Career Timeline of Tom Cruise: Major Achievements and Milestones
How Tom Cruise built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Tom Cruise is a highly successful American actor and producer, recognized as a Hollywood icon. He's received numerous awards, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Golden Globe Awards, with multiple Academy Award nominations. Cruise's films have collectively earned over $12 billion globally, establishing him as one of the highest-grossing and highest-paid actors in the world. He is considered one of Hollywood's most bankable stars.
1981: Film debut in Endless Love and Taps
In 1981, Tom Cruise made his film debut with a small part in 'Endless Love', followed by a supporting role in 'Taps'.
1983: Roles in The Outsiders, All the Right Moves, and Risky Business
In 1983, Tom Cruise appeared in 'The Outsiders' and 'All the Right Moves', along with his breakout role in 'Risky Business'.
1983: Breakthrough roles in Risky Business and The Outsiders
In 1983, Tom Cruise had his breakthrough roles in 'Risky Business' and appeared as part of the ensemble cast in 'The Outsiders'.
1985: Starring in Legend
In 1985, Tom Cruise played the male lead in the Ridley Scott film 'Legend'.
1986: Cemented status as a superstar with Top Gun
By 1986, Tom Cruise's status as a superstar had been cemented with 'Top Gun'.
1986: Leading role in Top Gun and The Color of Money
In 1986, Tom Cruise had leading roles in 'Top Gun' and 'The Color of Money'.
1986: Starring in The Color of Money
In 1986, Tom Cruise starred in Martin Scorsese's 'The Color of Money' with Paul Newman, which received critical praise.
1988: Starring roles in Cocktail and Rain Man
In 1988, Tom Cruise starred in 'Cocktail', a box office success but critically panned. He also starred in 'Rain Man', which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
1989: Portrayal of Ron Kovic in Born on the Fourth of July
In 1989, Tom Cruise portrayed Ron Kovic in 'Born on the Fourth of July', earning him a Golden Globe Award and his first Academy Award nomination.
1989: Starring in Born on the Fourth of July
In 1989, Tom Cruise starred in 'Born on the Fourth of July' portraying Ron Kovic, earning him a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
1990: Starring in Days of Thunder
In 1990, Tom Cruise starred in 'Days of Thunder' with Nicole Kidman.
1993: Starring in The Firm
In 1993, Tom Cruise starred in the thriller 'The Firm', a commercially successful film.
1994: Starring in Interview with the Vampire
In 1994, Tom Cruise starred in 'Interview with the Vampire', which initially drew criticism from author Anne Rice but later received her praise.
1994: Received a pilot's license
Since 1994, Tom Cruise has held a pilot's license, demonstrating his enthusiasm for aviation.
1996: Starring in Mission: Impossible
In 1996, Tom Cruise began playing Ethan Hunt in the 'Mission: Impossible' film series.
1996: Starring in and producing Mission: Impossible and starring in Jerry Maguire
In 1996, Tom Cruise starred as Ethan Hunt in 'Mission: Impossible', which he also produced, and starred in 'Jerry Maguire'.
1996: Starring in Jerry Maguire
In 1996, Tom Cruise starred in 'Jerry Maguire', for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.
1999: Starring in Eyes Wide Shut and Magnolia
In 1999, Tom Cruise co-starred with Nicole Kidman in 'Eyes Wide Shut' and played Frank T.J. Mackey in 'Magnolia', earning a Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination for the latter.
1999: Starring in Magnolia
In 1999, Tom Cruise's performance in 'Magnolia' earned him another Golden Globe Award and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
2000: Return as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible 2
In 2000, Tom Cruise returned as Ethan Hunt in 'Mission: Impossible 2', receiving an MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance.
2001: Starring in Vanilla Sky
In 2001, Tom Cruise starred in the romantic thriller 'Vanilla Sky' with Cameron Diaz and Penélope Cruz.
2002: Starring in Minority Report
In 2002, Tom Cruise starred in 'Minority Report', directed by Steven Spielberg.
2003: Starring in The Last Samurai
In 2003, Tom Cruise starred in 'The Last Samurai', earning a Golden Globe nomination.
2004: Performance in Collateral
In 2004, Tom Cruise received critical acclaim for his performance in 'Collateral'.
2004: Creation of Scientology Freedom Medal of Valor
In late 2004, David Miscavige created the Scientology Freedom Medal of Valor and awarded it to Tom Cruise for his work with Downtown Medical.
November 2005: Publicist Replacement
In November 2005, Lee Anne DeVette was replaced with Paul Bloch from the publicity firm Rogers and Cowan as Tom Cruise's publicist.
