Reuters: How does a person summarise the 45-year career of Tom Cruise in a four-minute speech? “Mission impossible”, said director Alejandro Inarritu on Sunday (November 16) as Hollywood celebrated the movie star with an honorary Oscar.
Inarritu, who directed Cruise in an untitled film set for release next October, introduced the “Top Gun” star and said his talent extended beyond the dangerous stunts he has become famous for.
The 63-year-old Cruise, a four-time Oscar nominee who has never won the award, was chosen for work in films from “Risky Business” to two “Top Gun” movies and the “Mission: Impossible” franchise.
Accepting his award, Cruise talked about how seeing movies in a theatre impressed him as a child. “Suddenly the world was so much larger than the one that I knew,” he told a crowd of luminaries that included Steven Spielberg, Leonardo DiCaprio and Ariana Grande. He said he worked every job he could to earn money for movie tickets.
Cruise broke his ankle while filming a stunt in 2017. “Making films is not what I do. It’s who I am,” Cruise added.
The gala also honoured Dolly Parton with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her charitable efforts. Other honorees were actor and choreographer Debbie Allen and production designer Wynn Thomas.
Tom Cruise Touts the Power of Cinema as he Accepts Honorary Oscar
