The Top 5 Tom Cruise-isms

By Daniel Hubschman , Hollywood.com Staff | Wednesday, June 23, 2010

The Top 5 Tom Cruise-isms

Though there are many perks to the job, being a celebrity entertainer certainly has its drawbacks. Just ask Tom Cruise. Since he was 21 years old, nearly every action that he’s taken on and off-screen has been observed and dissected, then praised or ridiculed by critics, pundits, fans and detractors around the globe. In recent years, the Knight and Day star has become infamous for his Scientology beliefs, couch-jumping antics and tirades against Matt Lauer and Brooke Shields, but before scandalous affairs took the spotlight away from his films, Cruise was well known for these cinematic trademarks:

The Running Man

Ever the athletic performer, Tom Cruise is perhaps at his best when sprinting across a set, evading bullets, explosions and the occasional flying saucer. It can’t be the most comfortable activity to engage in, considering how many takes any given action sequence requires to be filmed properly. But it sure has kept the now 47 year old actor in shape!

As seen: Legend, The Firm, Mission: Impossible, Mission: Impossible 2, Mission: Impossible 3, Minority Report, Collateral, War of the Worlds, Knight & Day

The Dancing Dimwit

If you thought that Les Grossman was Tom’s first foray into creative movement, you need to brush up on your film history. His iconic on-screen strut in Risky Business has been imitated in countless ads and the actor continued to bust-a-move in films like The Color Of Money and Cocktail before lighting up the screen in Tropic Thunder. For all his ass kicking ways, Cruise can really groove to the music.

As seen in: Risky Business, The Color Of Money, Cocktail, Tropic Thunder

Looking Good In Leather

He’s never played a superhero (not for lack of trying – Tom had long been pursuing the role of Tony Stark before his pal Robert Downey Jr. nabbed it), but Cruise has made the leather jacket his personal cape and cowl – and that’s fine with us, because I don’t know anyone who wants to see him in spandex. From War Of The Worlds to Mission Impossible III to Knight and Day, Tom has showed the world how to kick-ass and look cool while doing it.

As seen in: Top Gun, The Color Of Money, Mission: Impossible, Mission Impossible 2, Mission: Impossible 3, Minority Report, Knight and Day

Tom Cruise Top Gun

The Crying Game

Don’t let his matinee heroics fool you: Cruise is a cry-baby. Not just in the whole “South Park made fun of me so I want the episode taken off the air!” manner, but in the classic Jimmy Stewart, all-out tear-jerker approach. He’s let the waterworks flow frequently throughout his career, most notably in Born On The Fourth Of July, Eyes Wide Shut and, of course, his brilliant turn in Magnolia.

As seen in: Born on the Fourth of July, Eyes Wide Shut, Magnolia

Topless Tom

If I’ve learned anything about women, it’s that they like muscles. A smart actor with a toned physique will do most anything to display their pec’s and bi’s for the hungry female masses and Tom Cruise has perfected the art. Though most everyone went shirtless in the adrenaline fueled Top Gun, he invited moviegoers back to his personal gun show in Far and Away, Eyes Wide Shut and Vanilla Sky.

As seen in: The Outsiders, Top Gun, Rain Man, Born on the Fourth of July, Days Of Thunder, Far and Away, Jerry Maguire, Eyes Wide Shut, Vanilla Sky, Knight and Day

Tom Cruise Vanilla Sky Tom Cruise Eyes Wide Shut