, but a bona fide action star. That’s wild, given his age, though the man does seem ageless. Over the years, Cruise has given some truly memorable performances in many films. Although, do keep in mind that “memorable” and “good” don’t always mean the same thing. With that caveat, here are the 25 Tom Cruise performances that are never far from the front of our minds.

“Risky Business” (1983)

Cruise had been in a few films before this, including the parade of ‘80s stars that was “The Outsiders,” but this was his breakout star role. It’s also the movie where he danced to “Old Time Rock and Roll” in his underwear when his parents leave him home alone. That’s become an extremely famous, and parodied movie moment.

“Top Gun” (1986)

In terms of slick ‘80s action films, “Top Gun” may be at the top of the list. Cruise’s turn as Maverick was so indelible they decided to make a sequel over 30 years later. “Top Gun: Maverick” was supposed to hit theaters in 2020, but now we have to wait to see Cruise in one of his iconic roles a little while longer.

“The Color of Money” (1986)

There’s a lot of prestige to this movie, even if it is a sequel. After all, Martin Scorsese directed it. Paul Newman returned as “Fast Eddie” Felson, winning an Oscar for his efforts. However, Cruise was along for the ride as well, cast as a hotshot young pool hustler because of the actor’s own rising stardom.

“Cocktail” (1988)

“Cocktail” is an incredibly goofy movie, but a lot of people remember it fondly. It’s about Cruise as a cocksure flair bartender, after all. For many, it was their first look at that kind of bar and that kind of bartending. “Cocktail” also may have helped put the Beach Boys’ “Kokomo” into the cultural lexicon, for better or worse.

“Rain Man” (1988)

Dustin Hoffman had the showy performance in “Rain Man.” He’s the one who won the Oscar. In fact, the movie also won Best Picture. However, don’t overlook Cruise. Then again, was Cruise ever getting overlooked in the ‘80s? He had a tough role in “Rain Man,” having to manage a presence on screen while sharing it with Hoffman’s over-the-top acting, but he did it because he was a true star already.

“Born on the Fourth of July” (1989)

This was Cruise’s attempt to swing big for an Oscar like his castmate Hoffman had the year prior. While Cruise didn’t win an Oscar, he was nominated, and many consider this his best performance. Cruise played real-life Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic in this visceral melodrama that allowed the actor to really emote all over the place.

“Days of Thunder” (1990)

Tom Cruise as a racecar driver. It just makes sense, doesn’t it? “Days of Thunder” is not necessarily remarkable as a movie, but we still remember it. Why? Because it starred Cruise. Also, maybe because his character was named Cole Trickle. That kind of tends to stick in the mind.

“A Few Good Men” (1992)

We all remember “You can’t handle the truth!” Jack Nicholson gives one of his most memorable performances in “A Few Good Men.” However, we also remember the lawyer who wanted the truth from Colonel Jessup. That was Cruise, and his performance is just as indelible as Nicholson’s. It’s the truth, and we can handle it.

“Interview with the Vampire” (1994)

Anne Rice’s Southern Gothic romantic vampires were quite popular in the ‘90s. A movie based on them was surely going to grab attention. Then Cruise and Brad Pitt got cast. Cruise plays Lestat, maybe the most famous vampire out there not named Nosferatu or Count Dracula. Well, or Edward Cullen now, we suppose.

“Mission: Impossible” (1996)

Over a decade into his acting career, Cruise started the action series that would keep him as one of the biggest action stars in the world for over 20 years. That was not to expected in the comparatively-tame opener to the series. Bear in mind this movie was directed by Brian De Palma. When his movie is considered “tame” by a series’ reputation, you know things got crazy eventually.

“Jerry Maguire” (1996)

Cameron Crowe’s film is packed to the brim with famous lines. Simply by yelling, “Show me the money!” Cruise birthed what was effectively a meme for a pre-internet time. However, there’s much more to this performance than merely one shouted catchphrase.

“Eyes Wide Shut” (1999)

Sometimes external factors make a movie more memorable. For starters, this was Stanley Kubrick’s final film. Second, it starred the then-married couple of Cruise and Nicole Kidman . Given the plot of this film, that created a sense of intrigue, perhaps morbid curiosity. When Cruise and Kidman divorced that only added fuel to the fire.

“Magnolia” (1999)

Clearly, 1999 was Cruise taking one more big swing at trying to win an Oscar. He made films with both Kubrick and Paul Thomas Anderson . Anderson was following up his breakout hit “Boogie Nights” with the ensemble piece “Magnolia.” Perhaps “Magnolia” was a little too complicated, a little too messy. Cruise is very good, but there was no Oscar.

“Minority Report” (2002)

Cruise has made a couple of action films with Steven Spielberg. “War of the Worlds” made some cash, but we don’t really remember it much. “Minority Report” is a different story. Its plot is a little fresher, and perhaps we also feel like the plot is more successful as well.

“The Last Samurai” (2003)

Yes, it’s a little odd that Cruise starred in a movie called “The Last Samurai.” Hey, at least it’s based on some historical fact, though there have still been some quibbles. Personally, we don’t feel like fiction movies need to be de facto documentaries. “The Last Samurai” was a big hit and got four Oscar nominations, and Cruise is definitely the face of the cast (with all due respect to Ken Watanabe).

“Collateral” (2004)

Cruise has spent so much of his career playing action heroes and good guys. In “Collateral” he plays the villain, a callous hitman who makes life miserable for Jamie Foxx ’s cab driver. It’s a grim film, but Cruise showed that he knows how to play evil. He hasn’t really done it since, though.

“Tropic Thunder” (2008)

People were taken aback when Cruise showed up unexpectedly in “Tropic Thunder.” That’s partially because he buried himself under makeup and latex. It’s also because it had been a long time, and maybe it was the first time, he got so broad with his comedy. Cruise swears his head off and dances like a lunatic. In an insane comedy, Cruise may stand out above everybody else with his performance.

“Valkyrie” (2008)

You may not have seen “Valkyrie.” It did make money. Quite a lot of it. It’s a thriller about an attempt to assassinate Hitler. However, we’d bet you definitely remember seeing trailers and posters for the movie where Cruise had an eye patch. See, now you remember “Valkyrie.” That’s what we call memorable. It’s also notable because it isn’t a sci-fi film, an action film, or something along those lines.

“Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” (2010)

We skipped a couple of the “Mission: Impossible” films, but now we are getting to the point where Cruise kept trying to outdo himself with insane stunts. “Ghost Protocol” is the one where he climbs the outside of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. That grabbed people’s attention, and it increased interest in the film series.

“Jack Reacher” (2012)

Hey, they managed to make two “Jack Reacher” movies. That means the first one had to make enough of an impact to warrant a second film. It’s not like they made a sequel to “Knight and Day.” While Cruise is much more compact than the Reacher in the book, he took a character that a lot of people had never heard of and made him something of a household name.

“Rock of Ages” (2012)

“Rock of Ages” is a total fiasco. It’s a jukebox musical, but it doesn’t work like “Mamma Mia!” However, we all remember Cruise doing the whole hair metal thing. This was a big swing of a film and a big swing for Cruise. While it was a total whiff, it was the kind of failure we remember.

“Edge of Tomorrow” (2014)

Maybe you know it better as “Live, Die, Repeat.” The marketing behind “Edge of Tomorrow” was a little middling. The movie, though, has a ton of fans. People consider “Edge of Tomorrow” one of the best sci-fi action films of recent vintage. It has a clever premise and also featured a fine turn from Emily Blunt alongside Cruise. In fact, she’s more heroic than he is.

“Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation” (2015)

For our money, “Rogue Nation” is the best of the “Mission: Impossible” movies. The plot is riveting and the action is fantastic. This film featured a couple of insane stunts from Cruise. While him having to hold his breath for upwards of three minutes for an underwater scene without edits is impressive, the big, showy stunt is clearly when Cruise held on to the outside of an airplane as it took off. Read that again. Think of how insane it is for a true movie star to do that.

