DLNews Entertainment:

After 40 years in the business: Finally, an Oscar for Tom Cruise!

Los Angeles – He's the king of cinema! Whether as a daring pilot, a cunning spy, or a wounded war veteran, Tom Cruise's star has shone brightly over Hollywood for over forty years. Yet, a golden statuette eluded him. Until now!

On the evening of November 16, the actor will finally be honored in Los Angeles with an honorary Oscar for his lifetime achievement. He was nominated four times between 1990 and 2023: twice for Best Actor for "Born on the Fourth of July" and "Jerry Maguire," for Best Supporting Actor for "Magnolia," and as a producer for "Top Gun: Maverick." But it was never enough. For his fans, the honorary Oscar is now a belated but well-deserved recognition of his work.

Since 2009, the award ceremony has no longer taken place as part of the official Oscars festivities in the spring, but rather during the Governor Awards in Los Angeles. In addition to Tom Cruise, choreographer Debbie Allen (75) and set designer Wynn Thomas (73) will also be honored. Music icon Dolly Parton (79) will also be recognized for her humanitarian work. Previous recipients of the honorary Oscar include legends such as Charlie Chaplin, Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Federico Fellini, Francis Ford Coppola, Spike Lee, and many others. It is considered one of the most prestigious awards an artist can receive. Cruise, the "savior of cinema," is finally being honored. That Tom Cruise, who grew up in humble circumstances in New York State, now joins this illustrious group is no surprise. After all, he has given everything to cinema! From daring stunts for the "Mission: Impossible" film series, which is inextricably linked to him, to his collaborations with arthouse directors like Stanley Kubrick in "Eyes Wide Shut" (1999) and Paul Thomas Anderson in "Magnolia" (1999).

When his film "Top Gun: Maverick" became the first Hollywood blockbuster after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, cult director Steven Spielberg (78) said that the father of three had practically single-handedly revived the film industry. "You saved Hollywood's ass," he told Cruise at an Oscar luncheon in 2023. For this, he now receives a well-deserved Oscar.