The Star System
The method of reinventing and recreating selected individuals into improved versions of themselves in their field of occupation is referred to as the star system. It is primarily concerned with the development and preservation of stars at a predetermined stage of existence. For example, such Hollywood stars will be groomed and then promoted in the films they appear in. If they show promise in the film industry, Hollywood would-be stars are chosen at a young age. They are then transformed into distinct characters with distinct characteristics from their natural personalities (Belton, 2012). Their habits shift in order to fit into the new identity. Their histories and biographies are often altered as well. Being a star in Hollywood means that one has to behave in certain ways and emphasizes on appearances, which include the image one portrays to the public. Although to some extent they may be required to better their acting understanding, it is the looks that film studios focus more on. Ladies would be required to be well-behaved and with a sense of strength and feminism. The use of expensive shoes, makeup and clothes would be regarded as appropriate. On the other hand, men have to be gentle in their socialization. The star's private life remains guarded with their dark secrets and atrocities covered by their handlers. The public would only be let in on the positive and more acceptable parts of the star's life. One could argue that the stars lead fake lives; they cannot show their temper in public, cannot freely socialize nor can they share their problems. Precisely, stardom is a form of imprisonment.
Tom Cruise: A Hollywood Legend
The focus of this study will be on Tom Cruise, one of the living legends of Hollywood. Born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV Syracuse, New York, he took the professional name, Tom Cruise. With a career spanning over three decades, the star stands out as one of the most prolific stars of all time. He is a figure that many magazines, tabloids and critics have written about. A few months ago, he was featured in the Mummy; an Egyptian movie played in ancient tombs. He played Nick Morton, a tomb raider. In his critique of Tom's performance, Owen Gleiberman wondered whether it is time for the curtains to fall on the actor's career (Gleiberman, 2017). With his pensive and nearly confused look, he seemed utterly lost; arguably, not at his best. Some magazines acknowledge his achievements in Hollywood. In 2010, The Guardian compared him to Leonardo DiCaprio, a fellow actor. The author reckoned that either of the two would be king of Hollywood. While it is factual that Tom Cruise has been the Hollywood's great for some time, his fame and dominance faces challenges from younger and upcoming actors like Di Caprio (Gilbey, 2010).
Tom Cruise's Career Challenges
According to Bukowski (2017), Tom's acumen seems to be fading, having lost touch with his audience. His failure to control his private life has cost him his notch at the zenith of Hollywood. While he has done so well over the years, the image is all it takes in Hollywood. Corrosion of the same leads to dire consequences. Love drama has further derailed his image in the recent years. His three divorces have not helped matters either. Despite all these, he remains a figure to reckon with in 2017. Jade Bukowski maintains that Tom Cruise remains one of the best in Hollywood. He further says that the controversies he has undergone are natural to a Hollywood star. Tom's resilience is something else, given his advanced age.
Tom Cruise's Versatile Acting Career
Having featured in so many movies since the inception of his acting career, Tom Cruise has naturally had to adapt into different characters, a feat he has easily achieved. He has been consistent in his production, keeping millions of his fans entertained over the years. He started off with comedy movies in 1981, which is ironical since he is popular for action movies and not much of a comedian (Mcknight, 2015). However, his ability to change into a role has kept many fun endeared to him. As Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder, he kept viewers glued to their screens. The epitome of comedy is in seeing Tom Cruise being amusingly bossy and whining to his subordinates. More interesting is him dancing to hip-hop jams in the office.
Tom Cruise's Iconic Roles
Tom Cruise's love for the action genre would not go without being so dreadful. As Lestat in Interview with the Vampire, he takes the role of a vampire hell-bent on terror, a deviation from the dangerous gun-trotting roles he has played over the years. He takes up the challenge to deliver one of the most memorable performances of his career. He shows a side of him not known, sensuality. In the science fiction movie, Edge of Tomorrow, the actor becomes the hero of the day, a trend shown in most of his movies. As humanity's only hope, Bill Cage, his role, takes on the battle with aliens. Unlike his serially heroic performances, he almost gives up often and is hopeless (Mcknight, 2015).
As Frank TJ Mackey in Magnolia, Tom plays as support for the crew. He has to adapt to working under somebody else. He takes a low profile that shows his struggles as a person with humility, rather than pride and ego. In the Mission Impossible sequel, he plays the role of a tough guy willing to give it all to achieve an objective. With his stunts in the sequel, he risks harm to keep his audience entertained. His role as Maverick in the 1986's Top Gun catapulted him to stardom. His Don't-Care attitude in the movie earned him admiration and love. The different roles relate in the sense that he is there to save the day. His love for humanity and willingness to make sacrifice are evident in his on-screen persona (Mcknight, 2015).
Tom Cruise's Career and Persona
Tom Cruise's photos
The above pictures show both a focused actor and a happy man. Tom Cruise does his work passionately with great success. With advanced age, his position as one of the great Hollywood actors seems to be his until he quits.
Tom Cruise stands out among his peers and juniors alike because of his consistency. At fifty-five years old, he is still more energetic, entertaining and outgoing. He has also endured a lot of controversies in his career, something that has possibly strengthened him. His willingness to go to great lengths in shooting his movies by using his stunts shows how dedicated he is to his fan base (Bukowski, 2017). As an American actor, his movie roles show him as a patriot with great love for his culture.
References
Belton, J. (2012). American Cinema/American Culture: Fourth Edition, New Jersey: McGraw-Hill Higher Education
Bukowski, J. (2017, June 12). Despite controversies, Tom Cruise is still one of Hollywood's most Popular stars. Retrieved December 7, 2017, from news: http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/despite-controversies-tom-cruise-is-still-one-of-hollywoods-most-popular-stars/news-story/32ddccd99052d8df1367960a27780dfb
Gilbey, R. (2010, August 5). Tom Cruise or Leonardo DiCaprio: who is king of Hollywood? Retrieved December 7, 2017, from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/aug/05/tom-cruise-leonardo-dicaprio
Gleiberman, O. (2017, June 10). Tom Cruise: A Star in Slow-Motion Career Meltdown. Retrieved December 7, 2017, from Variety: http://variety.com/2017/film/columns/tom-cruise-career-meltdown-the-mummy-1202461441/
Mcknight, B. (2015). Tom Cruise's 10 Best Characters, Ranked. Retrieved December 7, 2017, from cinemablend: https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Tom-Cruise-10-Best-Characters-Ranked-74147.html?story_page=10
