Tom Cruise shares throwback photo with Alejandro G Iñárritu after receiving Honorary Oscar

Tom Cruise shares pic with Alejandro G Iñárritu

Tom Cruise, who was recently honoured with the Academy Honorary Award for his film Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, has shared a nostalgic behind-the-scenes moment with filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu, who presented him with the award at the 16th Governors Awards held Sunday at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Hollywood.

A day after the ceremony, Tom Cruise posted a throwback image on X, “Today, I share the first photo taken last year during a rehearsal on the set of my new film with Alejandro G. Iñárritu.”

The picture appears to be from early prep sessions for the duo’s upcoming, yet-to-be-titled film.

In an accompanying note, Tom Cruise reflected on his long-standing admiration for the Oscar-winning director of Amores Perros, Birdman and The Revenant. “Alejandro, 25 years ago I watched your first film, the classic Amores Perros. This weekend, 25 years later, I was deeply moved to have been presented the Honorary Oscar by you, my dear friend. I cannot wait to share our new film with you all next year!”

While accepting the Honorary Oscar, Tom Cruise delivered an emotional speech about what cinema has meant to him across four decades.

“The cinema… it takes me around the world. It helps me appreciate and respect differences… In that theatre, we laugh together, we feel together, we hope together — and that is the power of this art form,” he said. “Making films is not what I do, it is who I am.”

Also Read: Harry Potter’s return to theatres marks new era of shared-reality storytelling

Tom Cruise has been nominated for the Academy Awards four times for Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire, Magnolia, and as producer of Top Gun: Maverick. The Governors Awards honour lifetime contributions to cinema and are considered an early marker of Oscar season.

The 2025 Governors Awards drew a massive turnout from Hollywood’s A-list, with Jennifer Lawrence, Michael B. Jordan, Sydney Sweeney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Dwayne Johnson, Emma Stone and many others walking the red carpet as awards season officially kicked off.