Tom Cruise has been awarded one of the most prestigious awards in film, the Palme d’Or, at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.
The actor was met with a standing ovation upon receiving the award on Wednesday (May 18).
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He addressed the awe-inspired crowd before he was handed the accolade, saying: "Thank you for your time. I make these movies for all of you."
The A-list celeb had quite the day even before receiving the award.
His long-awaited film Top Gun: Maverick screening on the second evening of the two-week festival.
He received a five-minute standing ovation that almost brought him to tears, as a tribute reel was played for the actor before he received his award.
French fighter jets rolled over the scene joining in on the celebrations with red, white, and blue smoke in a nod to the festival's host country,
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Cruise spoke to the crowd about just how long he had waited for the sequel to Top Gun to come around.
He said: "It’s been 36 years since Top Gun and we had to hold this for two years because of the pandemic."
Cruise also acknowledged the hard work of Paramount in putting together the upcoming film.
He said: "They all worked so hard to bring this to the big screen, and it's a dream to be here. I'm never going to forget this evening."
The Palme d’Or was introduced in 1955 by the festival’s organising committee before it was replaced by the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film in 1975.
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Cruise was given an honorary Palme d’Or, joining the likes of Jodie Foster, Clint Eastwood, and Woody Allen to receive the honour.
Only 15 honorary awards have ever been handed out.
Cruise spent much of his interview on stage talking about his dedication to moviemaking from an early age, where he dug into every detail and element of film production.
The Top Gun actor was asked whether he was ever tempted to have the sequel debut on a streaming service rather than the silver screen, a move that has become more common in recent times.
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Cruise replied emphatically: "No, that's not going to happen, ever. That was never going to happen."
He exclaimed: "I make movies for the big screen."
His response was met with thunderous applause by the crowd.
Top Gun: Maverick is set for release on Wednesday, May 25, and is predicted to be Tom Cruise’s biggest opening box-office weekend.
Topics: Tom Cruise, TV and Film, Celebrity
Jayden Collins