Born in Syracuse on this day in 1962, Thomas Cruise Mapother IV’s breakout role came in the 1983 film Risky Business. As a result, Cruise became one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, featuring in a multitude of critically lauded dramas and blockbuster action films.
At 18, Tom Cruise debuted in feature films with Endless Love (1981), followed by appearances in Taps (1981) and The Outsiders (1983). He gained international recognition for portraying fighter pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in the 1986 release of Top Gun. His first Academy Award nomination was for playing Vietnam veteran and anti-war activist Ron Kovic in Born on the Fourth of July (1989). Later, he received a second Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his role as a sports agent in Jerry Maguire (1996), followed by a third nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category for his role as a self-help guru in Paul Thomas Anderson’s unique ensemble drama Magnolia (1999).
Cruise boasts an extensive filmography that includes The Color of Money (1986) featuring Paul Newman; Rain Man (1988) alongside Dustin Hoffman; A Few Good Men (1992) with Jack Nicholson; The Firm (1993), and Interview with the Vampire: the Vampire Chronicles (1994). He took on the role of superspy Ethan Hunt in the 1996 film Mission: Impossible, later reprising the character in successful sequels in 2000 and 2006. In three films, Cruise starred alongside Nicole Kidman, with whom he was married from 1990 to 2001: Days of Thunder (1990), Far and Away (1992), and Eyes Wide Shut (1999). His other films include Minority Report (2002) and War of the Worlds (2005), both helmed by Steven Spielberg.
In the spring of 2005, a high-profile romance blossomed between Cruise and actress Katie Holmes, known for her role in the television drama Dawson’s Creek (1998-2003). In May, during an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Cruise made headlines by jumping on the host’s couch and professing his love for Holmes, who is 16 years younger. The following month, the couple became engaged in Paris. Around that time, Cruise generated controversy due to his passionate support for Scientology and his critiques of anti-depressant medications and psychiatry. On November 18, 2006, after the birth of their daughter Suri in April, Cruise and Holmes were married in Italy, an event that garnered extensive media attention.
In May 2008, Cruise revisited The Oprah Winfrey Show for a look back at his 25 years in cinema, starting with his rise to fame in Risky Business.