Tom Cruise received an honorary Oscar at the Governors Awards, delivering an emotional tribute to cinema and its impact on his life and career.
The award was presented by director Alejandro G. Iñárritu, who is currently working with Cruise on an upcoming film scheduled for release next year.
Cruise, a four-time Academy Award nominee, told the audience that filmmaking has shaped his worldview and remains central to his identity.
“It’s not what I do — it’s who I am,” he said, reflecting on the way cinema connects people across cultures. “No matter where we come from, in that theatre we laugh together, we feel together, we hope together.
That is the power of this art form.” Jerry Maguire, Magnolia, and Top Gun: Maverick, said his love for movies began in childhood.
He recalled sitting in a darkened theatre, mesmerised as a beam of light filled the screen and revealed a world far bigger than the one he knew.
Cruise was honoured alongside choreographer Debbie Allen and production designer Wynn Thomas, both recognised for their decades of contribution to film and television.
Many past recipients of the honorary Oscar had also not yet won a competitive Academy Award.
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Singer Dolly Parton was awarded the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her long-standing philanthropic work.
She could not attend due to health reasons but expressed her gratitude through a recorded message.
Academy president Janet Yang praised Cruise’s commitment to cinema when his nomination was announced in June, noting his support for theatrical filmmaking and the stunt community.
The Academy has since revealed that a new competitive category for best stunt design will debut at the 100th Oscars in 2028.
