Tom Cruise achieved an honor he had long hoped for, decades in the making. The Hollywood icon was presented with an Academy Honorary Award during the November 16 Governors Awards, and the larger-than-life movie star delivered the kind of blockbuster speech fans expect from him.
GettyThe award was introduced by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, who is directing Cruise in an upcoming untitled film scheduled for release in October 2026.
Cruise Delivers an Emotional Speech
When Cruise stepped up to the stage, he offered an emotional tribute to the people who make filmmaking possible and to the unifying power of cinema.
GettyâThe cinema takes me around the world,â Cruise said. âIt helps me to appreciate and respect differences. It shows me also our shared humanity, how alike we are in so, so many ways. And no matter where we come from, in that theater, we laugh together, we feel together, we hope together, and that is the power of this art form. And that is why it matters, that is why it matters to me. So making films is not what I do, it is who I am.â
He Reflects on How His Love of Movies Began
GettyCruise also shared how his lifelong obsession with film started when he was young.
âMy love for cinema began at a very early age, as early as I can remember,â he said. âI was just a little kid in a darkened theater, and I remember that beam of light just cut across the room, and I remember looking up, and it seemed to be just exploded on the screen.
Suddenly, the world was so much larger than the one that I knew. And entire cultures and lives and landscapes all unfolded in front of me, and it sparked something.
It sparked a hunger for adventure, a hunger for knowledge, a hunger to understand humanity, to create characters, to tell a story, to see the world. 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.â
Cruiseâs résumé includes four past Oscar nominations. He earned best actor nods for âBorn on the Fourth of Julyâ and âJerry Maguire,â best supporting actor for âMagnolia,â and a best picture nomination as a producer of âTop Gun: Maverick.â
The Ceremony Also Celebrates Dolly Parton, Debbie Allen, and Wynn Thomas
GettyCynthia Erivo also took the stage to honor legendary choreographer Debbie Allen with an Honorary Oscar, while production designer Wynn Thomas received his own award recognizing decades of pioneering work.
Dolly Parton was selected for the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. She could not attend due to health concerns, but she sent a pre-recorded speech that was played for the audience.
The Governors Awards red carpet drew a packed lineup of stars, kicking off the height of awards season. Jennifer Lawrence, Michael B. Jordan, Sydney Sweeney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Dwayne Johnson, and Emma Stone were among the actors who stepped out as anticipation builds for the months ahead.
Even with the star power in the room, Cruiseâs moment stood out. His appearance quickly became the emotional center of the night, marking a milestone for one of Hollywoodâs most powerful and beloved figures.
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