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For Tom Cruise, taking home an Oscar is no longer “Mission: Impossible.”
The always brown-haired Cruise, 63, accepted the prestigious Oscar at the 16th Annual Academy Governors Awards on Sunday, November 16, along with country music icon Dolly Parton, choreographer and producer Debbie Allen, and groundbreaking production designer Wynne Thomas.
“Making movies is not my job. It’s who I am,” Cruise, a two-time Oscar nominee, said from the stage in the Roy Dolby Ballroom, just off the Dolby Theater, where the Oscar ceremony is held each year.
Cruise promised, “We’re going to continue to make movies strong. Hopefully, there won’t be any more broken bones.”
The box office titan and “Top Gun” superstar has Oscar nominations for his performances in “Born on the Fourth of July,” “Jerry Maguire,” and “Magnolia,” as well as producing and starring in the Oscar-nominated “Top Gun: Maverick.”
However, he has never won a major Oscar. Cruise spoke of a childhood spent fascinated by movie theater projectors.
“That ray opened up in me a desire to open up the world, and I’ve been pursuing it ever since,” Cruise said, without ever mentioning his ties to the controversial Church of Scientology.
Steven Spielberg personally praised Cruise for “saving the movie industry from crisis” after Cruise insisted on releasing Top Gun: Maverick in theaters instead of streaming in the wake of the global pandemic. The box office hit, which grossed $1.495 billion, is widely credited with restoring faith in the theatrical experience at the worst of times.
Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu, who will direct Cruise in the film, scheduled for release in October 2026, presented the award.
“This may be his first Oscar, but what I’ve seen and experienced is that it won’t be his last,” Iñárritu said. “When you stand next to him, you start to feel like the rest of us belong to a rapidly declining species. It’s easy to see that he has 60 more years of his career and many more awards to go. But we’re not here.”
Dolly Parton thanks Humanitarian Oscar
Parton was unable to attend the awards ceremony due to previously scheduled events. However, the Queen sent a video talking about her humble childhood.
“We didn’t have much to share, but mom and dad taught us that the more you give, the more blessings will come to you,” Parton said. “And like this award tonight, I have been blessed beyond anything I could have ever dreamed of.”
Debbie Allen: It’s like being ‘married’ to Oscar
Allen, 75, has choreographed seven Academy Awards ceremonies over more than 50 years and has choreographed for films such as “Forget Paris,” “Jazzman’s Blues” and “Six Triple Eight.”
When Allen won the Governor’s Award, he received a standing ovation from Cruise and Steven Spielberg, who cheered by waving his hands toward the stage. Spielberg directed Amistad, a historical drama about the 1839 slave ship mutiny. Allen produced the film.
Cameras in the theater also showed Allen’s husband, former NBA star Norman Nixon, quietly wiping tears from his eyes as he watched his wife’s success. Nevertheless, Allen gave the Oscar trophy some love.
“It’s like getting married,” Allen said while clutching the trophy. “I will definitely take him to work with me.”
Production designer Wyn Thomas says “thank you” isn’t enough
Oscar winner Octavia Spencer presented Wynn Thomas with an honorary Oscar, calling the celebrated filmmaker “the first black production designer in the history of film.”
Thomas was the production designer on Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It, Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, and Da 5 Bloods.
“Tonight is a night of gratitude. I get a little annoyed at the word ‘thank you,'” Thomas said. I feel like there aren’t enough words.
