'I was just a little kid in a darkened theatre, and I remember that beam of light just cut across the room, and I remember looking up, and it seemed to just explode on the screen.'
Tom Cruise was presented with a honorary Academy Award at the Governors Awards.
The award was presented by Alejandro G Inarritu, who is directing Cruise in an upcoming, as-yet-untitled film set to be released in October 2026.
Upon accepting the award, Cruise gave an emotional speech paying tribute to all of the people who make films possible, as well as the unifying power of cinema, reported Variety.
'The cinema, it takes me around the world. It helps me to appreciate and respect differences. It shows me also our shared humanity, how alike we are in so, so many ways. And no matter where we come from, in that theatre, we laugh together, we feel together, we hope together, and that is the power of this art form. And that is why it matters, that is why it matters to me. So making films is not what I do, it is who I am,' said Cruise in his acceptance speech.
Cruise also recalled his journey in cinema.
'My love for cinema began at a very early age, as early as I can remember. I was just a little kid in a darkened theatre, and I remember that beam of light just cut across the room, and I remember looking up, and it seemed to just explode on the screen.
'Suddenly, the world was so much larger than the one that I knew. And entire cultures and lives and landscapes all unfolded in front of me, and it sparked something.'
'It sparked a hunger for adventure, a hunger for knowledge, a hunger to understand humanity, to create characters, to tell a story, to see the world. It opened my eyes. It opened my imagination to the possibility that life could expand far beyond the boundaries that I then perceived in my own life.
'And that beam of light opened a desire to open the world, and I have been following it ever since.'
Cruise has been nominated for four Oscars in the past: Best Actor for Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire, Best Supporting Actor for Magnolia and Best Picture for his role as a producer on Top Gun: Maverick.
The Governors Awards red carpet drew scores of actors eager to join the awards season race this year, including Jennifer Lawrence, Michael B Jordan, Sydney Sweeney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Dwayne Johnson, Emma Stone and many more.
Music icon Dolly Parton said she has been 'blessed more than I ever dreamed possible' as she received an honorary Oscar at the Governors Awards, celebrating her decades-long contribution to entertainment and philanthropy.
The country superstar accepted the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in a video message. The win marks the first Oscar for Parton, who has twice been nominated for Best Original Song.
As she accepted the award in a video from her home in Nashville, Parton called it a 'great honour' and 'blessing of a lifetime'.
'I grew up in a house with 12 kids,' Parton said as she held her Oscar statuette.
'Now, that alone teaches you how important sharing is. Don't get me wrong, we didn't have that much to share. But my mom and daddy showed me by example that the more you give, the more blessings come your way,' as quoted by People.
Accepting the honour, the legendary singer thanked the Academy and said the recognition was a reminder of the responsibility artists carry.
'I've tried my whole life to live by their example, and I've been blessed more than I ever dreamed possible. Like this award, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences,' she added.
'It's an honour just to be considered. I don't take this kind of thing lightly,' Parton continued.
'It makes me want to dream up new ways to help lift people up. Isn't that what we're supposed to be here for? So from my heart to yours, I truly thank you.'
Often hailed as the Queen of Country, Parton has won multiple Grammy Awards, written timeless hits such as Jolene and I Will Always Love You, and built a far-reaching legacy through her charitable work, including her Imagination Library initiative, which has donated millions of free books to children worldwide.
The honour adds to a long list of accolades for Parton, who continues to record music, write books and contribute to social causes.
'You know, I have just been going so fast my whole life,' she said. 'And I just start thinking, 'How in the world did I even have a life? How did I even get it done?' I really realised, while putting this book together, just how much I had sacrificed in my life. I never had children, so at least I didn't have a guilty feeling. I'm thankful that I got to see my dreams come true.'