In the 28 years since becoming an actor, Cruise’s versatility is evidenced by the varied films and roles he chooses. He has made 37 films and has worked with a remarkable list of acclaimed film directors, including Francis Ford Coppola. Paul Brickman, Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, Martin Scorsese, Barry Levinson, Oliver Stone, Ron Howard, Rob Reiner, Sydney Pollack, Neil Jordan, Brian de Palma, Cameron Crowe, Stanley Kubrick, Paul Thomas Anderson, John Woo, Steven Spielberg, Michael Mann, J.J. Abrams, Robert Redford, Bryan Singer and most recently James Mangold.
Cruise will next be seen starring with Cameron Diaz in the romantic-action-comedy Knight and Day, opening June 25, 2010. This summer he will begin shooting Mission: Impossible IV. This franchise has grossed over two billion dollars worldwide since Cruise began producing the films at Paramount, and starring as the legendary spy Ethan Hunt. Mission: Impossible was Paramount’s highest grossing film of 1996. Cruise is producing Mission: Impossible IV with J.J. Abrams.
In 2008, Cruise played German officer Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg in the critically acclaimed, worldwide hit Valkyrie, the historical thriller about the attempted assassination of Adolf Hitler during World War II. Directed by Bryan Singer, the film grossed nearly $200 million internationally, making it the fifth highest grossing WWII-set film. Cruise also appeared in Ben Stiller’s comedy smash Tropic Thunder as the hip hopping foul-mouthed Hollywood movie mogul Les Grossman.
