As one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors, Tom’s career in front of the camera has spanned over four decades.

After making his breakthrough with roles in Risky Business (1983) and Top Gun (1986), he became a leading actor in the nineties with roles in The Firm (199) and Jerry Maguire (1996). 

As he enters the fifth decade of his career, MailOnline takes a glance back at Tom’s changing look over the years. 

Star: Tom Cruise debuted a bold new look at the 95th Annual Oscars Nominees Luncheon this week, marking his first red carpet appearance in eight months

1980S – THE EARLY YEARS

Tom was a fresh-faced 24-year-old when he appeared in one of his most famous films: Top Gun.

The actor won the lead role of Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell in the action flick, which became the highest-grossing domestic film of the year with $357million.

The star looked worlds away from his current self during this period, which also saw him appear in films like The Color Of Money (1986) and All The Right Moves (1983).

Tom spoke about his rise to fame during this time, saying it was strange being suddenly recognised in the street.

He told Interview magazine: ‘I’m really very private, in my own world. Suddenly I was someone walking on the street and people were looking at me and I was thinking, “Jesus, is something hanging out of my nose?”

‘It took time to get adjusted to it. It was such a perfect time to do Legend in England. Everyone is looking at you and somehow just moving your hand seems so much more exaggerated.

Early days: Tom was a fresh-faced 24-year-old when he appeared in one of his most famous films: Top Gun (pictured in 1986)

Roles: The film star looks worlds away from his current self during this period, which also saw him appear in films like The Color Of Money and All The Right Moves (pictured in 1990)

TURN OF THE MILLENIUM – MOVIE STAR 

Tom was firmly established as one of the industry’s biggest stars by this time and had a chiselled look to match.

The star looked like a male model when he attended the Screen Actors Guild Awards that year where he was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor for his role in Magnolia.

Tom also sported a longer hairstyle during this period, just months before the end of his marriage to actress Nicole Kidman.

This was also the year the Mission: Impossible franchise kicked off in earnest with the release of the first sequel which made over $500million at the box office.

Suave: Tom was firmly established as one of the industry’s biggest stars by this period and had a chiselled look to match

Look: Tom sported a longer hairstyle at the time, just months before the end of his marriage to actress Nicole Kidman (pictured in 2001)

MID-NOUGHTIES – CONTINUED SUCCESS

Tom had gone with a bolder look a few years later, sporting a much shorter crew cut that he would keep for several years.

This decade was one of the busiest for Tom when he apeared in a slew of successful films including The Last Samurai, Collateral, and War of the Worlds.

He was also gearing up for a return to the Mission: Impossible franchise, with the third instalment released two years later.

Tom would soon embark on one of his most highly publicised relationships when he began dating actress Katie Holmes in Apirl 2005.

Just a few months later in October, the couple announced they were expecting their first child, Suri, who was born in April 2006.

They married in November of that year, with Katie filing for divorce five and a half years later.

Success: Tom had gone with a bolder look a few years later, sporting a much shorter crew cut that he would keep for several years (pictured in 2004)

Blockbusters: This decade was one of the busiest for Tom when he apeared in a slew of successful films including The Last Samurai, Collateral, and War of the Worlds (pictured in 2008)

Relationship: Tom embarked on one of his most highly publicised relationships when he began dating actress Katie Holmes in Apirl 2005 (pictured in 2007)

Tom raised eyebrows in October 2021 when he attended a baseball game in San Francisco with a noticeably puffier face.

The father-of-three sparked speculation he had fillers after sporting a fuller face during the LA Dodgers match.

Dawn Attewell, Registered Aesthetics Nurse at therapyhouse.co.uk told FEMAIL the pictures were a result of ‘excessive filler’ and ‘post-procedure swelling’ but he now looks fresher thanks to a ‘hair transplant’ and ‘skin tightening treatments’.

‘In the infamous October 2021 picture, you can see that Tom looked swollen and puffy, which could be due to excessive filler, post-procedure swelling, or weight gain.’

‘Often, surgical procedures such as a platysmal plasty, or neck lift, combined with a mid-facelift could create this type of swelling in these areas.

However, it wasn’t long before Tom was back to his old self as he walked the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2022 with a slimmed down appearance.

Night out: Tom raised eyebrows in October 2021 when he attended a baseball game in San Francisco with a noticeably puffier face

Dapper: However, it wasn’t long before Tom was back to his old self as he walked the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2022

PRESENT DAY

Tom returned to the spotlight last year with his first film in four years, To Gun: Maverick.

The fim made over $1billion at the box office – the higest grossing film of is career – and many critics considered it to be an improvement over the original.

Tom is once again sporting longer locks and has been busy in recent months putting the finishing touches on Mission: Impossibe – Dead Reckoning parts one and two.

Part one is due for release in July while franchise fans will have to wait until June 2024 for part two.

Back in action: Tom returned to the spotlight last year with his first film in four years, To Gun: Maverick (pictured in 2022)

Work: Tom has been busy in recent months putting the finishing touches on Mission: Impossibe – Dead Reckoning parts one and two (pictured in February 2023)

TOM NOW.