“The Mummy” (2017)

“The Mummy” flopped for all intents and purposes. However, they had hoped to build a new cinematic universe off of it, which meant it got a ton of promotion. A lot of that focused on the titular mummy and her freaky eyes. That being said, Cruise is definitely the star, and this was a “Mummy” movie. It’s not his most memorable role, but it’s definitely a memorable one. Also, had the series taken off, it would have become even more memorable given the twist at the end.

“Mission: Impossible – Fallout” (2018)

Cruise was almost overshadowed by Henry Cavill’s mustache, but not quite. The movie was a massive hit, and in fact, has made more money than any movie in Cruise’s career. It’s another great action film that is filled with big action set pieces. Cruise infamously broke his ankle filming a stunt but kept filming the scene so that they could complete it for the film. The man is truly dedicated to his craft.

"Top Gun: Maverick" (2022)

Maverick is back! It took decades, but it was well worth it. Not only do a lot of people find "Maverick" better than "Top Gun," but it was a massive hit. The sequel is the highest-grossing film of 2022 domestically, and second-highest-grossing worldwide.

Chris Morgan is a sports and pop culture writer and the author of the books The Comic Galaxy of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and The Ash Heap of History . You can follow him on Twitter @ChrisXMorgan .

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Tom Cruise reinvigorated the Mission: Impossible franchise when he starred as the main protagonist of the Hollywood film series. Ethan Hunt was not the typical IMF agent shown in the classic television TV series. He had access to a wide array of gadgets and technologies that allowed him to participate in far more dangerous missions involving various world threats.

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Hunt has continued to play a pivotal role in the films as he engages in one daring stunt after another. He's also had plenty of memorable quotes over the course of the popular action franchise, and that's part of what makes his character so fun to watch. Even in the midst of a heated action sequence, Hunt demonstrates wit, hilarity, and seriousness in all the things he says.

Updated on December 16th, 2021 by Derek Draven: Ethan Hunt is set to return in a brand new Mission: Impossible film in 2022, which is why it's a good idea to go back and check out the older films, which are loaded with a ton of excellent quotes. Whether in the middle of a daring firefight or when planning the next phase of his mission, Hunt's ability to read a situation, and come up with ingenious solutions to challenges is reflected in his quotes, proving why he's one of the best heroes in action movies to date.

Ethan Is All About Taking Chances

"we just rolled up a snowball and tossed it into hell. now let's see what chance it has.".

The business of being an IMF agent was a dangerous one, and Hunt learned that early on in his career. By the time he faced down rogue IMF agent Sean Ambrose and his crew, he was ready for anything. What he wasn't prepared for was sending Nyah Nordoff-Hall into the lion's den.

Hunt's plan was to use her past relationship with Ambrose as a trojan horse, but it put her in incredible danger at the same time. With no real recon or intel regarding Ambrose's plan, Hunt uttered this quote to describe the peril of sending Nyah in to squeeze blood out of a stone.

Ethan Hunt Is A Force Of Nature

"i am the storm.".

The opening of Mission: Impossible - Fallout finds Ethan Hunt awakening from a rather traumatic nightmare, finding himself in a safe-house in Belfast. He heads downstairs to investigate a knock at the front door from a man carrying a sealed package, and triggering a code phrase exchange.

Ethan reacts to the code phrase "Fate whispers to the warrior..." with "...a storm is coming." The delivery man continues with "And the warrior whispers back...," to which Ethan replies "...I am the storm." Not only is it a cool and ominous way to start an exciting new spy movie, but it pretty much sums up Ethan to a T.

Ethan Goes Back And Forth With Ambrose In Mission: Impossible 2

"i would have thought the hardest part was serving that pressing need of yours to get your gun off.".

There was no love lost between Ethan Hunt and his fellow IMF agent and body double Sean Ambrose. When the latter went rogue, Ethan wasn't particularly surprised, especially given his methods on previous IMF missions.

When the two finally met in person during a shootout for the Chimera virus, they took a brief respite to catch up. Ambrose made a quip about finding it hard to "grin like an idiot" while doubling Ethan Hunt with a face mask. Hunt retaliated with this quote, which summed up Ambrose's penchant for impulsive and violent behavior that ended up working against him, rather than in his favor.

Ethan Is Never Afraid To Go Rogue

"the cia has been infiltrated. i don't trust anybody outside of this room. we're gonna' have to go alone.".

The premise of Fallout became one of Hunt's most dangerous missions to date, especially since the CIA itself was compromised. Since the organization was already on bad terms with the IMF, Hunt believed that the stakes had never been higher.

Hunt uttered this quote as a demonstration of his ability to lead a team, relying heavily on trust as a main factor. It paid off in the end, and he was able to complete his mission while preventing a nuclear catastrophe that would have poisoned the water supply for millions of people.

Ethan Gives Julia A Heck Of An Ultimatum In Mission: Impossible III

"i've got a charge in my head. i'm going to die unless you kill me".

After going through Hell and back to save his wife Julia from the sadistic Owen Davian, one of Mission: Impossible's smartest characters , Ethan was forced to deal with one final threat - a micro-explosive implanted in his head that has been triggered for a countdown. With seconds left until his death, he instructed Julia to electrocute him with a pair of loose cables.

The quote is simultaneously chilling, and hilarious, as Julia struggles to come to grips with what Ethan is suggesting. Though patently ridiculous on its face, it was the only way to short out the micro-explosive, and prevent it from detonating, after which time Julia could revive him via CPR.

Ethan's Back And Ready To Fight

"if the secretary wanted me out of there, it must be pretty bad out here.".

Hunt was known for taking on missions that even the most diehard of IMF agents would think twice about. One involved spending time in a brutal Russian prison in a deep cover operation, but that mission was cut short due to more dire circumstances breaking out.

RELATED: Mission Impossible's 10 Most Hated Characters In The Series

After being broken out of the prison by Benji and Jane Carter, Hunt uttered this quote. It essentially summed up just how bad the situation had become, as pulling Hunt out of the field and reassigning him meant that a dangerous threat was imminent.

Ethan Needs To Save Everybody

"just stay alive i'm not going to lose you".

After being cornered with no escape vector inside the med lab, Hunt knew that his options were limited. So did Nyah, who picked up the Chimera virus under Ambrose's order, and chose to inject herself with it. This allowed her to shield Hunt from gunfire, as Ambrose would not risk losing the virus, and a possible billion+ dollar payday.

It gave Hunt enough time to devise an escape plan by blowing out a wall with an explosive. Unfortunately, he had to leave Nyah behind with Ambrose, and come back for her later. His subsequent quote was one of the most emotionally charged in the entire series, and straight to the point. The game wasn't over yet.

It's Impossible To Beat Ethan At Mind Games

"if you're dealing with someone who's crushed, stabbed, shot and detonated five members of his own imf team, how devastated do you think you're gonna' make him by marching ma and uncle donald down to the county court house".

In an effort to draw Hunt out into the open, the cunning and clever IMF agent Kittridge decided on some strong-arm tactics, which involved framing his own mother and uncle as the masterminds of a major international drug smuggling ring. He even had them marched in front of the cameras outside of a courthouse to provide a TV feed for Hunt to see.

Hunt responded by phoning Kittridge from a payphone in Paris, knowing full well that they would try to use a 30-second window to trace the call. To keep up appearances, Hunt uttered this quote in order to simultaneously let Kittridge know that he was in Paris, which was all part of his plan.

Ethan Hunt On Vacations

"if i let you know where i'm going, i won't be on holiday.".

The opening scene of Mission: Impossible II showed Ethan Hunt engaging in some much-needed R&R, by rock-climbing without any safety gear. This was obvious, given his adrenaline junkie lifestyle as an IMF agent, but it was all part of living life to its absolute fullest.

Nevertheless, his vacation would be short-lived when an IMF chopper buzzed him at the top of a mountain and fired a rocket containing a data module about a brand new mission. Mission Commander Swanbeck asked him politely to tell them where he was going the next time he took a holiday, to which Ethan uttered this factually true quote.

