Tom Cruise Oscar Nods (Photo Credit – Prime Video)
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Although Hollywood star Tom Cruise will be presented with an Honorary Oscar at the 16th Annual Governors Awards on November 16, 2025, it won’t be for a specific performance or a particular film he produced. Over the years, the legendary actor came very close to winning an Academy Award — not just once or twice, but four times. Curious to know which films earned him those Oscar nominations and in what categories? Read on to find out.
1. Born On The Fourth Of July
Release Year – 1989
Director – Oliver Stone
Tom Cruise’s Oscar Nomination – Best Actor
IMDb Rating – 7.2/10
Streaming On – Amazon Prime Video (Rent)
Plot: Based on a true story, the film follows the story of Sergeant Ron Kovic (played by Tom Cruise), a patriotic man who was paralyzed in the Vietnam War and eventually became a passionate anti-war activist.
Plot: The sports comedy-drama features Tom Cruise as the titular sports agent Jerry Maguire, who loses his job and most of his clients after expressing a newly realized moral awakening. With just one athlete and a loyal assistant on his side, he tries to rebuild his career as an independent agent.
3. Magnolia
Release Year – 1999
Director – Paul Thomas Anderson
TomCruise’s Oscar Nomination – Best Supporting Actor
IMDb Rating – 8/10
Streaming On – Amazon Prime Video (Rent)
Plot: The film revolves around ten interrelated characters whose stories intersect during a single, random day in the San Fernando Valley in Southern California. They include a dying father, a quiz show host, an LA cop, a motivational speaker, an unloving wife, and a child prodigy, among others. Tom Cruise essays the role of Frank T.J. Mackey, an emotionally conflicted motivational speaker who has a strained relationship with his dying father.
4. Top Gun: Maverick
Release Year – 2022
Director – Joseph Kosinski
TomCruise’s Oscar Nomination – Best Picture
IMDb Rating – 8.2/10
Streaming On – Jio Hotstar
Plot: In the Top Gun sequel, Tom Cruise reprises his role as the courageous U.S. Navy aviator Pete “Maverick” Mitchell and is set more than thirty years after the events shown in the first film. The underlying plot revolves around how Maverick is assigned the task of training a group of Top Gun graduates for a dangerous mission while dealing with his past demons.
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