[limacharliewhiskey]

I had first seen Tom Cruise in Taps, playing the gung-ho soldier, but didn't really notice him until Top Gun, like with most people. But he didn't fall into any type of niche, as he played a variety of roles in Rain Man, Color of Money, and what I feel is his best performance so far, Born on the 4th of July, portraying Vietnam vet Ron Kovic. That movie showed me the real acting chops that Cruise has to become a superstar.

Then he mixed it up with differing roles in Days of Thunder, Far and Away, A Few Good Men, and Interview with the Vampire. With these roles, I never really thought of Tom Cruise as an action star.

Top Gun and Days of Thunder were action movies, but Cruise didn't really do that much physical action himself until Mission: Impossible. In fact, I wondered if he could pull off a lead action role which required him to do stunts. Mission: Impossible proved him more than capable and believable.

I think some of Cruise's recent roles have been more typical Hollywood choices, but I think he did some of them to collaborate with certain directors he never had a chance to work with before. That was part of the reason he did Eyes Wide Shut with Stanley Kubrick, and Minority Report with Steven Spielberg, and his unforgettable supporting role in Magnolia with Paul Thomas Anderson.

Right now, next to Mel Gibson and Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise is one of the most bankable actors in Hollywood right now, but he does deserve all the fame and money he gets because he has proven his acting chops and versatility with a huge variety of roles that very few actors can even attempt.