Making it big in any field of profession is something that requires vision and the risk-taking ability to make that happen. Hollywood is no different in terms of this fact, and every role that an aspiring actor take is a risk that can lead you to success. Even some of the biggest stars like Tom Cruise have taken this path and found themselves reaching the top of the Hollywood hierarchy.

And with that initial recognition they got, they continuously built themselves on top of that, till they reached the pinnacle of stardom in the film business. But as they say, risk-taking is something that’s pervasive, and those who want to achieve something bigger than the rest will always be challenging themselves harder than before. Therefore, even at the top of his career, the star wanted to do this film that many were hesitant for him to do.

Tom Cruise Wanted To Challange Himself While Shooting Born On The Fourth Of July

Tom Cruise in a still from Born on The Fourth of July

Most popular for his contributions to films like the Top Gun and Mission: Impossible franchises, Hollywood megastar Tom Cruise might’ve been living the success story for some time now, but it was never easy rising up to the position he is today. Starting his journey from humble beginnings, the stars made his way through thick and thin till he reached where he wanted to. But while he may be in a comfortable spot according to many, he never stopped challenging himself, which lead him to do this film.

After receiving fame and recognition for his exceptional performance in 1986’s Top Gun, Cruise wanted to challenge himself further, which diverted his focus to a proposed film titled Born on The Fourth of July. This film, starring MCU star Willem Dafoe as his co-actor, was accepted by Cruise in a heartbeat, but on the contrary, many people said that he was committing career suicide and that he should be happy with the fame he got from his previous aviator movie. To this, he replied, saying:

“When I made that film people said, ‘This is going to ruin your career. Why are you doing this after you did Top Gun. Why not just do Top Gun 2?’. I wanted to challenge myself.”
Thus, he set off to face the challenge head-on, and before everyone knew it, the film was being critically appraised by the audience, which led it to gross a whopping $162 Million at the box office.

What Was Born On The Fourth Of July About?

A still from Born on The Fourth of July

While the story may sound similar to that of Top Gun, the beauty of this film lies in the experience of war that many veterans have experienced, and it tries to reflect on how it can change a man. Born on The Fourth of July tells the tale of Ron Kovic, who is a hardcore patriot that wishes to serve his country. Therefore he joins the US Marines and is sent to Vietnam on a second tour. Here, things go south for this young man as he accidentally kills one of his comrades and gets permanently paralyzed, which is when his outlook on war and life starts to change.

Born on The Fourth of July, streaming on Netflix.