Overview
- Receiving the Academy Honorary Award in Los Angeles, Cruise earned his first Oscar after four prior nominations.
- Cruise, 63, used his speech to praise cinema for revealing shared humanity and fostering respect across differences.
- The Governors Awards serve as the Academy's more intimate ceremony recognizing lifetime contributions rather than competitive achievements.
- Other honorees at the event included Dolly Parton, Debbie Allen and production designer Wynn Thomas.
- He closed with a light nod to his stunt-heavy career, pledging to protect the power of film while hoping for fewer broken bones.