Tom Cruise's Mom in Risky Business Dies at 71

Janet Carroll

Victor Spinelli/Wireimage

Janet Carroll, who played Tom Cruise's oblivious mother in the movie Risky Business, died Tuesday at 71.

The Chicago-born actress, who had a long career in movies and television, died in New York after a lengthy illness, Variety reports.

Playing a mother unaware that her son was running a brothel in her own home while she was out of town, Carroll made her movie premiere in the 1983 film that launched Cruise to superstardom.

Carroll went on to appear in 20 other films and dozens of TV shows including Murphy Brown, Married with Children and Melrose Place. Mike Fleeman