Tom Cruise delivered an emotional and heartfelt speech as he accepted his Honorary Oscar at the Governors Awards. The award was presented to him by filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu, who is directing Cruise in an upcoming film set for release in October 2026.
Cruise began by thanking the thousands of people who work behind the scenes in the film industry — writers, crew members, artists, and technicians — acknowledging their hard work and dedication. His voice softened as he explained why he has stayed committed to cinema for more than 40 years.
“The cinema takes me around the world,” Cruise said emotionally. “It helps me appreciate our differences and shows me our shared humanity. In a theatre, we laugh together, we feel together, we hope together — that is the power of this art form. Making films is not what I do, it is who I am.”
He also shared the childhood memory that shaped his life: sitting in a dark theatre and watching a single beam of light fill the screen with endless possibilities. That moment, he said, “opened my imagination far beyond the boundaries of my life,” and he has been chasing that magic ever since.
Cruise, who already had four Oscar nominations, finally joined the league of Hollywood legends with this honour. The evening also celebrated Debbie Allen, Wynn Thomas, and Dolly Parton. Stars like Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sydney Sweeney and Dwayne Johnson attended the warm, star-studded event.
