Timeline: Tom Cruise's biggest moments

"I feel the need ... the need for speed!" It's been 30 years since "Top Gun" hit theaters and Tom Cruise was catapulted into the movie star stratosphere. To celebrate, let's take a look back at some of the highlights and more eyebrow-raising moments of his career over the years.

"Risky Business"

While 1983's "Risky Business" marked Cruise's fifth film role, it was the part that put him on the map -- thanks in large part to this whiskey-fueled, pants-less dance around the living room to Bob Seeger.

He also really hit it off with his co-star, Rebecca De Mornay, as the pair began dating after meeting on the film and lived together in New York until they broke up in 1985.

"Top Gun"

Just three years later, Cruise's status as a bona fide movie star would be cemented with the Navy pilot drama "Top Gun," released May 16, 1986. A pop culture touchstone, it's spawned plenty of parodies and made Cruise a household name.

Always the nominee

Cruise dominated Hollywood for the rest of the '80s and into the '90s, with standout hits such as "Days of Thunder" and "Far and Away" -- co-starring second wife Nicole Kidman -- plus "Interview with the Vampire," "A Few Good Men" and "The Firm."

His '90s box office dominance hit its apex in 1996, with the release of the first "Mission: Impossible" film and "Jerry Maguire," which marked Cruise's second trip to the Oscars as a nominee. His received his first nod for 1989's "Born on the Fourth of July," and he'd go on to earn a third nomination for 1999's "Magnolia." He did win Golden Globes for all three, though.

The couch-jump heard around the world

And then this happened. Cruise paid a visit to Oprah Winfrey's talk show that would become infamous -- thanks to his oddly expressed excitement about new girlfriend Katie Holmes. After several instances of Cruise derailing the interview by dropping to his knees or jumping on the couch, he literally dragged Holmes out of the dressing room and onto the stage.

Suspicious behavior

Tom Cruise said he was just in love, but his shenanigans while promoting "War of the Worlds" seemed out of character for the normally private actor. Many were even wondering if his professed love for Katie Holmes was real -- though it turned out be real enough to lead to a marriage soon after, at least.

"It has been a whirlwind romance and nobody seems to be buying it. It has been two months of craziness - a lot of intensity very, very fast," Us Weekly's Katrina Szish said. "Any time that happens, people are going to be skeptical. And we're still waiting to see the outcome."

That Matt Lauer interview

On June 23, 2005, Tom Cruise joined Matt Lauer on the "Today" show to discuss "War Of The Worlds," his new relationship with Katie Holmes and Scientology. It did not go well.

That Scientology video

As Cruise's ties to Scientology became more explicit and he became more open about his life in the controversial religion, an internal promotional video featuring Cruise speaking at length about his faith was leaked.

As the years went on, critics of the church found speaking out to be less daunting -- like former Scientologist Leah Remini, who spoke out in 2015 about how she'd been "reprimanded" by the organization for making jokes about Cruise's behavior when courting Katie Holmes.

Tom gets the giggles

Maybe he's normal after all. In 2008, Cruise visited "the Late Show with David Letterman" for a chat that started out stilted and uncomfortable but took a delightfully bizarre turn when Cruise attempted to share a humorous anecdote about piloting his own plane -- only it was too humorous for him to get through without doubling over in fits of laughter.

So long, Katie

Katie Holmes confirmed that she had filed for divorce from Cruise on July 29, 2012 -- four days before his 50th birthday. Holmes retained primary custody of their daughter, Suri, and relocated to New York City.

Onward and upward

Post-divorce, Tom Cruise has seen something of a career resurgence, with smarter blockbuster fare like "Oblivion" and "Edge of Tomorrow" improving his profile with critics -- even if their box office receipts weren't stellar.

But the "Mission: Impossible" franchise continued to find overwhelming critical and commercial success. While 2011's "Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol," brought in $694.7 million at the global box office, still remains Cruise's top earner, 2015's "Mission: Impossible -- Rogue Nation" is close behind at $682.3 million. Naturally, a sixth installment has been announced. And there are even those pesky rumors about a long-awaited "Top Gun" sequel finally happening.

Eyes Wide Shut

Cruise closed out the 20th century by starring with Kidman for a third and final time in "Eyes Wide Shut," the final film by director Stanley Kubrick. The pair divorced two years later in 2001.