Pick on Tom Cruise all you like (it's so much fun), but you can't say the man has shied away from taking on diverse, challenging roles.

Even if it means risking that (alleged) good guy image.

Though his escapades as Scientology's No.1 ticket-holder is doing enough to tarnish his repuation these days on their own.

When he hasn't been doing backflips off of Oprah's couch or ranting about how touched he's been by the hand of L. Ron Hubbard Cruise has been taking on some interesting movie parts of late.




7. TROPIC THUNDER (2008)
There was the one that took everyone by surprise in the recently-released comedy war hit Tropic Thunder as the foul-mouthed fat man movie producer Les Grossman. It's a small but memorable uncredited cameo appearance, some say designed to try and regenerate his flagging popularity.





6. VALKYRIE (2008)
Up next for the now 46-year-old is the much-hyped Valkyrie, in which he sticks on an eye patch to portray real-life Nazi Col Claus von Stauffenberg. Claus was instrumental in a plot to off Hitler. It was reported, Cruise was attracted to the role after seeing a picture of Col Claus and noticing a resemblance to himself. He nose a look-alike when he sees one.





5. BORN ON THE
FOURTH OF JULY (1989)
Cruise was wheel-chair bound in Born on the Fourth of July giving a decent portrayal as paralyzed Vietnam war veteran Ron Kovic. Gone was the All-American look of Top Gun, Cocktail, The Color of Money and Rain Man. Forget later lines Cruise is famous for like "Show me the money!", this one had
him screaming out "Penis! Penis!
Big f..king erect penis!" to his
poor old Christian mother.




4. THE OUTSIDERS (1983)
Cruise has shown a penchant for getting out on to the battlefield in one form or another during his career. It all started with The Outsiders when he played greaser Steve Randle. To think he only had seventh billing back then too - behind the likes of Soulman C. Thomas Howell and Karate Kid Ralph Macchio. The hair. The denim. The fear.





3. INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE (1994)
I guess its where 'those' rumours might have started. About him being gay, not a vampire, that is. Cruise's character, Lestat de Lioncourt, was involved in a 'special' vampire relationship with Brad Pitt's Louis de Pointe du Lac - for a century or two. It's a couple made in gay heaven really, but had its share of
problems, like the time they adopted
Kirsten Dunst. I'd like to say Tom sucked
in this, but he actually pulled it off. The
author of the book the movie is based on,
Ann Rice, agreed, though she wasn't
happy with his casting to begin with.
She wanted Rutger Hauer.

2. LEGEND (1985)
Despite the signs in his previous films pointing to doom - Losin' It and Risky Business - Cruise took on the role of Jack in Ridley Scott's ambitious fantasy epic Legend (1985). Sword-wielding Jack is much like the son Frodo the hobbit and Arwen the elven princess would have had if they had 'got it on' in The Lord of the Rings. It was almost career-ending stuff. Tim Curry was fantastic as Lord of Darkness I might add.

1. VANILLA SKY (2001)
One of Cruise's most critically panned movies in which the star's character has to deal with his face being deformed after a car accident. Or is he just dreaming? Or is he just dead? Is this movie clever and thought-provoking.
Or is this movie a pile of shit?
I don't really know. But, Cruise
looked pretty damn amusing as
Mr Droopy Face (behind the mask).

HONOURABLE MENTION. AUSTIN POWERS IN GOLDMEMBER (2003)
Right before he grew a beard for The Last Samurai and bleached his hair for Collateral, he donned the spectacles to play Austin Powers in a movie within the movie.