US actor Tom Cruise received the first Oscar of his career on Sunday night, earning a standing ovation as he accepted an honorary award at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The 63-year-old star, known for his decades-long run of blockbuster roles, was welcomed to the stage to the iconic Mission: Impossible theme, applauded by industry peers including Colin Farrell, Emilio Estevez and filmmaker Steven Spielberg.
Cruise, a four-time Oscar nominee who had never won the statuette, delivered an emotional tribute to cinema, calling the big screen a place that fuels “a hunger for adventure… a hunger to understand humanity.”
The honorary award was presented by Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu, who directs Cruise in the upcoming film Judy. Introducing him with humour, Iñárritu said, “Writing a four-minute speech to celebrate Tom Cruise’s 45-year career is what is known in this town as a mission impossible,” before praising the actor’s lifetime of work and joking that Cruise performed his “most dangerous stunt yet” by eating more chili than any Mexican on set.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences also honoured actor Debbie Allen, production designer Wynn Thomas, and country music icon Dolly Parton, recognised for her hum
