American actor Tom Cruise was born on this day in 1962. The Hollywood superstar made his film debut in 'Endless Love' (1981) starring Brooke Shields. It was his next role as an aggressive military cadet in 'Taps' (1981) that proved to be a breakthrough and leading roles in 'Risky Business' (1983), 'Legend' (1985) and 'Top Gun' (1986) confirmed his position as one of Hollywood's most bankable stars.

Awards and accolades followed for 'The Color of Money' (1986), 'Rain Man' (1988) and 'Born on the Fourth of July (1989). Over the years Tom Cruise has combined serious dramatic roles in films such as 'Jerry Maguire' (1996), 'Eyes Wide Shut' (1999), 'Magnolia' (1999) and 'Collateral' (2004) with starring in a string of major Hollywood productions including 'Minority Report' (2002), 'War of the Worlds' (2005), 'Edge of Tomorrow' (2014) as well as the 'Mission Impossible' franchise, the 'Jack Reacher' movies and the recent blockbuster sequel 'Top Gun: Maverick' (2022).

In a career now spanning five decades Tom Cruise continues to be a major player in modern American cinema. Happy Birthday Tom.