Hollywood legend Tom Cruise accepted an Academy Honorary Award at the 16th Annual Governors Awards on Sunday night.
The honour marks Cruise’s first Academy Award win. He had previously received three Oscar nominations.
Cruise earned Best Actor nominations for Born on the Fourth of July in 1989 and Jerry Maguire in 1996. He also received a nomination as a producer for Top Gun: Maverick in 2022.
‘Making films is who I am’
Cruise delivered an emotional speech after receiving the award. He thanked the people who make films and spoke about his lifelong love for cinema.
“The cinema – it takes me around the world,” Cruise said. He also explained how films help audiences understand different cultures and shared experiences.
Cruise said cinema can bring people together. Audiences laugh, feel and hope together inside a theatre.
He then summed up his passion for filmmaking with a simple message: “Making films is not what I do, it is who I am.”
Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu presented the award to Cruise. The filmmaker is also directing Cruise in an upcoming project with the working title Judy.
Iñárritu joked about the challenge of preparing a speech for Cruise’s 45-year career. He referred to it as a “mission impossible” before introducing the Hollywood star.
Cruise then walked onto the stage as the Mission: Impossible theme played. He hugged longtime collaborator Steven Spielberg before accepting the honour.
The audience responded with loud applause and a standing ovation that lasted several minutes.
Cruise also praised fellow Honorary Oscar recipients Debbie Allen and Wynn Thomas. Allen is a director and choreographer, while Thomas is a production designer.
The actor made it clear that the award will not mark the end of his career. Instead, he plans to continue supporting filmmakers and new voices in the industry.
Cruise also promised to keep protecting the power of cinema. He ended his speech with a joke about avoiding “too many more broken bones.”
