Mt. Rushmore- Tom Cruise
For round two of putting an actor’s top four performances on their own Mt. Rushmore, I’ll be assigning one of the coolest actors in Hollywood his. One of the most bankable & profitable actors in Hollywood, Cruise is mostly known for his action roles, but has also appeared in romances, dramas, & even comedies. Some honorable mentions that I’d like to honorably mention are Ron Kovic (Born on the Fourth of July), Daniel Kaffee (A Few Good Men), Lestat de Lioncourt (Interview with the Vampire), & Jack Reacher (Jack Reacher) to name but a few.
Joel Goodsen in 'Risky Business'- The first role to earn Cruise a Golden Globe nomination, this film also was Cruise's breakthrough role. Joel is a high school senior home alone while his parents are out of town and has a lot of fun in that time. Now synonymous with the song 'Old Time Rock and Roll' this performance is most famous for Cruise dancing in a button down and his briefs.
Jerry Maguire in 'Jerry Maguire'- As the titular sports agent in this 1996 film, this film includes some of Cruise's most famous lines like 'Show me the money!' & '... you complete me.' Cruise received an Oscar nomination for his role and the film would become one of the all-time sports movies.
Ethan Hunt in 'Mission: Impossible'- It's been nearly 30 years since the first MI film and Cruise is still going strong as Ethan Hunt. An agent of the Impossible Missions Force, Cruise has played Hunt 7 times as of 2024 with an eighth (and presumed final) appearance on the way. The actor performs all of his own stunts as Ethan and many of the real videos of him doing the stunts go extremely viral. Hunt has had a significant amount of character growth through the films and has been really the only constant in the action series.
Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell in 'Top Gun'- While 'Risky Business' put Cruise on the map, 'Top Gun' made him a movie star. Even though he's played Ethan Hunt so many times, I would say Maverick is the role most synonymous with Cruise. 'Top Gun' is one of the iconic films of the action genre. The role became even more iconic when Cruise reprised his role 36 years later in 'Top Gun: Maverick.' Not only did the film become the best 'legacy sequel' & get several Oscar nominations (including Best Picture), I would argue Cruise almost singlehandedly saved the movie theater going experience after the pandemic. Also I should mention all the iconic lines & moments from the character including 'I feel the need... the need for speed!'