Ethan Is Always A Man On A Mission

"what's done is done, when we say it's done".

The first act of Fallout showcases a clever and complex plot to trick radical fundamentalist Nils Delbruuk into unlocking a phone used to communicate with John Lark, the leader of a terrorist faction known as The Apostles. It ends with Delbruuk in a fake hospital setting concocted by the IMF team, which was designed to make him think that his plan has succeeded.

When the IMF team makes their grand reveal, a shocked Delbruuk looks on with complete defeat in his eyes. Hunt stands over him and utters this cool quote, before injecting him with a sedative, and kicking the main Mission: Impossible title sequence into high gear. Delbruuk may have been one of the best henchmen of the Mission: Impossible films , but he was reduced to a puddle by the time this scene ended.

Ethan Beats Solomon Lane

"gentlemen, this is solomon lane. mr. lane, meet the imf.".

Solomon Lane was one of Hunt's most lethal adversaries, with enough covert ops training as an MI6 agent to formulate his own anti-IMF group. It seemed like Lane was one step ahead of Hunt and his team at almost every turn, but eventually, the good guys gained the upper hand.

Hunt managed to lure Lane into a brilliant trap, imprisoning him in a box made out of reinforced bulletproof glass. It was then that Hunt revealed his full team to Lane, who were all-too-happy to see the rat finally caged. Hunt uttered this line, before turning the knockout gas on, ending Lane's campaign for a time.

Ethan Hunt Does What He Has To

"desperate times, desperate measures.".

In an effort to confirm the existence of the shadowy organization known as The Syndicate, Hunt devised an ingenious plan to get the British Prime Minister to admit to its existence as a theoretical proposal, which was later turned into reality by SIS Chief Atlee. Hunt utilized his most popular mannerism, taking on Atlee's appearance, and lured CIA director Alan Hunley to a meeting where, using the disguise, he shot the Prime Minister with a tranquilizer dart.

A shocked Hunley soon realized that Hunt was telling the truth about The Syndicate the entire time, but laments the fact that he might have caused the biggest foreign relations incident since LBJ's disastrous handling of the Vietnam War. Hunt's response was badass.

Ethan Always Does The Right Thing

"by fire. that's the best way, really.".

By all accounts, Ethan Hunt didn't exactly trust Mission Commander Swanbeck, believing him to be little more than a numbers man with a focus on completing a task, regardless of who was put in harm's way. It was Swanbeck who pushed for Nyah Nordoff-Hall to be used as a trojan horse to infiltrate Sean Ambrose's operation, a fact that Hunt resented.

RELATED: 10 Mission Impossible Movies & TV Shows Starring The Cast You Need To See

By the time Ethan had accomplished his mission, Swanbeck was eager to find out what happened to the sample of the lethal Chimera virus in Ambrose's possession. Hunt replied with this quote, perhaps to let Swanbeck know that nobody, not even the IMF, should be in possession of such a lethal virus.

Nothing Stops Ethan Hunt

"mission accomplished".

Hunt faced one of his most dangerous moments when Cobalt terrorist member Kurt Hendricks managed to trigger a nuclear missile launch from a Russian submarine, directed at San Francisco. With minutes until detonation, Hunt pursued Hendricks through a car park and fought him in a brutal brawl for control of a device that could nullify the missile.

With nowhere to go, Hendricks leaped to his own death in order to buy time for the missile to strike the city. Hunt managed to get to it just in the nick of time, yelling out this quote before slamming his fist down on the detonator and exploding the missile harmlessly in mid-flight, preventing a catastrophe.

Nobody Wants Ethan As An Enemy

"kittridge, you've never seen me very upset".

After his entire IMF team was wiped out, fledgling agent Ethan Hunt turned to the only people he thought he could trust - his own superiors. Sadly, Hunt would soon learn that IMF director Kittridge fingered him as the culprit, citing his family's financial woes, and the fact that only he managed to walk away from the carnage.

Kittridge made it clear that Hunt was the prime suspect, forcing Hunt to quickly devise an escape scheme involving explosive chewing gum, and a fish tank. When Kittridge made a comment about understanding why Hunt would be upset at such a revelation, he responded with this quote, before making his spectacular escape.

NEXT: Tom Cruise's 10 Biggest Movies At The Box Office Besides Mission Impossible

Mission: Impossible (1996)

Tom Cruise’s 10 Best Non-'Mission: Impossible' Movies, According to Rotten Tomatoes

If you want to see more of the actor behind Ethan Hunt, check out these highly-rated movies!

From his earliest days starring in comedic teen dramas to his current standing as a major blockbuster draw card the world over, Tom Cruise can only be viewed as one of the greatest movie stars cinema has ever seen. Ever since he starred in 1996’s reboot of Mission: Impossible , the action franchise has become a major part of his cinematic identity, and with Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One in theaters from July 12, fans will be coming out in droves to see what Ethan Hunt and the IMF have in store.

Despite his action star image, Cruise has honed his skill set in a wide range of roles across many different genres. From unlikely heroes to terrifying antagonists and, of course, a couple of iconic action roles, these are Tom Cruise’s best movies outside the Mission: Impossible franchise, according to Rotten Tomatoes .

10 'Jerry Maguire' (1996)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%

A sports management romance flick, Jerry Maguire excelled thanks to its wonderful cast and Cameron Crowe ’s unique style. It stars Cruise as the titular character, a successful sports agent who want to re-invent the way athlete management operates for the better, with only one client staying with him to see if it will work.

Ever on the brink of everything falling apart, Cruise brings out Jerry Maguire’s angst and desperation but also his convictions and humor to make for a charming and triumphant outing. With Renée Zellweger and Cuba Gooding Jr. also outstanding in their parts, the film remains a rewarding, endlessly quotable '90s rom-com classic.

9 'American Made' (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%

A comedic crime drama based on true events, American Made had raucous and infectious energy befitting its stranger-than-fiction narrative. Cruise stars as Barry Seal, an American pilot hired by the CIA to gain intel on a communist threat in Central America only to end up working as a smuggler for the Medellín cartel.

A fun-fueled pressure cooker of a movie , it demanded Cruise shoulder the load of its tonal complexity. He delivered in spades, embodying the reckless, shameless moral debauchery that made the film such a spectacle. It encapsulates the freewheeling chaos of 1980s America and roars to an abrupt and violent ending.

8 'Born of the Fourth of July' (1989)

Possibly the single most underrated performance of Tom Cruise’s career, Born on the Fourth of July features the movie icon at his dramatic best. The biographical war drama follows Ron Kovic, a paralyzed veteran of the Vietnam War who becomes an anti-war activist as the world around him fails to comprehend what he lives with.

From director Oliver Stone , the film was an angry, exceptional swipe at so many aspects of American society and how it handled the war and its veterans in its entirety. Taking Kovic from an optimistic and naïve youth to a furious, jaded activist earned Cruise his first Oscar nomination and remains his most striking performance.

7 'Collateral' (2004)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%

Tom Cruise has made a name for himself as one of the greatest action stars cinema has ever seen. As such, it is rather rare to see him in the role of the antagonist, which is a shame considering how fantastic he was at playing the villain in Collateral .

The thriller stars Jamie Foxx as an L.A. cabbie who realizes he’s been driving a rampaging hitman from one job to the next. The action is high-tempo and intense, and the tension only builds as Foxx’s innocent protagonist tries to figure out how to escape the night alive, but the film hinges its brilliance on Cruise’s magnetic and utterly intimidating performance as the psychotic gunman.

6 'The Color of Money' (1986)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%

A legacy sequel before legacy sequels were a thing, The Color of Money succeeded The Hustler some 25 years after the first film was made. Paul Newman reprised his role as “Fast Eddie” Felson, a once legendary pub-crawling con artist who returns to scamming pool games and takes young accomplice Vincent Lauria (Cruise) under his wing.

