Celebrities
Tom Cruise Bags First-Ever Oscar After 45 Years in Hollywood
US actor Tom Cruise received an honorary Oscar on Sunday evening, marking the first golden statue of his decades-long Hollywood career.
The 63-year-old star was celebrated with a standing ovation from Hollywood’s elite during the ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Cruise stepped onto the stage to the iconic “Mission Impossible” theme tune, a sound closely tied to his career. He was warmly applauded by colleagues such as Colin Farrell and Emilio Estevez, as well as renowned director Steven Spielberg, who worked with him on “Minority Report” and “War of the Worlds.”
A four-time Oscar nominee who had never won the award until now, Cruise used his acceptance speech to speak passionately about his lifelong love for cinema.
He praised the power of the big screen, describing it as a place that sparks “a hunger for adventure, a hunger for knowledge, a hunger to understand humanity, to create characters, to tell a story, to see the world.”
The honorary Oscars, awarded annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, recognise iconic figures whose careers have made a profound cultural impact on the film industry.
Cruise’s award was presented by Mexican filmmaker Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, who directed the actor in the upcoming film “Judy.”
“Writing a four-minute speech to celebrate Tom Cruise’s 45-year career is what is known, in this town, as a mission impossible,” Inarritu joked.
“Tonight, we celebrate. We celebrate not just a filmography, we celebrate a lifetime of work,” he continued, adding humorously that while working with Cruise he witnessed the actor perform his “most dangerous stunt yet: ‘This man ate more chili than any Mexican.’”
Other honorees of the evening included actor Debbie Allen, famed for her role in “Fame,” production designer Wynn Thomas, and country music legend Dolly Parton, who was recognised for her humanitarian contributions.
