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In a moment to cherish for his decades-long career, Tom Cruise was presented with an Academy Honorary Award at the Governors Awards on Sunday. The 16th annual Governors Awards took place at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Ovation Hollywood, Los Angeles, on November 16, with many of the industry's brightest stars attending.
The Honorary Award recognises "extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or outstanding service to the Academy."
During the ceremony, the actor gave an emotional and heartfelt speech about his lifelong passion for filmmaking. The award was handed to Cruise by filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu, who is currently directing the actor in an untitled project due to release in October 2026.
In his acceptance speech, the 63-year-old emphasised that filmmaking was deeply connected to his identity. Cruise highlighted the unifying power of cinema, noting how it helps people connect and appreciate differences globally.
“The cinema takes me around the world. It helps me to appreciate and respect differences. It also 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, 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,” the actor was quoted as saying by Variety.
The Hollywood star further talked about how he became interested in movies as a child.
“My love for cinema began at a very early age, as early as I can remember. I was just a little kid in a darkened theatre, and I remember that beam of light just cut across the room, and I remember looking up, and it seemed to be just exploding on the screen. 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 added.
The actor has previously received four Oscar nominations: best actor for Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire, best supporting actor for Magnolia, and best picture for his role as a producer in Top Gun: Maverick .
On the work front, the actor was recently seen in the spy action thriller, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Helmed by Christopher McQuarrie, the film was a sequel to Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning and hit theatres in May this year.
The Honorary Award recognises "extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or outstanding service to the Academy."
During the ceremony, the actor gave an emotional and heartfelt speech about his lifelong passion for filmmaking. The award was handed to Cruise by filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu, who is currently directing the actor in an untitled project due to release in October 2026.
In his acceptance speech, the 63-year-old emphasised that filmmaking was deeply connected to his identity. Cruise highlighted the unifying power of cinema, noting how it helps people connect and appreciate differences globally.
“The cinema takes me around the world. It helps me to appreciate and respect differences. It also 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, 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,” the actor was quoted as saying by Variety.
The Hollywood star further talked about how he became interested in movies as a child.
“My love for cinema began at a very early age, as early as I can remember. I was just a little kid in a darkened theatre, and I remember that beam of light just cut across the room, and I remember looking up, and it seemed to be just exploding on the screen. 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 added.
The actor has previously received four Oscar nominations: best actor for Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire, best supporting actor for Magnolia, and best picture for his role as a producer in Top Gun: Maverick .
On the work front, the actor was recently seen in the spy action thriller, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Helmed by Christopher McQuarrie, the film was a sequel to Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning and hit theatres in May this year.
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