The mentor-to-rivalry relationship between the two is a joy to watch, especially with legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese giving the film a real visual punch. While Newman was the leading man, the film showed that Cruise wasn’t out of his depth rubbing shoulders with major stars on the big screen and still stands as a pivotal moment in his career.

5 'Rain Man' (1988)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%

From director Barry Levinson , Rain Man was an early opportunity for Cruise to capitalize on his early success in a dramatic road trip film which would win four Oscars, including Best Picture. It follows a sketchy car dealer who, upon learning his estranged father has died, returns home and learns his inheritance has been left to a mental institution that houses an autistic older brother he never knew he had.

Wanting to get his hands on the inheritance, Charlie (Cruise) checks his brother out of the facility, leading to a chaotic, comedic, and heartfelt road trip across America. With good humor, great character development, and a wonderful sense of adventure, Rain Man has become a deserving classic and one of the most memorable films of Cruise’s career.

4 'Minority Report' (2002)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%

2002’s Minority Report presented moviegoers with a mouth-watering collaboration between Tom Cruise and veteran filmmaker Steven Spielberg . As a thought-provoking sci-fi thriller, it did not disappoint, taking place in a future where police can arrest murderers before they strike. The movie follows a Precrime officer accused of murdering a man he is yet to meet.

As a high-concept action blockbuster, the movie is quite remarkable in giving audiences high-octane thrills while still delivering a contemplative story about right and wrong in law enforcement. It also gave Cruise plenty of room to showcase his acting chops, with intense scenes involving the mystery of his missing son and the prospect of vengeance against the man who took him from him.

3 'Edge of Tomorrow' (2014)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%

It seems as though every genre has given its own spin on the time loop narrative, from romantic comedies like Palm Springs and Groundhog Day to horror flicks like Happy Death Day . However, few are as good as Edge of Tomorrow , an action sci-fi thriller following an alien invasion of Earth and a soldier who becomes humanity’s last hope when he falls into a time loop.

While the film has astonishing action sequences and visual effects, the most enjoyable aspect of it is seeing Cruise portray Major William Cage, an officer who has never seen combat and desperately tries to wriggle out of battle any way he can. The role brought Cruise’s underrated comedy chops to the fore and gave audiences a noble character arc that was fun and engaging.

2 'Risky Business' (1983)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

An early star-making flick for Cruise, Risky Business unveiled Tom Cruise as a leading man with strong comedic presence. It follows an upper-class high schooler from Chicago suburbia whose night of wild fun leads to a desperate, farcical adventure as he must rack up money fast, leading him to use his parents’ house as a brothel.

The flick is quintessentially '80s, but it does work exceptionally well, thanks to its focus on teenage angst and its willingness to incorporate darker themes. It also features a famous scene showing a baby-faced Tom Cruise relishing his newfound freedom by lip-syncing, air-guitaring, and dancing to Bob Seger ’s "Old Time Rock ‘n’ Roll."

1 'Top Gun: Maverick' (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

A rousing, triumphant, glorious throwback to '80s action, Top Gun: Maverick could well go down as Tom Cruise’s crowning achievement. The legacy sequel follows an aging fighter pilot brought back to Top Gun to train a cohort of pilots ahead of a dangerous mission.

In addition to its romantic nostalgia, the film boasted a truly staggering visual display, making it an incredible big-screen experience appreciated by fans and critics alike. It won an Academy Award for Best Sound and currently sits as the second-highest-rated Tom Cruise film on Rotten Tomatoes, just behind Mission: Impossible – Fallout .