2005: Starring in War of the Worlds
In 2005, Tom Cruise starred in 'War of the Worlds', a loose adaptation of the H. G. Wells novel.
August 22, 2006: Paramount Ends Relationship
On August 22, 2006, Paramount Pictures announced it was ending its 14-year relationship with Tom Cruise due to concerns over his public behavior affecting his economic value.
November 2006: Takeover of United Artists
In November 2006, Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner took over the film studio United Artists (UA), with Cruise acting as a producer and Wagner as CEO.
2006: Mission: Impossible III release and Golden Globe Nomination
In 2006, Tom Cruise reprised his role as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible III, which grossed nearly $400 million. Also in 2006, Premiere ranked Cruise as Hollywood's most powerful actor and Forbes ranked him the world's most powerful celebrity.
March 21, 2007: Signing for Valkyrie Role
On March 21, 2007, Tom Cruise signed on to play Claus von Stauffenberg in Valkyrie, marking the second production greenlighted since he and Wagner took control of UA.
2007: Supporting role in Lions for Lambs
In 2007, Tom Cruise played a rare supporting role in Lions for Lambs, which was commercially unsuccessful.
December 25, 2008: Release of Valkyrie
On December 25, 2008, the historical thriller Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise in the central role, was released to box office success.
February 9, 2010: Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
On February 9, 2010, Tom Cruise confirmed his role in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, the fourth film in the series.
March 2010: Filming of Knight and Day
In March 2010, Tom Cruise finished filming the action-comedy Knight and Day with Cameron Diaz.
June 23, 2010: Release of Knight and Day
On June 23, 2010, the action-comedy Knight and Day, starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, was released.
2010: Starring in Knight and Day
In 2010, Tom Cruise starred in 'Knight and Day'.
May 6, 2011: Humanitarian Award
On May 6, 2011, Tom Cruise received a humanitarian award from the Simon Wiesenthal Center for his philanthropic work.
December 2011: Release of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
In December 2011, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol was released and became Cruise's biggest commercial success at that time.
June 2012: Release of Rock of Ages
In June 2012, Rock of Ages, starring Tom Cruise as Stacee Jaxx, was released and became a box-office misstep for Cruise, but he received positive reviews for his performance.
December 21, 2012: Release of Jack Reacher
On December 21, 2012, the film adaptation of Lee Child's novel One Shot, titled Jack Reacher and starring Tom Cruise, was released to positive reviews and box office success.
2012: Guinness World Record for consecutive $100-million-grossing movies
From 2012, Tom Cruise achieved the Guinness World Record for the most consecutive $100-million-grossing movies, a feat completed by 2018.
2012: Starring in Jack Reacher
In 2012, Tom Cruise starred in 'Jack Reacher'.
2014: Starring in Edge of Tomorrow
In 2014, Tom Cruise starred in 'Edge of Tomorrow'.
2015: Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation Release
In 2015, Tom Cruise reprised his role as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, which he also produced. The film was a critical and commercial success.
2017: The Mummy Reboot
In 2017, Tom Cruise starred in the reboot of Boris Karloff's 1932 horror movie, The Mummy. The film received negative reviews but grossed over $400 million.
2018: Guinness World Record for consecutive $100-million-grossing movies
By 2018, Tom Cruise had achieved the Guinness World Record for the most consecutive $100-million-grossing movies since 2012.
2018: Mission: Impossible – Fallout Release
In 2018, Tom Cruise reprised Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – Fallout, which became his biggest commercial success to date, grossing over $791 million.
May 2020: Movie Shot in Outer Space
In May 2020, it was announced that Tom Cruise would star in and produce a movie shot in outer space, directed by Doug Liman and involving a SpaceX Dragon 2 spacecraft mission to the International Space Station.
2022: Top Gun: Maverick Release and Honorary Palme d'Or
In 2022, Tom Cruise reprised his role as Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in Top Gun: Maverick, premiered at Cannes Film Festival where he earned an Honorary Palme d'Or, and the film broke box office records, becoming his highest-grossing film.
2022: Starring in Top Gun: Maverick
In 2022, Tom Cruise starred in 'Top Gun: Maverick'.
July 12, 2023: Release of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
On July 12, 2023, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, starring Tom Cruise, was released in theaters to critical acclaim but was a box office disappointment due to Barbenheimer.
January 2024: Partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery
In January 2024, it was announced that Tom Cruise's production company was forming a new strategic partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery to develop and produce original and franchise films.
2024: Awarded US Navy's Distinguished Public Service Award
In December 2024, Tom Cruise received the US Navy's Distinguished Public Service Award for his contributions to the military through his screen roles.
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