4 Movies You Didn’t Know Tom Cruise Was In

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Tom Cruise is one of the highest-paid actors in the world. He received a Golden Globe by age 21 and has become the leading man in two top-grossing film franchises. Between his talent, good looks, and balls-to-the-all attitude about doing his own stunts, it’s not surprising that he has a net worth of about $600 million. But with all the attention he’s gotten for films like Top Gun and Mission: Impossible, it’s easy to overlook some of his other projects. Here are four movies you probably didn’t know Tom Cruise was in.

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Rock of Ages

Rock of Ages came out after Tom Cruise was already a big-time celebrity. However, with a budget of $75 million, the musical took a dive at the box office with a $15.6 million loss. Cruise probably didn’t mind too much because he was still getting massive attention from Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. But the film is a gem if you want to see him play a role outside his usual wheelhouse.

In Rock of Ages, Tom Cruise plays a “detached and self-indulgent” glam rock star named Stacee Jaxx. Jaxx is the frontman of the band Arsenal and throws a wrench in the protagonist Sherrie’s relationship. He actually sings the songs in the film, all of which are covers from popular hair metal bands. As Vulture points out, he did have some assistance from auto-tune.

Songs that Cruise sings include: “Paradise City” by  Guns N’ Roses, “Wanted Dead or Alive” by Bon Jovi, “I Want to Know What Love Is” by Foreigner, “Pour Some Sugar On Me” by Def Leppard, and Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing.” Other famous stars join him at times, including Julianne Hough, Mary J. Blige, Alec Baldwin, and Russell Brand.

Taps

Taps was Tom Cruise’s second film role, following a very short appearance in Endless Love. He plays a crazed and trigger-happy military cadet named Captain David Shawn. Cruise was initially intended to play a smaller role, but director Harold Becker was blown away by his acting. After some convincing from Becker and Taps producer Stanley R. Jaffe, he agreed to play David.

Capt. Shawn really flies off the hinges, so it’s understandable why Cruise may have been hesitant to make the commitment. As a new actor who hadn’t made it yet, he probably didn’t want to end up being typecast as someone with a couple of loose screws. But Taps was a success in 1981, both for Cruise and production. It was his first official big supporting role, and it landed his castmate Timothy Hutton a Golden Globe nomination.

Losin’ It

Losin’ It was another early Tom Cruise film and his first starring role. He plays Woody, one of four teenage boys who decide to travel to Tijuana, Mexico to lose their virginity and buy fireworks. After picking up a disgruntled wife who wants to divorce her husband, the crew gets into a series of shenanigans and unexpected situations.

While Losin’ It sounds like it may have been a success, kind of like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, it completely flunked at the box office. With a budget of $7 million, it didn’t even make $1.3 million back when it was released in 1982. However, that also means that it’s fully available on YouTube! Check out Tom Cruise back before he was famous.

Legend

Legend was the last film that Tom Cruise was in before he became a household name with Top Gun. The dark fantasy adventure directed by Ridley Scott didn’t start out as a smash hit. However, it eventually became a cult classic, winning the Best Cinematography Award from the British Society of Cinematographers and an Oscar nomination for Best Makeup.

Cruise plays Jack in the Green, a forest-dweller who talks to animals and the love of Princess Lili (Mia Sara from Ferris Bueller). Jack sets out to save the unicorns from the Lord of Darkness, while dealing with Goblins and eventually saving Princess Lili.

Legend came out in 1985, just one year before Cruise rocked the world as Maverick in Top Gun. The film is definitely worth the watch if you’re into dark fantasy like Willow, Labyrinth, or The Dark Crystal.

Read More: Yes, Tom Cruise Actually Saved the Ray-Ban Brand

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