Tom Cruise Finally Receives His First Oscar! “Making films is not what I do, it is who I am,” Says the Superstar

Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise has finally received his first-ever Oscar statuette. At 63, the US film actor accepted an honorary Oscar, the Governors Award, at the annual Governors Awards ceremony.

On November 16, 2025, Tom Cruise was honoured with the award by Alejandro González Iñárritu, the director of Tom Cruise’s untitled upcoming movie, set for release in October 2026.

A Career Defined by Passion

Sharing the spotlight with fellow legends like singer-philanthropist Dolly Parton, choreographer Debbie Allen, and production designer Wynn Thomas, Cruise stepped onto the stage to a minutes-long standing ovation and thunderous applause.

The room, filled with luminaries such as Steven Spielberg, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jerry Bruckheimer, clearly recognized the immense impact of his 45-year career.

The most touching part was his acceptance speech. Known for blockbusters like Top Gun and Mission: Impossible, the fourfold Oscar nominee (previously nominated for Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire, Magnolia, and producing Top Gun: Maverick) went beyond a simple thank you. He spoke from the heart about his profound connection to the art of cinema.

“Making films is not what I do, it is who I am,” Cruise declared, his voice filled with passion. This wasn’t just a job; it was his very identity.

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 The Power of the Shared Experience

Introduced by filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu, who is directing his upcoming film, Cruise eloquently spoke about how movies have shaped his life and worldview.

“The cinema it takes me around the world,” he shared. “It helps me to appreciate and respect differences. It shows me also our shared humanity, how alike we are in so, so many ways.”

He painted a beautiful picture of the theatrical experience that unique moment when strangers gather in a dark room: “No matter where we come from, in that theatre, we laugh together, we feel together, we hope together, we dream together. And that is the power of this art form.”

It’s this belief in the communal, powerful experience of movie-going that the actor has fervently championed, especially as streaming and social media compete for our attention.

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 Expanding the Horizons of Life

The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences selected Cruise for his “incredible commitment to our film-making community, to the theatrical experience, and to the stunts community.” This honor recognizes not just his performances but his dedication to the craft, including famously performing his own gravity-defying stunts.

Reflecting on his childhood, the Risky Business actor noted that cinema made the world much larger than the one he knew. “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,” he said. “And that beam of light opened a desire to open the world, and I have been following it ever since.”

Cruise concluded his moving speech with a promise to the industry he loves: “I want you to know that I will always do everything I can to help this art form, to support and champion new voices, to protect what makes cinema powerful, hopefully without too many more broken bones.”

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It was a genuinely touching moment, an honorary Oscar that felt less like a lifetime achievement award and more like a collective affirmation of the boundless energy and deep dedication Tom Cruise continues to bring to the world of film.

Disclaimer:

This article is based on publicly available information. It is written only for informational purposes.