Tom Cruise (at the “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” premiere in Mexico City on May 20, 2025) is one of the highest grossing actors of all time, but has never taken home an Oscar. That will change when he receives an honorary Academy Award at the Governors Awards on Nov. 16. The awards recognize “extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences.” We look back at some of the most memorable roles of his career
Cruise played rebellious Cadet Captain David Shawn, in the military thriller “Taps” in 1981. The cast included George C. Scott, Timothy Hutton and Sean Penn.
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Francis Ford Coppola directed Cruise in the 1983 coming-of-age-film “The Outsiders,” with packed cast including Diane Lane, Patrick Swayze, Matt Dillon and Rob Lowe.
In a coming-of-age comedy that same year, Cruise created the iconic scene of dancing in his briefs and a button down to “Old Time Rock and Roll.” The film became one of the ten highest grossing movies of the year.
A sequel to “The Hustler,” Martin Scorsese’s “The Color of Money” brought Cruise together with Paul Newman in 1986.
Cruise portrayed U.S. Navy Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in “Top Gun.” The 1986 film, directed by Tony Scott, was the first collaboration between Cruise and producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
Critics panned “Cocktail,” in which Cruise played cocky business-school-dropout-turned bartender. But the 1988 film was a box office success, ranking 8th that year.
Also in 1988, “Rain Man” won critical raves and was the highest grossing film of the year. Cruise portrayed Charlie Babbitt, the younger brother of an autistic savant Raymond (Dustin Hoffman). The film won four Oscars, including Best Picture.
Based on the autobiography of veteran Ron Kovic, 1989’s “Born On The Fourth Of July” garnered Cruise his first Oscar nomination. The trophy went to Daniel Day Lewis for “My Left Foot,” but Oliver Stone won for Best Director.
Cruise teamed up with Bruckheimer again in 1990 for “Days of Thunder,” the NASCAR-themed film where he met Nicole Kidman.
Written by Aaron Sorkin, “A Few Good Men” opened at number one at the box office in 1992 and was nominated for Best Picture. Cruise portrayed Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee of the JAG Corps, who was on a mission to take down Colonel Jessep (Jack Nicholson).