10 Actors Who Brilliantly Reinvented Themselves

Love him or hate him, there's no denying that Tom Cruise is a powerhouse, completely committed to his craft and one of Hollywood's most consistent box office performers.

But for a long while, early in his career, he was nothing like the Tom Cruise we know today. Back in the late 80s and the majority of the 90s, Cruise was much more accustomed to serious dramas than the loud, exciting action flicks he is now known for.

Sure, there was Top Gun (1986), but with roles in Rain Man (1988), Born on the Fourth of July (1989), A Few Good Men (1992) and Jerry Maguire (1996), it looked as though Cruise was poised to be the next big thing.

And he was, all told, but not in the way anyone were expecting. In 1996, he starred in the first Mission Impossible and ushered in a whole new era of his career, an era he's still enjoying today. It was followed by an explosive sequel (2000) and lead roles in Minority Report (2002), Knight and Day (2010), Jack Reacher (2012), Oblivion (2013) and oh-so-many more.

Though he had a few dramatic roles after the first Mission Impossible, most importantly his career-best turn in Magnolia (1999), Cruise has stayed firmly in the action star category for most of his later career, and due to the success of his films and the lengths he goes to to get them made, it's fair to say it's worked out for him.