Tom Cruise Finally Takes Home an Oscar

Tom Cruise has received an honorary Academy Award, a milestone that marks the first Oscar of his long career.

The award was given to him during the Governors Awards on Sunday night, where he spoke about how much movies have meant to him throughout his life. Variety reported the moment and shared parts of his speech.

The honor was presented by filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu, who is currently working with Cruise on a new movie planned for release next October. Even though Cruise has been nominated four times in the past, including for roles in Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire, he had never won until now.

During his speech, Cruise explained how filmmaking shaped him and took him around the world. He said, “The cinema, it takes me around the world… So making films is not what I do, it is who I am.” He talked about how movies helped him understand people and see what connects us.

Here’s how Tom Cruise ended his honorary Oscar acceptance speech pic.twitter.com/cX3nNVGLHJ

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Cruise also looked back at his early love for film. He talked about being a child who would do anything to get into a theater. He remembered staring at the light from the projector and feeling like the world suddenly opened up in front of him. He said that this feeling pushed him to look for adventure, learn about people, and create stories. He explained that this spark never left him and has driven him ever since.

He ended his speech by promising to keep supporting the movie industry and help new voices find their place. He added with a smile, “Hopefully without too many more broken bones.”