Tom Cruise poses with an Oscar trophy.
Credit: Reuters
Credit: Reuters
Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise was awarded his first-ever golden statue—an honorary Oscar—on Sunday night, marking the culmination of his decades-long career with a standing ovation from the audience.
Credit: Reuters
Accompanied by the Mission Impossible theme tune, Cruise walked onto the stage at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles to a burst of applause.
Credit: Reuters
Among the peers cheering him on were Colin Farrell and Emilio Estevez, both past screen partners, and the esteemed Steven Spielberg, who previously directed him in two films: Minority Report and War of the Worlds.
Credit: Reuters
Cruise, a four-time Oscar nominee, has never won the award and spoke of his love for cinema in a heartfelt speech.
Credit: Reuters
He praised the big screen 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."
Credit: Reuters
The honorary Oscars, awarded annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, celebrate cinema legends for their careers and contributions to the film industry.
Credit: Reuters
Cruise's award was presented by Mexican filmmaker Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, who directed him in the upcoming film Judy.
Credit: Reuters
The Academy also presented honorary Oscars that evening to actor Debbie Allen, who starred in Fame and production designer Wynn Thomas.
Credit: Reuters
Wynn Thomas and Tom Cruise pose with their honorary Oscars during the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences 16th Governors Awards in Los Angeles, California, US.