KEEP READING: Every 'Mission: Impossible' Movie Ranked From Worst to Best

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A Few Good Men

Judge Randolph : [ to Kaffee from the judge's bench ] Consider yourself in contempt!
Kaffee : Colonel Jessup, did you order the Code Red?
Judge Randolph : You don't have to answer that question!
Col. Jessup : I'll answer the question!
[ to Kaffee ]
Col. Jessup : You want answers?
Kaffee : I think I'm entitled to.
Col. Jessep : You want answers?
Kaffee : I WANT THE TRUTH!
Col. Jessup : YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!
Col. Jessup : Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know; that Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, *saves lives*. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall. You need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it! I would rather you just said "thank you" and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a *damn* what you think you are entitled to!
Kaffee : Did you order the code red?
Col. Jessup : I did the job I...
Kaffee : [ interrupts him ] *Did you order the Code Red?*
Col. Jessup : *You're God damn right I did!*
Capt. Ross : Corporal Barnes, I hold here the Marine Outline for Recruit Training. You're familiar with this book?
Cpl. Barnes : Yes, sir.
Capt. Ross : Have you read it?
Capt. Ross : [ hands him the book ] Good. Would you turn to the chapter that deals with code reds, please?
Cpl. Barnes : [ confused ] Sir?
Capt. Ross : Just flip to the page of the book that discusses code reds.
Cpl. Barnes : Well, well, you see, sir code red is a term that we use. I mean, just down at Gitmo. I don't know if it's actually...
Capt. Ross : Ah, we're in luck then. Standard Operating Procedures, Rifle Security Company, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Now, I assume we'll find the term code red and its definition in that book. Am I correct?
Cpl. Barnes : No, sir.
Capt. Ross : No? Corporal Barnes, I'm a Marine. Is there no book, no manual or pamphlet, no set of orders or regulations that lets me know that, as a Marine, one of my duties is to perform code reds?
Cpl. Barnes : No, sir. No book, sir.
Capt. Ross : No further questions.
[ as Ross walks back to his table Kaffee takes the book out of his hand ]
Kaffee : Corporal, would you turn to the page in this book that says where the mess hall is, please?
Cpl. Barnes : Well, Lt. Kaffee, that's not in the book, sir.
Kaffee : You mean to say in all your time at Gitmo, you've never had a meal?
Cpl. Barnes : No, sir. Three squares a day, sir.
Kaffee : I don't understand. How did you know where the mess hall was if it's not in this book?
Cpl. Barnes : Well, I guess I just followed the crowd at chow time, sir.
Kaffee : No more questions.
Capt. West : [ in West's office ] Commander Galloway, why don't you get yourself a cup of coffee.
Galloway : Thank you, sir, I'm fine.
Capt. West : [ irritated because she didn't understand his intention ] Commander, I'd like you to leave the room so we can talk about you behind your back.
Galloway : Certainly, sir.
Col. Jessup : [ after Danny casually and dispectfully requests Santiago's transfer order during lunch in Cuba ] You see Danny, I can deal with the bullets, and the bombs, and the blood. I don't want money, and I don't want medals. What I do want is for you to stand there in that faggoty white uniform and with your Harvard mouth extend me some fucking courtesy. You gotta ask me nicely.
Lt. Weinberg : [ sarcastically to Joanne with Danny present, in an empty courtroom after the trial has been adjourned for the day ] "I strenuously object?" Is that how it works? Hm? "Objection." "Overruled." "Oh, no, no, no. No, I STRENUOUSLY object." "Oh. Well, if you strenuously object then I should take some time to reconsider."
Kaffee : [ Kaffee has just asked why Santiago hadn't packed despite being due to be transferred in a few hours after the time of his death. Jessup smirks ] Is this funny, sir?
Col. Jessup : No, it isn't. It's tragic.
Kaffee : Do you have an answer to the question, Colonel?
Col. Jessup : Absolutely. My answer is I don't have the first damn clue. Maybe he was an early riser and liked to pack in the morning. And maybe he didn't have any friends. I'm an educated man, but I'm afraid I can't speak intelligently about the travel habits of William Santiago. What I do know is that he was set to leave the base at 0600. Now, are these really the questions I was called here to answer? Phone calls and foot lockers? Please tell me that you have something more, Lieutenant. These two Marines are on trial for their lives. Please tell me their lawyer hasn't pinned their hopes to a phone bill.
[ Kaffee hesitates, dumbfounded ]
Col. Jessup : Do you have any more questions for me, Counselor?
Judge Randolph : Lt. Kaffee?
Judge Randolph : Lieutenant, do you have anything further for this witness?
Col. Jessup : [ standing to leave ] Thanks, Danny. I love Washington.
Kaffee : Excuse me. I didn't dismiss you.
Col. Jessup : I beg your pardon?
Kaffee : I'm not through with my examination. Sit down.
Col. Jessup : Colonel!
Kaffee : What's that?
Col. Jessup : I would appreciate it if you would address me as "Colonel" or "Sir." I believe I've earned it.
Judge Randolph : Defense counsel will address the witness as "Colonel" or "Sir."
Col. Jessup : I don't know what the hell kind of unit you're running here.
Judge Randolph : And the witness will address this court as "Judge" or "Your Honor." I'm quite certain I've earned it. Take your seat, Colonel.
Downey : [ after the verdict was read ] I don't understand... Colonel Jessup said he ordered the Code Red.
Galloway : I know but...
Downey : [ nervously ] Colonel Jessup said he ordered the Code Red! What did we do wrong?
Galloway : It's not that simple...
Downey : [ anxiously ] What did we do wrong? We did nothing wrong!
Dawson : Yeah we did. We were supposed to fight for people who couldn't fight for themselves. We were supposed to fight for Willy.
Col. Jessup : [ to Galloway during lunch in Cuba with Kaffee, Weinberg, Kendrick, and Markinson present ] I run my unit how I run my unit. You want to investigate me, roll the dice and take your chances. I eat breakfast 300 yards from 4000 Cubans who are trained to kill me, so don't think for one second that you can come down here, flash a badge, and make me nervous.
Kaffee : [ Stops Dawson as he is leaving the courtroom ] Harold.
Dawson : Sir?
Kaffee : You don't need to wear a patch on your arm to have honor.
Dawson : Ten-hut!
[ salutes ]
Dawson : There's an officer on deck.
Kaffee : [ at Luther's magazine stand ] How's it going, Luther?
Luther : Another day, another dollar, captain.
Kaffee : You gotta play them as they lay.
Luther : What goes around comes around.
Kaffee : Can't beat 'em, join 'em.
Luther : At least I got my health.
Kaffee : [ hands him money before leaving ] Well, then you got everything... See you tomorrow, Luther.
Luther : Not if I see you first.
Col. Jessup : [ Judge dismisses the jury after Jessep's revelation on the stand about the Code Red ] What is this? What's going on? I did my job, I'd do it again!
[ stands up defiantly ]
Col. Jessup : I'm gonna get on a plane and go on back to my base.
Judge Randolph : You're not going anywhere, Colonel. MP's... guard the Colonel!
[ MPs take post ]
Judge Randolph : Captain Ross?
Col. Jessup : What the hell is this?
Capt. Ross : Colonel Jessup, you have the right to remain silent. Any statement you make...
Col. Jessup : I'm being charged with a crime? Is that what this is? I'm being charged with a crime? This is funny. That's what this is. This is...
[ turning to Kaffee and lunging at him ]
Col. Jessup : ... I'm gonna rip the eyes out of your head and piss into your dead skull! You fucked with the wrong Marine!
Capt. Ross : Colonel Jessup! Do you understand these rights as I have just read them to you?
Col. Jessup : [ contemptuously ] You fuckin' people... you have no idea how to defend a nation. All you did was weaken a country today, Kaffee. That's all you did. You put people's lives in danger. Sweet dreams, son.
Kaffee : Don't call me son. I'm a lawyer, and an officer in the United States Navy, and you're under arrest you son of a bitch.
[ glares at Jessup ]
Kaffee : The witness is excused.
Capt. Ross : [ in a bar, after Danny just walked up to Jack's table ] Hey, Danny! Great job today. The redirect on Barnes.
Kaffee : I have Markinson.
Capt. Ross : Where is he?
Kaffee : Motel room in North East with six federal marshalls outside his door. Take a sip of your drink.
Kaffee : The transfer order that Markinson signed is a phony. Jessup's statement that the 6am flight was the first available is a lie. We're checking the tower chief's log.
[ to waitress ]
Kaffee : I'd like a beer, please.
[ to Ross ]
Kaffee : In the mean time I thought we'd put the Apostle John Kendrick on the stand and see if we can't have a little fun.
Capt. Ross : Alright. I have an obligation to tell you that if you accuse Kendrick or Jessup of any crime without proper evidence then you're going to be subject to a court martial for professional misconduct and that is something that's going to be stapled to every job application that you ever fill out. Markinson's not going to hold up, Danny, he's a crazy man! Now, I'm not telling you this to intimidate you I'm being your lawyer here.
Kaffee : Oh, thanks, Jack. And I want to tell you that I think the whole fucking bunch of you are certifiably insane! This code of honor of yours makes me want to beat the shit out of something!
Capt. Ross : Don't you dare lump me in with Jessup and Kendrick just because we wear the same uniform. I'm your friend and I'm telling you, I don't think your clients belong in jail but I don't get to make that decision! I represent the government of the United States without passion or prejudice and my client has a case! There you go. Now I want you to acknowledge that the Judge Advocate has made you aware of the possible consequences of accusing a Marine officer of a felony without proper evidence.
Kaffee : I've been so advised.
Capt. Ross : You got bullied into that courtroom, Danny, by everyone. By Dawson. By Galloway. Shit, I practically dared you. You got bullied into that courtroom by the memory of a dead lawyer.
Kaffee : [ shouting as Jack leaves ] You're a lousy fucking softball player, Jack!
Capt. Ross : Your boys are going down, Danny. I can't stop it anymore.
Lt. Weinberg : meeting for the first time
[ in her office ]
Lt. Weinberg : Cmdr. Galloway, Lt. Kaffee is considered to be the best litigator in our office. He successfully plea bargained 44 cases in 9 months.
Kaffee : One more and I get a set of steak knives.
Col. Jessup : [ in Jessup's office with Markinson, Kendrick, Weinberg and Galloway present ] How the hell is your dad, Danny?
Kaffee : He passed away seven years ago, sir.
Col. Jessup : Don't I feel like the fucking asshole?
Kaffee : Not at all sir.
Lt. Weinberg : [ refering to Dawson and Downey after court has adjourned for the day ] Why do you like them so much?
Galloway : Because they stand on a wall and say, "Nothing's going to hurt you tonight, not on my watch."
Galloway : The doctor's wrong.
Kaffee : [ jokingly, in his apartment ] What a relief. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to use the liar-liar-pants-on-fire defense.
Kaffee : [ in Santiago's room ] Lt. Kendrick... can I call you John?
Lt. Kendrick : No, you may not.
Kaffee : Have I done something to offend you?
Lt. Kendrick : No, I like all you Navy boys. Every time we've gotta go someplace to fight, you fellas always give us a ride.
