A breakthrough moment in Tom Cruise's career: my episode discussing the 1983 film Risky Business.

Cruise's first starring role comes hard won. He plays a teenage virgin who is desperate to have intercourse for the first time. Well-won experience that will set him up for the rest of the complex and challenging work of his career.

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Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, The Outsiders is a tale of rich vs. the poor. Tom Cruise is featured in a minor role, but we see his charisma still shine through.

Setting a precedent for later roles for Cruise, we see the budding actor portray a military school student who is hellbent on defending his school. Here we examine the role of the American Military Complex on Hollywood and wonder if the legalization of cocaine would be beneficial to the film industry.

The day is July 17, 1981, and the first film to feature Tom Cruise is released. In this episode we'll take a look at Endless Love, the dramatic tale of two teens in love, and examine how it jumpstarted the career of America's most famous actor.