Tom Cruise received one of Hollywood’s highest distinctions at the 2025 Governors Awards, where the global movie icon was celebrated with an Academy Honorary Award on Nov. 16. The 63-year-old star was presented the accolade by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu, who is currently directing Cruise in an upcoming untitled project set for release in October 2026.
Taking the stage inside the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood, Cruise used his acceptance speech to acknowledge the countless people who bring films to life and to reflect on the universal power of cinema.
“The cinema, it takes me around the world,” he said. “It helps me to appreciate and respect differences. It shows me our shared humanity, how alike we are in so many ways. No matter where we come from, in that theater, we laugh together, we feel together, we hope together. That is the power of this art form.”
Cruise, dressed in a classic black tuxedo, went on to explain that filmmaking is deeply woven into his identity. “Making films is not what I do, it is who I am,” he told the audience.
The Mission: Impossible star also opened up about his childhood and the early spark that ignited his lifelong passion for the movies. He recalled being a young boy in a darkened cinema, mesmerized by the beam of light projecting stories onto the screen.
“Entire cultures and lives and landscapes unfolded in front of me,” Cruise shared. “It sparked a hunger for adventure, a hunger for knowledge, a hunger to understand humanity… It opened my imagination to the possibility that life could expand far beyond the boundaries I perceived.”
He concluded his emotional speech by saying, “That beam of light opened a desire to explore the world, and I have been following it ever since.”
Cruise — a four-time Oscar nominee for Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire, Magnolia, and Top Gun: Maverick (as producer) — was honored alongside fellow recipients Dolly Parton, Debbie Allen, and Wynn Thomas.
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Academy President Janet Yang previously praised Cruise as “one of the most recognized and highest-grossing actors of all time,” adding that his dedication to filmmaking, theatrical storytelling, and stunt craft “has inspired us all.”
Cruise also showed off his playful side over the award weekend. At a pre-show event, he was seen joyfully dancing with choreographer and fellow honoree Debbie Allen. A video posted by DJ and producer D-Nice captured the pair laughing, smiling, and moving in sync on the dance floor.
