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When you watch Tom Cruise hang off the side of a plane and sprint like a madman while fighting bad guys in Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, it's easy to forget that he's 53 years old.
Back in 1985, ET caught up with Cruise, when he was only 23, on the set of his classic fighter pilot flick Top Gun, where the star played coy about his status as a sex symbol and his love life.
WATCH: Tom Cruise Has Never Met a Stunt He Won’t Do Himself – Including This Insane Move
Cruise, whose breakout role came in 1983 with the iconic film Risky Business, said that he didn't see himself as a sex symbol. Instead, "I see myself as a dedicated and hardworking actor."
It turns out that Cruise used that dedication -- and his skill at deflecting questions -- to keep his private life private. Although he admitted that he wasn't bothered by the public's interest in his personal affairs.
"It doesn't bother me at all. I don't resent it. I'm not tortured at night by it," Cruise shared. "Actually, I'm very happy people think enough of my work to feel that way."
WATCH: 'Mission: Impossible' by the Numbers: How Much Has Tom Cruise's Blockbuster Franchise Made?
Check out the interview to hear more from a young Cruise on how he chose what films he'd sign on to.
ET: Before They Were Famous is available on newsstands and at OnNewsstandsNow.com
More a look at his newest film, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, watch the pulse-pounding trailer below.
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