Mission Impossible star Tom Cruise rose to fame in the 1980s and has appeared in numerous high-profile projects over the years since, with him one of the biggest names in acting
It’s been more than four decades since Tom Cruise made his acting debut and in the years since then he’s become one of the biggest names in the entertainment industry.
The actor, 62, rose to fame with leading roles in projects like Risky Business (1983) and Top Gun (1986), prior to fronting the long-running Mission Impossible film series. The award-winner has also been in films like Minority Report (2002).
Alongside his acclaimed career, Tom – who is also a film producer – has attracted attention over his personal life and his appearance too. He’s been described by some as “unrecognisable” in recent years, whilst others have suggested that he’s “ageing like fine wine”. The Mirror’s now taken a look back over the years.
1980s
Fresh-faced Tom got his breakthrough with Risky Business, which was released in 1983. Three years later, the actor had another standout role in Top Gun. Tom’s style during that decade has since been described as “impeccable” by GQ magazine and he often sported a short hairstyle then.
When it was teased that he had “good looks” in 1986, Tom told Interview Magazine that he didn’t look “like” Paul Newman or Warren Beatty. He said: “I think I have the ability to look different ways. I look good just as much as I look bad. I mean, I don’t look like [Newman] or Beatty.”
The decade also saw him appear in films like Rain Man (1988) and Born on the Fourth of July (1989). He was becoming a household name by then and was briefly married to Mimi Rogers around the time that both films were released.
1990s
Tom, who entered the following decade in his late twenties, opted to grow his hair out at times during the 1990s. He continued to add acting credits to his resumé, including in films like A Few Good Men (1992) and Jerry Maguire (1996).
He made his debut as the character Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible (1996) and sported a shorter hairstyle than at other times during that era for the role. And it was during that same decade that he was married to his now ex-wife Nicole Kidman, with whom he adopted two children.
Tom, who sported braces in 2002, once again modelled various hairstyles in the 2000s. He continued to sport a clean-shaved look throughout the decade though, with him not showcasing much facial hair, like in most of his career.
His film projects included Vanilla Sky (2001), War of the Worlds (2005) and Valkyrie (2008). Away from his career, he was romantically linked to Penélope Cruz at one point, before marrying his now ex-wife Katie Holmes in 2005. The former couple welcomed their daughter the following year.
2010s
As reported by People, Tom addressed the prospect of cosmetic surgery in an interview with Playboy in 2012. He said: “I haven’t, and I never would”. He instead credited his ‘youthful look’ to his lifestyle, saying that he goes “hard”. He said: “I’m always with family. I train, go without sleep.”
The following year, a survery of 20,000 people, conducted by Cineworld, deemed Tom to be the second favourite “heartthrob” from the 1980s, behind Johnny Depp. The poll had asked which stars remained “just as sexy” decades later.
The decade saw Tom appear in films like Rock of Ages (2012) and the Mummy (2017). He also appeared in sequel Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018), which was then followed by a four year absence from starring in any film projects.
2020s
Tom attracted attention in October 2021 when he was seen with a fuller face at an baseball game in San Francisco. It sparked speculation that he may have opted for cosmetic treatment like fillers, whilst others suggested that the actor’s appearance could have simply been due to weight gain. Dawn Attewell, registered aesthetics nurse at therapyhouse.co.uk, speculated to the Daily Mail: “You can see that Tom looked swollen and puffy, which could be due to excessive filler, post-procedure swelling, or weight gain.”
Amid the speculation, fans defended him, with one person tweeting: “Frankly, it’s no one’s business but his.” Someone else wrote at the time: “I still say he is looking good – people are always gonna complain about something.”
After his return to the spotlight the following year, with his on-screen comeback in Top Gun: Maverick (2022), it was noted that Tom looked “slimmed down”. More recently, it’s been stated that he looks “as handsome as ever”.
Last year, as reported by the Daily Mail, a poll of 2,000 mothers conducted by Showcase Cinemas resulted in Tom being declared the “sexiest male actor of all time”. Robin Williams placed second in the survery, it was revealed.
Tom starred in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023), the latest instalment in the franchise, last year. He’s since been working on the next film in the series and performed a stunt at the Olympics in Paris this year.