Entertainment Movies 15 of Tom Cruise's Dreamiest Throwback Photos in Honor of His Birthday From being an 'Outsider' to becoming 'Top Gun,' the 'Mission Impossible' star turns 61 on July 3, 2023 By Andrea Wurzburger Andrea Wurzburger Andrea Wurzburger is a former features writer at PEOPLE. She left PEOPLE in 2022. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 30, 2023 12:41PM EDT Close Tom Cruise in Cocktail. Photo: Mondadori via Getty Tom Cruise turns 61 on July 3, 2023, and to celebrate, we're going to kick back with a Cocktail, turn on the latest Mission: Impossible and maybe engage in some Risky Business. Or, we could just look back on these 15 dreamy throwbacks of the Hollywood all-star! 01 of 15 All-American Guy Michael Ochs Archives/Getty A popped collar and double denim? Tom Cruise circa 1980 was totally dreamy. Cruise wouldn't get his acting break until 1981, when he appeared in the film Endless Love, but he was already a star! 02 of 15 Totally Preppy Barry King/WireImage A young Tom Cruise wearing a corduroy jacket with elbow patches makes us wish he could tutor us after school. 03 of 15 Greaser Dude Nancy Moran/Sygma via Getty Cruise hit the big screen in 1982 as Steve Randle in The Outsiders. 04 of 15 The Outsiders Frank Edwards/Fotos International/Getty At the premiere of the film in 1982, Cruise, Rob Lowe and Emilio Estevez made a pretty great-looking trio. 05 of 15 Taking Risks Warner Brothers/Getty In 1983, Cruise starred in Risky Business and we will never look at a men's dress shirt and tighty-whities the same ever again. 06 of 15 Cool and Casual Ron Galella Collection via Getty At a screening for Risky Business, Cruise had us swooning with his long locks, T-shirt and jeans. 07 of 15 Long Hair, Don't Hair Barry King/WireImage Cruise let his luscious locks fly free at the premiere of The Breakfast Club in 1985. 08 of 15 Tough Guy Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Is there anything more attractive than Tom Cruise going incognito in a leather jacket and sunglasses in 1985? 09 of 15 An Officer and a Gentleman Paramount Pictures/Archive Photos/Getty Well, okay, his character in Top Gun was technically a lieutenant, but you get the picture. 10 of 15 On the Dot Ron Galella Collection via Getty Cruise had a head of hair that defied physics and a jaw that could cut glass at the 1986 Top Gun premiere afterparty. 11 of 15 Stare Down Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Sorry, we forgot what we were saying, we got lost in Cruise's blue eyes! 12 of 15 Black Tie Affair The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Cruise looks just as good dressed to the nines as he does dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. 13 of 15 Thirsty? Mondadori via Getty How about a Cocktail? Cruise starred in the film (and rocked this blue floral shirt) in 1988. 14 of 15 Winner, Winner The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty In 1990, Cruise won the People's Choice Award for his role in Born on the Fourth of July. 15 of 15 Standing Firm Francois Duhamel/Sygma via Getty Cruise starred in the 1993 legal thriller, The Firm, in which he played a Harvard-educated lawyer, a.k.a. the man of our dreams (despite his character's shady business dealings).