Tom Cruise has been one of Hollywood ’s leading star topology for many years now , and he ’s recently made middling of a resurgence with his   thrilling action flick , Top Gun : rebel . The film control Cruise take as the iconic Pete ' Maverick ' Mitchell ,   over 35 years after the original film was eject .

Cruise ’s career has been a long and golden one , with many of his projection perish down as all - clock time classics from the moment they hit the screen .   Without his constant hard work and intrinsical charm ,   audiences would have missed out on plenty of today ’s most popular and dear   picture . To observe his career , Rankerhas put together a inclination of the actor ’s good fictional characters to day of the month for fans to vote on .

Note : Ranker leaning are live and continue to fall voter turnout , so some rankings may have changed after this publication .

A collage image of Luke Skywalker in A New Hope

Vincent in Collateral

Michael Mann’sCollateralmarks a distinguishable change for Tom Cruise , who play a character completely unlike anybody else that he ’s ever play before . Vincent is a ruthless , calculate hitman whose appeal and charisma make him one of Mann ’s most interesting and entertaining character to date .

Cruise star opposite Jamie Foxx for the bulk of the film , and the style that these two player bounce off each other is nothing short of incredible . Their unique dynamic effort the moving-picture show ahead at a breakneck pace , which is a trademark of most of   Michael Mann ’s works .

Charlie Babbitt in Rain Man

Rain Manis believably one of Tom Cruise ’s most famous films of all , with its popularity reaching much further than   consecrated cinephiles and benefit great deal of mainstream attention . His grapheme , though   virtuously equivocal and   mostly unlikeable , is one of the film ’s strongest assets .

Babbitt was one of the first persona to   reallycement Tom Cruise ’s position as one of movie theater ’s most gifted form and   biggest draws . The film prove that he can do   so much more than just lead an action mechanism moving picture , but rather provide a rich and attentive carrying into action that has many layer .

Brian Flanagan in Cocktail

Tom Cruise act one of Jamaica ’s most gifted barman in 1988’sCocktail ,   which serve well mostly as a spectacular showcase of Cruise ’s power as a head mankind . This iconic Latinian language is full of both laughs and tears , seemingly injected with a gumption of ' 80s magical spell that allows it to hold back up today .

Many people citeCocktailas one ofTom Cruise ’s most underrated performances , and that ’s in all likelihood a comely assertion of the film ’s unique magical spell .   Although its quaint story and low stakes often leave it omitted from lists of Cruise ’s good picture show , it ’s still an incredibly fun film that audience should n’t forget about .

Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder

Tropic Thunderis often named one of the funniest comedies of this hundred ,   and it ’s thanks to the motion-picture show ’s unique script and A - listing casting that this is the case . With screaming performances from Cruise , Ben Stiller , Robert Downey Jr , and Jack Black , it ’s no surprise that the film is held in such high respect by so many people .

Although it ’s hard to pick a standout from the mould , Tom Cruise ’s part has so many iconic quotesand memorable production line that definitely   have stood the run of time and become an irrevocable part of pop culture today . Because of this , his character is credibly the one that audiences remember the most .

Lestat de Lioncourt in Interview With The Vampire

The character of Lestat de Lioncourt is quite unlike anything that Tom Cruise has ever done before , and believably ever will do again . The whole film sweep up an overpoweringly moody and gothic atmosphere , which let Cruise to act around with a execution that pushes the limits of   his own comfort .

Brad Pitt stars opposite Tom Cruise in the film , and it ’s surprising that the pair do n’t work together more often based on their incredible on - screen chemistry here . They manage to build up a sour and complex relationship that affiance and beguiles the audience in a way that few horror films have managed since .

Jack Reacher in Jack Reacher: Never Go Back

Although there was initially a lot of contention surrounding Tom Cruise ’s cast in Edward Zwick’sJack Reacherseries , there ’s no denying that he presently oversee to quell these complaints with his dynamic and charming portrayal of the iconic character .

ground on Lee Child ’s original novels , theJack Reacherfilms explore the adventurous life story of the titular army veteran , as he tour the   states in search of crimes to clear and mysteries to convey to light . Reacher is one of the most famous literary fictional character of all time , so it ’s no surprisal to see the cinematic adaptations so high up this list .

Jerry Maguire in Jerry Maguire

Every actor has that one role that they ’ll always be remember for , even long after their career has taken them to dandy successes and heavier award . For Cruise , that part is probably the titulary fiber in Cameron Crowe’sJerry Maguire .

Jerry   Maguireis one of Tom Cruise ’s greatest and most iconic read-only memory - coms of the 1990s , mostly thanks to Crowe ’s unambiguously personal screenplay and Cruise ’s uniquely eccentric lead performance .   Crowe and Cruise work perfectly together , crafting the kind of relatable story that finds its home in the gist of all kinds of audiences .

Lt. Kaffee in A Few Good Men

For much of his career , Tom Cruise had been viewed by the public as a simple , reliable role player who was confine only to natural process flicks and cheesy romances . A Few Good Mencompletely dispelled this myth , try that his acting power was stiff enough to rival even his veteran co - wiz , Jack Nicholson and Kevin Bacon .

A Few unspoilt Menis not only one of screenwriterAaron Sorkin ’s good projects to escort , but also one of the most enthralling and affiance legal dramas ever made . It navigates its complex plot in a astonishingly dewy-eyed way , state a disgraceful tale about jurisprudence , crime , and the hazardously indistinguishable delimitation between the two .

Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible

There areveryfew people out there that are unfamiliar with theMission : Impossiblefranchise , which has somehow get from a dewy-eyed undercover agent thriller into one of the highest - grossing and most internationally pop serial of all time . It ’s also widely regarded as Cruise ’s fine workplace to date , with the histrion becoming almost synonymous with the   thrilling danger of Ethan Hunt ’s missions .

Tom Cruise has been working with director Christopher McQuarrie   for a foresightful time now on several unlike projects , but their collaborations on   theMission : Impossiblefranchise are undoubtedly some of their best work together . They both bring such contractable DOE to the films that make them well-to-do to love and impossible to bury and Cruise continues to flesh out Hunt ’s character .

Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell in Top Gun

Tom Cruise ’s performance as Maverick in the originalTop Gunis undoubtedly one of the film ’s unattackable and most memorable features , which has been made even more beloved and affecting by the actor ’s return in the late legacy sequel , Top Gun : Maverick .

Both film characteristic thrilling action set pieces that make them stand out from the crowd , with Cruise ’s fictional character constantly putting himself in risk for strain in his career and save his friends .   Above all else , it ’s his work inTop Gunthat really put Cruise on the single-valued function as the next big Hollywood action hotshot .

NEXT : Tom Cruise ’s 10 Best Movies , According to Ranker

Sidious, Tyranus, Maul, and Vader.

How Rachel Zegler’s

Tom Cruise in Interview With The Vampire, Mission Impossible Fallout and Top Gun Maverick

Tom Cruise grabbing Jamie Foxx by the throat in Collateral

Ray and Charlie wearing matching suits in Rain Man

Tom Cruise sat at the bar in cocktail

Tom Cruise In Tropic Thunder

Tom Cruise Interview With a Vampire

Jack Reacher stand in the middle of a street looking serious

Jerry pointing in Jerry Maguire

Tom Cruise as Lt. Kaffe in court in A Few Good Men

Ethan Hunt climbing the Bruj Khalifa

Tom Cruise in Top Gun Maverick

Movies

Tom Cruise