Happy birthday, Tom Cruise! Here are his 5 lesser-known films
Hollywood megastar Tom Cruise is unstoppable. The actor's latest film Top Gun: Maverick continues to soar to new heights at the worldwide box office, while also contributing to his success as one of the most distinguished actors in the industry. On Cruise's 60th birthday (unbelievable, right?), we trace the actor's films before he became the face of Top Gun and the Mission: Impossible franchise.
Cruise made his Hollywood debut with the teen romance drama film Endless Love, which was released back in 1981. The actor essayed the role of Billy and made a brief appearance in the film. Cruise was just 19 years old when he made his debut in Endless Love and, of course, no one knew he would have such a seismic transformation in the future.
After Endless Love, Cruise's first major role came in Taps in which he appeared as the badass David Shawn. This Harold Becker directorial was also released in 1981. Taps narrated the adventures of Shawn (Cruise), Brian Moreland (Timothy Hutton), and Alex Dwyer (Sean Penn), a group of military cadets who have to put everything at stake to save their academy from local condo developers.
Next, Cruise was signed up to make an appearance in the film Losin' It, helmed by Curtis Hanson, which was released in 1982. The actor was given a bigger role as compared to his previous films, which eventually brought him into the limelight. He starred alongside actors Jackie Earle Haley and John Stockwell who were part of the lead cast.
The Outsiders was a coming-of-age film which was directed by Francis Ford Coppola, the filmmaker who later went on the make The Godfather. In this flick, Cruise appeared as Steve Randle. He starred alongside actors C Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, and Ralph Macchio. The 1983 crime drama film revolved around rival groups Greasers and Socs who clash after a gang member is found dead.
Touted to be a comedy-drama, Risky Business was an important film for Cruise considering that he was given the lead role alongside co-star Rebecca De Mornay in it. In the film, Joel (Cruise), a Chicago-based teenager, has a free ticket to do whatever he wants after his parents go on a vacation. Directed by Paul Brickman, Risky Business was released in 1983.