Lt. Col. Matthew Andrew Markinson : [ voice over, as we see Markinson putting on his full class A dress uniform. It is his suicide note ] Dear Mr. and Mrs. Santiago, I was William's executive officer. I knew your son vaguely, which is to say I knew his name. In a matter of time, the trial of the two men charged with your son's death will be concluded, and seven men and two women whom you've never met will try to offer you an explanation as to why William is dead. For my part, I've done as much as I can to bring the truth to light. And the truth is this: Your son is dead for only one reason. I wasn't strong enough to stop it. Always, Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Andrew Markinson, United States Marine Corps.
[ puts pistol in his mouth, we hear a gunshot as the scene changes back to the courtroom ]
Galloway : [ refering to Jessup ] You put him on the stand and you get it from him!
Kaffee : [ sarcastically, refering to Jessup in his apartment ] Oh, we get it from him! Yes! No problem! We get it from him.
[ turns to Sam as if he were Jessup on the stand ]
Kaffee : Colonel Jessup, isn't it true that you ordered the Code Red on Santiago?
Lt. Weinberg : Listen, we're all a little...
Kaffee : [ interrupts with game-show buzzer sound ] eeehhhhh! I'm sorry, your time's run out! What do we have for the losers, judge? Well, for our defendants, it's a life time at exotic Fort Leavenworth! And, for defense counsel Kaffee, that's right, it's a court martial! Yes, Johnny! After falsely accusing a highly decorated Marine officer of conspiracy and perjury, Lieutenant Kaffee will have a long and prosperous career teaching... typewriter maintenance at the Rocco Globbo School for Women! Thank you for playing "Should we or should we not follow the advice of the galactically stupid!"
Kaffee : [ sarcastically to Joanne in his apartment ] Oh, hah, I'm sorry, I keep forgetting. You were sick the day they taught law at law school.
Col. Jessup : Have you ever spent time in an infantry unit, son?
Kaffee : No, sir.
Col. Jessup : Ever served in a forward area?
Col. Jessup : Ever put your life in another man's hands, ask him to put his life in yours?
Col. Jessup : We follow orders, son. We follow orders or people die. It's that simple. Are we clear?
Kaffee : Yes, sir.
Col. Jessup : [ slower and louder ] Are we clear?
Kaffee : Crystal.
Kaffee : [ to his teamates in the outfield ] Alright, let's go, let's get two.
Lt. Sherby : Sorry!
Kaffee : Nothing to be sorry about, Sherby, you just look the ball into your glove. Shootin' two!
Kaffee : Sherby, you gotta trust me, you keep your eyes open and your chances of catching ball increase by a factor of 10.
Lieutenant Dave Spradling : [ talking through the batting cage fence ] Kaffee.
Kaffee : Let's try it again.
Lieutenant Dave Spradling : Kaffee!
Kaffee : Dave, you seem distraught.
Lieutenant Dave Spradling : We were supposed to meet in your office fifteen minutes ago to talk about the McDermont case. You're stalling on this thing. We get this done right now, or I mean it, Kaffee, I'm going to hang your boy from a fuckin' yardarm!
Kaffee : Yardarm? Sherby, does the Navy still hang people from Yardarms?
Lt. Sherby : I don't think so.
Kaffee : Dave, Sherby doesn't think the Navy hang people from yardarms anymore.
Lieutenant Dave Spradling : I'm going to charge him with possession and being under the influence while on duty. You plead guilty, I recommend thirty days in the brig with loss of rank and pay.
Kaffee : It was oregano, Dave. It was ten dollars' worth of oregano.
Lieutenant Dave Spradling : Yeah, but your client thought it was marijuana.
Kaffee : My client's a moron. That's not against the law.
Lieutenant Dave Spradling : Kaffee, I have people to answer to, just like you do. I'm going to charge him.
Kaffee : With what? Possession of a condiment?
Lieutenant Dave Spradling : Kaffee...
Kaffee : Dave, I tried to help you out of this, but if you ask for jail time, I'm going to file a motion to dismiss.
Kaffee : You won't get it.
Kaffee : I will get it. And if the MTD is denied, I'll file a motion in limine seeking to obtain an evidentary ruling in advance, and after that I'm going to file against pretrial confinement, and you're going to spend the next three months going blind on paperwork because a Signalman Second Class bought and smoked a dime bag of oregano.
Lieutenant Dave Spradling : B misdemeanor, twenty days in the brig.
Kaffee : C misdemeanor, fifteen days restricted duty.
Dawson : [ to Danny in the interrogation room with Joanne and Downey present ] We joined the Marines because we wanted to live our lives by a certain code, and we found it in the Corps. Now you're asking us to sign a piece of paper that says we have no honor. You're asking us to say we're not Marines. If a court decides that what we did was wrong, then I'll accept whatever punishment they give. But I believe I was right sir, I believe I did my job, and I will not dishonor myself, my unit, or the Corps so I can go home in six months... Sir.
Kaffee : [ after court has adjourned for the day with Sam and Joanne present ] Why does a Lieutenant Junior Grade with nine months' experience and a track record for plea bargaining get assigned to a murder case? Would it be so it never sees the inside of a courtroom?
Col. Jessup : [ refering to Santiago ] I felt his life might be in danger.
Kaffee : Grave danger?
Col. Jessup : [ sarcastically ] Is there another kind?
Galloway : [ after sensing his contempt for Dawson and Downey after court has adjourned for the day ] Why do you hate them so much?
Lt. Weinberg : They beat up on a weakling; that's all they did. The rest is just smokefilled coffee-house crap. They tortured and tormented a weaker kid. They didn't like him. So, they killed him. And why? Because he couldn't run very fast.
Lt. Kendrick : [ after asked by Galloway if he thinks Santiago deserved to die ] Private Santiago is dead, and that is a tragedy. But he is dead because he had no code. He is dead because he had no honor, and God was watching.
Kaffee : [ sarcastically to Joanne with Sam present in his apartment ] Maybe, if we work at it, we can get Dawson charged with the Kennedy assassination.
Kaffee : Lieutenant Kendrick, in your opinion was Private Santiago a good Marine?
Lt. Kendrick : I would say he was about average.
Kaffee : Lieutenant, you signed three Proficiency and Conduct reports on Santiago, and in all three reports, you indicate a rating of below average.
Lt. Kendrick : [ looking through the reports he signed ] Yes, Private Santiago was below average. I did not see the need to trample on a man's grave.
Kaffee : Well, we appreciate that, but you are under oath now, and I think as unpleasant as it may be, we'd all just as soon hear the truth.
Lt. Kendrick : I am aware of my oath.
Kaffee : Lieutenant, these are the last three Pro-Con reports you signed for Lance Corporal Dawson. Dawson received two marks of exceptional, but on this most recent report dated June 9th of this year, he received a rating of below average. It's this last report I'd like to discuss for a moment.
Lt. Kendrick : That would be fine.
Kaffee : Lance Corporal Dawson's ranking after the school of infantry was perfect. Records indicate that more than half that class has since been promoted to full Corporal while Dawson has remained a Lance Corporal. Was Dawson's promotion held up because of this last report?
Lt. Kendrick : I'm sure it was.
Kaffee : Do you recall why Dawson was given such a poor grade on this last report?
Lt. Kendrick : I'm sure I don't. I have many men in my charge, Lieutenant. I write many reports.
Kaffee : Lieutenant, do you recall an incident involving a PFC Curtis Bell who had been found stealing liquor from the Officer's Club?
Lt. Kendrick : Yes, I do.
Kaffee : Did you report Private Bell to the proper authorities?
Lt. Kendrick : I have two books at my bedside, Lieutenant: the Marine Corps Code of Conduct and the King James Bible. The only proper authorities I am aware of are my commanding officer, Colonel Nathan R. Jessup, and the Lord, our God.
Kaffee : At your request, Lieutenant, I can have the record reflect your lack of acknowledgment of this court as a proper authority.
Capt. Ross : Objection. Argumentative.
Judge Randolph : Sustained. Watch yourself, Counselor.
Kaffee : Did you report Private Bell to your superiors?
Lt. Kendrick : I remember thinking very highly of Private Bell, of not wanted to see his record tarnished by a formal charge.
Kaffee : You preferred that it be handled within the unit.
Lt. Kendrick : Yes, I most certainly did.
Kaffee : Lieutenant, do you know what a Code Red is?
Kaffee : [ to the court after asking what Jessup packed for a one day trip to Washington D,C ] Is the colonel's underwear a matter of national security?
Galloway : [ to Danny as walks out his office building ] Hi, there.
Kaffee : Having any luck in getting me replaced?
Galloway : Is there anyone in this command that you don't eat or drink or play softball with?
Kaffee : Commander, I...
Galloway : Listen, I came to make peace. We got off on the wrong foot. What do you say? Friends?
Kaffee : I don't think...
Galloway : By the way, I brought Downey some comic books he was asking for. The kid, Kaffee, I swear, he doesn't know where he is. He doesn't even know why he's been arrested.
Kaffee : Commander?
Galloway : You can call me Joanne.
Kaffee : Joanne?
Galloway : Or Jo.
Kaffee : Jo?
Galloway : Yes?
Kaffee : If you speak to a client of mine again without my permission, I'll have you disbarred. Friends?
Galloway : I had authorization.
Kaffee : From where?
Galloway : Downey's closest living relative, Ginny Miller, his aunt on his mother's side.
Kaffee : You got authorization from Aunt Ginny?
Galloway : I gave her a call like you asked. Very nice woman we spoke for about an hour.
Kaffee : [ before getting into his car ] You got authorization from Aunt Ginny.
Galloway : Perfectly within my province.
Kaffee : Does Aunt Ginny have a barn? We can hold the trial there. I can sew the costumes. Maybe his Uncle Goober can be the judge.
Galloway : I'm going to Cuba with you tomorrow.
Kaffee : [ before driving off ] And the hits just keep on coming.
Kaffee : [ mildly intoxicated in his apartment ] Anyway, since we seem to be out of witnesses, I thought I'd drink a little.
Galloway : I still think we can win.
Kaffee : [ jokingly ] Maybe you should drink a little.
Galloway : [ showing up at his apartment unannounced ] I'm sorry to bother you, I should have called first.
Kaffee : No, no, I was just watching a ball game. Come on in.
Galloway : I was wondering if... how'd you would feel about my taking you to dinner tonight.
Kaffee : Are you asking me out on a date?
Galloway : No...
Kaffee : It sounded like you were asking me out on a date.
Galloway : I wasn't.
Kaffee : I've been asked out on dates before, and that's what it sounded like.
Galloway : Do you like seafood? I know a good seafood place.
Col. Jessup : [ during lunch in Cuba with Markinson, Kaffee, Galloway, Weinberg, Kendrick present ] Take caution in your tone, Commander. I'm a fair guy, but this fucking heat is making me absolutely crazy.
Kaffee : So this is what a courtroom looks like.
Kaffee : [ first meeting each other before the trial starts ] You're Aunt Ginny?
Aunt Ginny Miller : Uh-huh.
Kaffee : I'm sorry, I was expecting someone older.
Aunt Ginny Miller : So was I.
[ last lines, after court has adjourned for the day ]
Capt. Ross : I'll see you around campus. I gotta go arrest Kendrick.
Kaffee : Tell him I say hi.
Capt. Ross : Will do.
Capt. Ross : [ confirming Danny's bluff to Jessup after court has adjourned for the day ] Airmen Cecil O'Malley and Anthony Rodriguez, what exactly were these guys going to testify to?
