Tom Cruise has the Midas touch. But that wasn’t always the case as he struggled, like any up-and-coming actor, to pave his way to success. Our generation’s last American movie star owes his career to the 1982 teen sex comedy ‘Risky Business’ starring him opposite Rebecca De Mornay. 

Tom Cruise’s first movie as a leading man, ‘Risky Business’ is fondly remembered for a buttoned-down rendition of ‘Old Time And Rock And Roll.’ The 61-year-old actor is also fond of this moment. But the film that put him on the map almost didn’t exist for a moment. The film’s ending became a bone of contention, nearly ending the then-young actor’s career.

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Tom Cruise’s ‘Risky Business’ Took A Beating For Its Ending

Tom Cruise was only four films old before bagging the lead role in ‘Risky Business.’ He played the academically brilliant and go-getter high school Joel Goodsen. Ultimately, Joel ends up with a girl and gets into Princeton. He is also able to retrieve his mother’s precious valuables in the end.  

However, it also didn’t come to pass. When the film was shot and presented to a test audience, they were incensed with the ending. Paul Brickman, the writer-director of ‘Risky Business’ wrote an ending where Joel doesn’t get the girl or his dream school. He also ends up breaking his mother’s Steuben glass egg. 

Paul Brickman wasn’t willing to give. But in the end, he had to rewrite and reshoot an ending. The film finally garnered some positive reactions from the test audience. At the box office, the movie made $61 million. The world got its first glance at Tom Cruise, the future of the cinema. 

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Tom Cruise’s Carrier In Box Office Collection

Since ‘Risky Business,’ Tom Cruise has become a surefire box office draw. He’s one of the highest movie stars of all time, his films bringing over $ 11 billion. Most of his financially successful movies come from the ‘Mission: Impossible’ franchise. With $4.02 billion dollars, it is said to be the 18th highest-grossing movie franchise.

Last year’s ‘Top Gun: Maverick‘ is the highest-grossing film of Tom Cruise’s career. It made $1.496 billion worldwide, finally bringing people back into theatres post-COVID-19. Outside the franchise, his films Rain Man’ and ‘The Last Samurai’ have made more than $350 million and $450 million, respectively.

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