Photo: Wasfi Akab / flickr / CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0

Tom Cruise's Best 80s Movie Roles, Ranked

Updated May 1, 2024 12 items

Tom Cruise's career in the 1980s was nothing short of spectacular. He starred in 12 feature films during the decade, showcasing his dynamic range and ability to play various characters. His early career began with small parts in Endless Love (1981) and Taps (1981) before landing his breakout role in The Outsiders (1983) as part of the ensemble cast. He continued to gain momentum with his roles in All the Right Moves (1983) and Risky Business (1983). Cruise's portrayal of Maverick in Top Gun (1986) truly earned his status as a leading man.

Cruise's versatility, dedication, and talent were displayed in the 1980s, and he quickly established himself as one of Hollywood's most prominent and sought-after actors. Cruise's films have earned over $4 billion in North America alone, so it's not surprising he's considered not only one of the best actors of the '80s but also one of the greatest actors of all time.

Below is a list of all 12 Tom Cruise movies from the '80s, ranked best to worst. Which do you think are the most iconic?

Photo: Paramount Pictures
1
28 votes
Top Gun
In Top Gun, Tom Cruise plays Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. In this breakout role, Cruise is a young and reckless pilot who competes to become the best at the Top Gun naval flying school and falls in love with his instructor.
Photo: Rain Man / MGM
2
28 votes
Rain Man
Tom Cruise stars in Rain Man as Charlie Babbitt, a selfish yuppie who discovers that his estranged brother Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) has autism and inherits a large sum of money and learns to connect with him.
Photo: Universal Pictures
3
17 votes
Born on the Fourth of July
Born on the Fourth of July stars Tom Cruise as Ron Kovic, in a leading role as a Vietnam War veteran who becomes an anti-war activist after being paralyzed in combat and struggles with PTSD and identity.
Photo: Warner Bros.
4
30 votes
Risky Business
As Joel Goodsen in Risky Business, Tom Cruise plays the leading role of a high school student who starts a prostitution business to pay for damages he caused while throwing a party and gets caught up in a wild adventure.
Photo: The Color of Money
5
13 votes
The Color of Money
The Color of Money features Tom Cruise as Vincent Lauria, a leading role as a young pool shark who becomes a protege of legendary pool player "Fast" Eddie Felson (Paul Newman).
Photo: Taps
6
8 votes
Taps
Taps features Tom Cruise as David Shawn, in a prominent role as a cadet who leads a group of military academy students to take over the school when it is scheduled to be closed and faces the moral dilemmas of rebellion.
Photo: The Outsiders / Warner Bros.
7
14 votes
The Outsiders
In The Outsiders, Tom Cruise plays Steve Randle, a member of a gang of "greasers" growing up in Oklahoma during the 1960s and facing the harsh realities of poverty and violence.
Photo: All the Right Moves
8
17 votes
All the Right Moves
All the Right Moves features Tom Cruise as Stefen Djordjevic, a high school football player who clashes with his coach while trying to win a scholarship and navigate the pressure and expectations of small-town life.
Photo: Cocktail
9
11 votes
Cocktail
Cocktail stars Tom Cruise as Brian Flanagan, a young man who becomes a bartender and learns the secrets of the trade while pursuing a woman and finding success but also losing sight of what's truly important.
Photo: Universal Pictures
10
6 votes
Legend
Legend stars Tom Cruise as Jack, a simple forest dweller who must rescue a kidnapped princess from the Lord of Darkness and battle mythical creatures in a fantastical world.
Photo: user uploaded image
11
2 votes
Losin' It
Losin' It features Tom Cruise as Woody, a high school student who travels to Tijuana with friends for a wild spring break and gets into trouble with a local gang.
Photo: Endless Love
12
4 votes
Endless Love
Endless Love was Tom Cruise's first movie appearance. He's credited with a single scene, playing a shirtless teenager playing soccer.