Kaffee : Unless I'm mistaken, they were both going to testify under oath that they had absolutely no recollection of anything.
Capt. Ross : [ sarcastically ] Strong witnesses.
Kaffee : [ jokingly ] And handsome too, didn't you think?
Lt. Weinberg : [ in Danny's apartment, referring to their new strategy ] Alright, what do you suggest we do?
Galloway : I say we hit Jessup with the phony transfer order.
Lt. Weinberg : A transfer order without a witness.
Kaffee : We have a witness.
Lt. Weinberg : A dead witness.
Kaffee : And in the hands of a lesser attorney that'd be a problem.
Lt. Weinberg : Look at this, last night he's swimming in Jack Daniels and now he can leap tall buildings in a single bound.
Kaffee : I'm getting my second wind. Sit down, both of you.
[ Sees that they are already sitting ]
Kaffee : Good. Jessup told Kendrick to order the code red, Kendrick did and our clients followed the order. The cover-up isn't our case - to win Jessup needs to tell the court members that he ordered the code red.
Lt. Weinberg : And now you think you can get him to just say it?
Kaffee : I think he wants to say it. I think he's pissed off that he's gotta hide from this. I think he wants to say that he made a command decision and that's the end of it.
[ Starts imitating Jessup ]
Kaffee : He eats breakfast 300 yards away from 4000 Cubans that are trained to kill him. And nobody's going to tell him how to run his unit least of all the Harvard mouth in his faggoty white uniform. I need to shake him, put him on the defensive and lead him right where he's dying to go.
Lt. Weinberg : That's it? That's the plan?
Kaffee : That's the plan.
Lt. Weinberg : And how are you going to that?
Kaffee : I have no idea. I need my bat.
Lt. Weinberg : What?
Kaffee : I need my bat. I think better with my bat. Where's my bat?
Galloway : I put it in the closet.
Kaffee : You put it in the closet?
Galloway : I was tripping on it.
Kaffee : Don't ever put that bat in the closet.
Kaffee : Lt. Kendrick, was Lance Corporal Dawson given a below average rating on this last report because you learned he had been sneaking food to Private Bell?
Capt. Ross : Object!
Judge Randolph : Not so fast. Lieutenant?
Lt. Kendrick : Lance Corporal Dawson was given a below average rating because he had committed a crime.
Kaffee : A crime? What crime did he commit? Lieutenant Kendrick, Dawson brought a hungry guy some food. What crime did he commit?
Lt. Kendrick : He disobeyed an order.
Kaffee : And because he did, because he exercised his own set of values, because he made a decision about the welfare of a Marine that was in conflict with an order of yours, he was punished. Is that right?
Lt. Kendrick : Lance Corporal Dawson disobeyed an order!
Kaffee : Yeah, but it wasn't a real order, was it? After all, it's peace time. He wasn't being asked to secure a hill or advance on a beachhead. I mean, surely a Marine of Dawson's intelligence can be trusted to determine on his own which are the really important orders and which orders might, say, be morally questionable? Lieutenant Kendrick, can he? Can Dawson determine on his own which orders he's going to follow?
Lt. Kendrick : No, he cannot.
Kaffee : A lesson he learned after the Curtis Bell incident, am I right?
Lt. Kendrick : I would think so.
Kaffee : You know so, don't you, Lieutenant?
Capt. Ross : Object.
Judge Randolph : Sustained.
Kaffee : Lieutenant Kendrick, one final question. If you had ordered Dawson to give Santiago a code red...
Lt. Kendrick : I specifically ordered those men not to touch Santiago!
Kaffee : Is it reasonable to think he would've disobeyed you again?
Capt. Ross : Lieutenant, don't answer that!
Kaffee : You don't have to. I'm through.
Capt. Ross : Lieutenant Kendrick, did you order Lance Corporal Dawson and Private Downey to give Willie Santiago a code red?
[ Kendrick initially refuses to answer, sensing he's been caught lying ]
Capt. Ross : Lieutenant Kendrick, did you...
Lt. Kendrick : No, I did not.
Capt. Ross : Thank you.
Col. Jessup : [ in Jessup's office ] Hmmmm... transfer Santiago. Yes, I'm sure you're right. I'm sure that's the thing to do. Wait, I've got a better idea. Let's transfer the whole squad off the base. Let's... On second thought, Windward! Let's transfer the whole Windward Division off the base. John, go on out there and get those boys down off the fence, they're packing their bags. Tom!
Tom : Yes, sir!
Col. Jessup : Get me the President on the phone. We're surrendering our position in Cuba!
Tom : Yes, sir.
Col. Jessup : Wait a minute, Tom, don't get the President just yet. Maybe we should consider this for a second. Dismissed, Tom. Maybe, and I'm just spit balling here, maybe, we have a responsibility as officers to traing Santiago. Maybe we as officers have a responsibility to this country to see to that the men and women charged with its security are trained professionals. Yes, I'm certain that I read that somewhere once. And now I'm thinking,Col. Markinson, that your suggestion of transferring Santiago, while expeditious and certainly painless, might not be, in a matter of speaking, the American way. Santiago stays where he is. We're gonna train the lad!
Kaffee : [ Defense opening statement ] There was no poison on the rag and there was no intent to kill, and any attempt to prove otherwise is futile because it just isn't true. When Dawson and Downey entered Santiago's room that night, it wasn't because of vengeance or hatred; it wasn't to kill or harm. And it wasn't because they were looking for "kicks" on a Friday night. It was what they were ordered to do. Let me say that again, *it was what they were ordered to do*. Out in the real world, it means nothing, and in the Washington navy yard it doesn't mean a whole lot more, but if you're a marine assigned rifle company Windward Guantánamo Bay Cuba, if you're given an order you follow it or you pack your bags. Make no mistake about it, Harold W. Dawson and Private Louden Downey are sitting before you today because they did their job.
Kaffee : [ after going over their case for the night in his apartment ] And don't wear that perfume in court, it wrecks my concentration.
Galloway : Really.
Kaffee : I was talking to Sam.
Lt. Weinberg : [ while walking his daughter ] You've heard her. The girl sat here, pointed and said, "Pa." She did. She said, "Pa."
Kaffee : She was pointing at a mailbox, Sam.
Lt. Weinberg : That's right. She was pointing as if to say, "Pa, look, a mailbox."
Col. Jessep : [ sarcastically to Danny after he asked him what he packed and who he called before his trip to Washington D.C ] What do you wanna discuss now? My favorite color?
Kaffee : [ ariving in the conference room after the meeting has already started ] Excuse me, sorry I'm late.
Capt. Whitaker : That's alright, Danny, I know you don't have a good excuse, so I won't force you to come up with a bad one.
Kaffee : [ gratefully, nods ] Thank you, sir.
Capt. Whitaker : The first one's for you. Seems you're moving up in the world, you've been requested by Division.
Kaffee : Requested to do what?
Capt. Whitaker : Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. A Marine corporal named Dawson illegally fires a round of his weapon over the fence line and into Cuban territory.
Kaffee : What's a fence line?
Capt. Whitaker : Sam.
Lt. Weinberg : A big wall separating the good guys from the bad guys.
Kaffee : [ sarcastically ] Teacher's pet.
Capt. Whitaker : PFC William Santiago threatens to rat on Dawson to the Naval Investigative Service. Dawson, and another member of his squad PFC Louden Downey, go into Santiago's barracks room, tie him up, stuff a rag down his throat. An hour later Santiago's dead. The attending physician says the rag was treated with some kind of toxin.
Kaffee : They poisoned the rag?
Capt. Whitaker : Not according to them.
Kaffee : What do they say?
Capt. Whitaker : Not much. They're being flown up here tomorrow. Then Wednesday at 0600 you're catching a transport down to Cuba for the day to find out what you can. In the meantime, go see Lieutenant Commander Joanne Galloway of internal affairs. Any questions?
Kaffee : That flight to Cuba, was that 0600 in the morning? Sir?
Capt. Whitaker : It seems important to Division that this one be handled by the book so I'm assigning co-counsel. Any volunteers?
Lt. Weinberg : No!
Lt. Weinberg : Sir, I've got a stack of papers on my desk about a mile high.
Capt. Whitaker : Work with Kaffee on this.
Lt. Weinberg : Doing what? Kaffee will have this done in about four days.
Capt. Whitaker : Doing various administrative things. Backup. Whatever.
Lt. Weinberg : In other words I have no responsibilities whatsoever.
Capt. Whitaker : Right.
Galloway : [ talking through the batting cage fence ] I don't think you're fit to handle the defense.
Kaffee : You don't even *know* me. Ordinarily it takes someone *hours* to discover I'm not fit to handle a defense.
Kaffee : [ in an interogation room ] This your signature?
Dawson : Yes, sir.
Kaffee : You don't have to call me "sir."
[ to Downey ]
Kaffee : Is this your signature?
Downey : Sir, yes, sir.
Kaffee : You certainly don't need to do it twice in one sentence.
Col. Jessup : [ in Jessup's office after Kendrick was asked to leave ] Matthew, sit down, please.
[ Lt. Col. Markinson sits ]
Col. Jessup : What do you think of Kendrick?
Lt. Col. Matthew Andrew Markinson : Nathan, I don't think that my opinion of Kendrick has any...
Col. Jessup : I think he's kind of a weasel, myself. But he's an awfully good officer, and in the end we see eye to eye on the best way to run a Marine Corps unit. We're in the business of saving lives, Matthew. That's a responsibility we have to take pretty seriously. And I believe that taking a Marine who's not quite up to the job and shipping him off to another assignment, puts lives in danger.
[ Markinson begins to stand ]
Col. Jessup : Matthew, siddown.
Lt. Col. Matthew Andrew Markinson : [ sits ]
Col. Jessup : We go back a while. We went to the Academy together, we were commissioned together, we did our tours in Vietnam together. But I've been promoted up through the chain of command with greater speed and success than you have. Now if that's a source of tension or embarrassment for you, well, I don't give a shit. We're in the business of saving lives, Lieutenant Colonel Markinson. Don't ever question my orders in front of another officer.
Kaffee : [ feeling guilty after having lost his temper ] Is your father proud of you?
Lt. Weinberg : Don't do this to yourself.
Kaffee : I'll bet he is. I'll bet he bores the hell out of the neighbors and relatives, "Sam's made Law Review". He's working on a big case right now, his arguing, his making an argument. I think my father would've enjoy seeing me graduate from law school.
Lt. Weinberg : I ever tell you I wrote a paper about your father in college?
Kaffee : Yeah.
Lt. Weinberg : One of the best trial lawyers ever.
Kaffee : Yes, he was.
Lt. Weinberg : If I were Dawson and Downey and if I had to choose between you or your father to represent me in this case. I'd choose you any day of the week and twice on Sunday, you should've seen yourself thunder away at Kendrick.
Kaffee : Would you put Jessup on the stand?
Lt. Weinberg : No.
Kaffee : You think my father would?
Lt. Weinberg : With the evidence we got, not in a million years. Now here's the thing and there's no way of getting around this, neither Lionel Kaffee nor Sam Weinberg are lead counsel for the defense in the matter of the U.S. vs. Dawson and Downey would you put Colonel Nathan Jessup on the stand, so there's only one question, " what would you do?"

