This is Tom Cruise, arguably the world's most popular mega superstar, actor, producer,

wild do-it-himself stuntman who's made countless iconic films throughout his 40 plus year career.

And he's up to his usual death defying stunts as he returns as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One.

You wanted me to listen.

This is me listening.

Tom's first role was in Endless Love as, well, a shirtless arsonist.

Did you ever try to light a whole pile of wet newspapers?

Smokes like crazy.

That same year, he garnered critical acclaim for bringing a manic edge to cadet David Shawn, who helps take over his Military Academy in Taps.

We were in an explosive situation which jeopardized the entire mission. I simply diffused the situation.

The following year he played a teen trying to lose his virginity in the comedy romp Losin' It.

Check this out, buddy.

Then, after getting a little taste of doing his own stunts and bringing out his intensity in Francis Ford Coppola's The Outsiders,

he slid right into our hearts wearing tighty-whities in his breakout role of Joel Goodson,

a meek but lovable teenager trying to navigate a series of mishaps in Risky Business.

Porsche.

There is no substitute.

Then, Tom took the highway to the danger zone,

becoming a household name as naval aviator Maverick in the high-octane, jet-fueled '80s classic, Top Gun.

I feel the need--the need for speed.

From there, his career blew into the stratosphere,

turning in dramatic performances in award-winning films like Rain Man, and Born On The Fourth of July.

His performance as real life veteran, Ron Kovic, who recovered from a war injury to become a prominent,

and sometimes, controversial anti-war activist earned him his first Oscar nomination.

But this war is wrong.

This society lied to me. It lied to my brothers.

Tom continued to receive praise for his work and projects like the military courtroom drama A Few Good Men,

the thriller The Firm, and as the sadistic vampire, Lestat, an Interview with the Vampire.

But Tom Cruise was ready to ascend to the next level—as a producer—when he formed a production company with Paula Wagner to help make Mission Impossible.

For the next two decades, he made so many impossible missions possible, thanks to his insane work ethic as an actor, producer, and borderline stuntman.

He wasn't afraid to scale skyscrapers, drive motorcycles, fly helicopters, or literally hang for dear life on the side of a moving plane.

Show me the money!

Tom's world domination of cinema carried on throughout the '90s, thanks to additional Oscar nominations for playing a charismatic sports agent in Jerry Maguire.

Help me, help you.

And an over-the-top motivational speaker reconciling with his dying father in Magnolia.

He continued working with legendary directors like Stanley Kubrick in Eyes Wide Shut,

Steven Spielberg in Minority Report and War of the Worlds, and Michael Mann in the action thriller Collateral.

You killed him?

No, I shot him.

Bullets and the fall killed him.

And boy, if you thought this guy was evil, that's nothing compared to studio executive Les Grossman in Topic Thunder.

Player.

Player.

When Tom wasn't producing and starring in his Mission: Impossible franchise,

he would save the day in a collection of action films,

save the world in sci-fi films, and even save rock and roll in Rock of Ages.

And after 36 years, he took to the skies again to buzz the tower and train a whole new generation of pilots in Top Gun: Maverick.

Good morning, aviators. This is your captain speaking.

Welcome to basic fighter maneuvers.

It's hard to imagine a time when Tom Cruise wasn't a fixture in Hollywood.

And thanks to his complete dedication to every aspect of moviemaking, that's not going to change any time soon.