The Top Gun actor recieved an honorary Oscar award over the weekend at the annual Governors Awards in Hollywood. Cruise recieved his award alongside Dolly Parton, Debbie Allen and Wynn Thomas.
The four time Oscar nominee expressed his love for cinema in his acceptance speech on Sunday night. He said "Making films is not what I do, it is who I am."
"The cinema, it takes me around the world, it helps me to appreciate and respect differences. It shows me also our shared humanity, how alike we are in so, so many ways. And 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," Cruise said in his long awaited acceptance speech.
He told the crowd that his love for cinema began at an early age, "I was just a little kid in a darkened theatre, and I remember that beam of light just cut across the room, and I remember looking up, and it seemed to be just exploding on the screen. Suddenly, the world was so much larger than the one that I knew," Cruise said.
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Janet Yang released a statement praising those up to recieve awards before the ceremony. “Cruise’s incredible commitment to our film-making community, to the theatrical experience, and to the stunts community has inspired us all," Yang stated.
Cruise has been nominated four times for an Oscar award, twice as Best Actor for his roles in 'Born on the Fourth of July' and 'Jerry Maguire', once as a producer for Best Picture with 'Top Gun: Maverick', and once for Supporting Actor in Magnolia.
Dolly Parton was recognised for her charitable efforts with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. Parton could not attend the ceremony due to health reasons, and gave her acceptance speech via video. You can watch her speech here.