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Best Tom Cruise Movie Quotes of All Time, Ranked

12 "Just put your paws together... and believe!" — Rock of Ages (2012)

11 "I'm gonna find it and I'm gonna destroy it. I don't know how yet. Possibly with dynamite." — The Mummy (2017)

10 "Help me, help you." — Jerry Maguire (1996)

9 "I'm jumping out a window!" — Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

8 "Sometimes, you gotta say, What the f***." — Risky Business (1983)

7 "I love the smell of napalm in the morning." — Tropic Thunder (2008)

6 "Throw the switch on and off. Don't forget OFF." — Mission: Impossible III (2006)

5 "I'm just a guy who loves a girl and wants to tell her that he loves her." — Jerry Maguire (1996)

4 "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse." — Rain Man (1988)

3 "Show me the money!" — Jerry Maguire (1996)

2 "I want the truth!" — A Few Good Men (1992)

1 "I feel the need...the need for speed." — Top Gun (1986)

Tom Cruise movie quotes

Tom Cruise’s Top 10 Movie Quotes: From ‘Mission: Impossible’ to ‘Jerry Maguire’

32 of Tom Cruise's greatest movie moments

32. The Color of Money: "Doom"

31. Mission: Impossible 2: Motorcycle chase

30. Legend: Jack destroys Darkness

29. Running in any movie

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28. Valkyrie: The plan explained

27. Rock of Ages: Stacee’s performance

26. Edge of Tomorrow: The exosuits

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

24. Magnolia: "Tame It" speech

23. Austin Powers cameo

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

21. Rain Man: The bathroom scene

20. War of the Worlds: The aliens arrive

19. Knight and Day: Motorcycle chase

18. Eyes Wide Shut: Ritual scene

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

16. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation: The plane

15. Tropic Thunder: The call

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

13. A Few Good Men: "Truth" speech

12. Top Gun: The volleyball scene

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

10. Jerry Maguire: "Show me the money"

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

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

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

6. Top Gun: Maverick: Flight sequence

5. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation: Underwater scene

4. Risky Business dance

3. Top Gun: Maverick: Reunited with Iceman

2. Mission: Impossible – Fallout: HALO jump scene

1. Mission: Impossible: Langley Heist

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The 25 most memorable Tom Cruise performances

“Risky Business” (1983)

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