10 Actors Who Profited From Films That Ruined Careers

5. Tom Cruise - Risky Business

It might seem to many as if Tom Cruise sticks himself on autopilot and plays nothing other than the near-flawless action hero these last two decades, but earlier in his career he was known for playing slightly more varied roles. His first, Risky Business, is a far cry from the chisel-jawed stunt-performing characters we're more familiar with. Risky Business's satirical slant on the greed and materialism of the 1980s remains every bit as relevant today as it did back then (perhaps even more so), and Cruise's performance was energetic and memorable enough for the studios to take note. Cocktail, Rain Man, The Colour Of Money and a seemingly endless string of hits soon followed and Cruise's bankability hasn't really wavered since. While Risky Business can be said to have been something of a breakthrough role for co-star Rebecca DeMornay (if you're feeling particularly generous), her career ended up nowhere near as profitable, and it's unlikely you'll be familiar with anything she's been in over the last twenty years.