Tom Cruise received his first Oscar on Sunday when he was presented with an honorary award at the Governors Awards ceremony in Hollywood.
The longtime film star, now 63, was celebrated for a career that spans more than four decades and includes global hits such as Top Gun and the Mission Impossible series. He accepted the award alongside Dolly Parton, Debbie Allen, and production designer Wynn Thomas.
A four-time nominee, Cruise walked onto the stage to warm applause before delivering a heartfelt speech reflecting on the path his life has taken and the passion that has kept him in front of the camera for 45 years. “Making films is not what I do, it is who I am,” he said, speaking to a room filled with well-known filmmakers and actors including Steven Spielberg, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jerry Bruckheimer.
The award was presented by filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu, who is currently working with Cruise on a new project. Iñárritu praised his long record of influence and the energy he has poured into the industry before handing him the statuette. Cruise responded with a message about teamwork in storytelling, acknowledging the many people who support every production.
“The cinema, it takes me around the world,” Cruise said.
“It helps me to appreciate and respect differences. It shows me our shared humanity, how alike we are in so, so many ways. And no matter where we come from, in that theatre, we laugh together, we feel together, we hope together, we dream together. And that is the power of this art form. And that is why it matters, that is why it matters to me.”
He went on to describe how movies shaped him as a child and opened his sense of possibility. “It opened my eyes. It opened my imagination to the possibility that life could expand far beyond the boundaries that I then perceived in my own life. And that beam of light opened a desire to open the world, and I have been following it ever since,” he said.
Cruise, known for taking on his own high-risk action scenes, also spoke about the shifting landscape of entertainment. He shared his worries about the growing influence of streaming services and social media on how viewers discover films. He added a light moment as he promised to keep supporting theatrical storytelling “without too many more broken bones,” drawing laughs from the audience.
Cruise made his feature debut in 1981 and has earned Academy Award nominations for Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire, and Magnolia, as well as a nomination for producing Top Gun Maverick. The Academy’s Board of Governors said the honorary award recognised his long-standing dedication to filmmaking, the moviegoing experience, and the stunt community.
The crowd rose to its feet when Cruise stepped forward to accept the recognition, a show of admiration from colleagues who have witnessed his influence on both action films and mainstream cinema. Many watched as he thanked generations of filmmakers and highlighted the ongoing collaboration that drives the industry.
Earlier in the year, Cruise had been expected to appear at an event at the Kennedy Center during an announcement by US President Donald Trump, though scheduling issues kept him from taking part. The Governors Award, however, marked a major moment in his journey, finally giving him an Oscar after decades of work.
As the cheering continued, Cruise closed his speech with a reflection on the meaning of film in his life. “The cinema makes the world much larger than the one I knew as a child. And I will continue to honour and serve it for as long as I am able,” he said, ending the night on an emotional note.
