Tom Cruise became a star in 1986 when Top Gun became worldwide fever. He was already successful among teenagers before with hits like All The Right Moves and, in particular, the classic Risk Business. But it was as Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell that the actor gained the priceless box office power he has known to maintain for more than 4 decades. As friends complain / praise, Tom is a dedicated artist, obsessed with quality and nothing takes his focus from always delivering the best to the public.

Loving what he does compensates for much of the controversy in his personal life, and in the year that Tom turns 60 (in July), I will talk about his trajectory further on. Here we are talking about the artistic recognition of a project that took 36 years to reach cinemas, full of behind-the-scenes drama, and which earns the star unanimous praise almost unparalleled in his trajectory. Top Gun 2, or simply, Top Gun: Maverick has been described by all critics as the best action movie of the year, with emotion, nostalgia and surprises so tightly tied together that Tom Cruise’s dedication and care is justified and recognized.

Of so many famous characters he’s given us in these 41 years of his career, Maverick might not even be his deepest (or favorite), but surely no other actor could play him like Tom. The sequel brings the hero (relatively) mature, but still dealing with his past choices. It’s an excellent time for Tom Cruise, who spent many years chasing the industry’s respect for awards (he was nominated 3 times for an Oscar, and should have won at least 1 of them, for Magnolia), but who in the last decade has started to focus on excellent franchises like Mission Impossible and Jack Reacher, but appearing in comedies (how to forget about Tropical Thunder?) and dramas. Maybe, at 60, when he might still care but doesn’t kill himself to get it, the prestigious award will come to crown his career.

Above all, Tom Cruise dedicated himself to keeping a dream industry alive, because he managed to fulfill his own. When asked at the premiere of Top Gun: Maverick if he has a day off, he laughed and explained sincerely that he doesn’t, but that he doesn’t see his busy life as a problem: “Since I was 4 years old, I’ve wanted to be doing exactly what I’m doing,” he explained. “I’m living my dreams.”

Tom Cruise‘s sincerity is the great secret to maintaining his worldwide adoration for so many years. E Top Gun: Maverick is his great gift to us in 2022. It opens in Brazil on May 26th.

Click here for my top 5 ranks of his movies.