This long lost '90s thriller show had Tom Cruise on its creative team (& it was also his directorial debut)

Tom Cruise began his acting journey in 1981 with a brief role in Endless Love. Just two years later, he gained wide attention playing Joel Goodsen in the hit teen comedy Risky Business. Cruise quickly rose through Hollywood ranks, earning leading roles in major films like Top Gun, Rain Man, and The Color of Money.

Known today for blockbuster action movies and jaw-dropping stunts, few remember that Tom Cruise once stepped behind the camera, and not in a movie, but in a short-lived TV series. His directorial debut came in 1993 with an episode of the neo-noir crime show Fallen Angels.

Which episode of Fallen Angels Marked Tom Cruise's directorial debut?

Fallen Angels was an anthology series that aired on Showtime for two seasons from 1993 to 1995. Each episode told a different crime story, usually set in post-war Los Angeles, and was based on works by famous noir and crime writers. The show aimed to capture the look and feel of classic film noir, with shadowy cinematography, morally gray characters, and unpredictable plots. In a few European countries, it was released under the name Perfect Crimes.

Tom Cruise directed the fourth episode of the first season, called The Frightening Frammis. The episode was adapted from a 1957 short story by author Jim Thompson. It starred Peter Gallagher as Mitch Allison, a smooth-talking gambler who steals $25,000 from his con-artist wife, Bette (played by Nancy Travis). Mitch plans to double the money with a gambling trick while on a train, but things don’t go as expected.

The episode is full of classic noir twists and turns, and Cruise’s direction brought energy and style to the tale. Although Fallen Angels had a strong concept and an impressive team, it never found a wide audience. Critics felt the show leaned too heavily on visuals and style while lacking substance in storytelling. Some called it uneven and overly artistic. This could explain why the series didn’t make a lasting impression, despite having many talented names associated with the show.

Besides Tom Cruise, many other high-profile directors were involved in Fallen Angels. The series opened with an episode directed by Phil Joanou. Other notable names in the first season included Tom Hanks, Steven Soderbergh, Alfonso Cuarón, and Jonathan Kaplan. Season two featured directors like Kiefer Sutherland, Peter Bogdanovich, and Agnieszka Holland.

The show attracted serious talent, but not even that was enough to keep it going. As for Tom Cruise, Fallen Angels remains his only TV directing credit. He hasn’t returned to directing or television since. Apart from a few special appearances, such as narrating a NASCAR documentary in 2009, Cruise has kept his focus on the big screen. Following his episode of Fallen Angels, he starred in Interview with the Vampire in 1994, then Mission: Impossible and Jerry Maguire in 1996. These roles launched him to new levels of global fame.

With his movie career soaring, it’s no surprise that Tom Cruise didn’t look back at television. Still, his work on Fallen Angels offers a rare glimpse at another side of Tom Cruise, a brief moment when he was not on screen but in the director’s chair.

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