Role reversal: Tomfoolery

After doing a cameo in Tropic Thunder, Tom Cruise reckons he’s likely to do more comedy. The 46-year-old has been many men during his career but funnyman is not usually one of them. We look at some of the roles Tom is best known for.

Action man

In 1986, Tom landed the role of pilot Maverick in Top Gun. The cult classic, which was nominated for a clutch of Academy Awards, sees Tom whizzing through the air and flexing plenty of muscle – and made him famous.

Ten years later the actor landed the starring role of secret agent Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible, which he produced as well as starred in.

In 2002, the star played a futuristic cop in Minority Report, which co-starred Samantha Morton. His character Chief John Anderton arrests criminals before they’ve committed their crimes – with the help of some special psychics. The action thriller landed Tom a Best Actor Empire Award.

In 2005, Tom starred in War Of The Worlds as a father trying to save his family from an alien invasion.

Tough guy

In 1988, Tom played the selfish yuppie Charlie in the award-winning Rain Man.

When his father dies he leaves all of his fortune to Charlie’s autistic brother Raymond (Dustin Hoffman). Charlie is furious about his dad’s decision and decides to kidnap his brother.

In 1994, Tom got even nastier playing a blood-sucking vampire alongside Brad Pitt in Interview With A Vampire.

Ten years later he played his most villainous character to date – a contract killer in the Oscar-nominated Collateral.

He hires an innocent cab driver – played by Jamie Foxx – to drive him around Los Angeles in one evening as he makes his assigned kills. Tom was nominated for Best Villain at the MTV Movie Awards for his chilling performance.

Romantic hero

In 1988, Tom starred in Cocktail as a talented barman who chooses to put love before his career. In 1992, Tom starred with his then wife Nicole Kidman in cheesy romantic epic Far And Away. The couple played young Irish lovers who had moved to America to start a new life.

In 1996, Tom starred in his most famous romantic movie – Jerry Maguire. He plays a big shot sports agent who falls for a single mother, played by Renee Zellweger, and has to prove to her he will be there for her.