Tom Cruise gets honorary Oscar: ‘Making films is not what I do, it is who I am’

Tom Cruise has added another accolade to his already illustrious collection.

The Mission Impossible actor received an honorary Oscar on Sunday night at the 16th Governors Awards in Los Angeles.

The Honorary Award is given “to honor extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences in any discipline, or for outstanding service to the Academy,” according to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Cruise began his acceptance speech by thanking Mexican filmmaker Alejandro Iñárritu, who presented him the award. Then, he paid tribute to his fellow honorees, acclaimed production designer Wynn Thomas; dancer, actress and choreographer Debbie Allen; and music legend and philanthropist Dolly Parton, who received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

“I am truly grateful to have this moment,” Cruise said, adding that “it allows me to acknowledge all the people who have helped me, all the people that I have been fortunate enough to create these films with.”

Cruise went on to describe his love for cinema, saying his passion for film unlocked “a hunger to understand humanity, to create characters, to tell a story, to see the world.”

“Making films is not what I do. It is who I am,” he added.

Cruise has received four previous Oscar nominations in his career, earning best actor nods for 1990’s Born on the Fourth of July and 1997’s Jerry Maguire, a best supporting actor nod for his role in 2000’s Magnolia and a best picture nod for his work as a producer on 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick.

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