Tom Cruise was met with rapturous applause and several standing ovations on Wednesday evening as he was awarded the prestigious Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival.
The actor, whose hotly-anticipated movie Top Gun: Maverick was screened during the second evening of the two-week festival, addressed the crowd before being handed the coveted accolade and said, ‘Thank you for your time. I make these movies for all of you.’
Prior to receiving the award from Cannes festival director Thierry Fremaux, the three-time Golden Globe winner, 59, was in awe on the Palais des Festivals red carpet as eight fighter jets whizzed above the proceedings.
‘I make these movies for all of you’: Tom Cruise was met with a standing ovation as he received the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday
In a nod to the country that has hosted the festival for three quarters of a century, the jets spit out smoke in red and blue to match the French flag.
Elsewhere during the momentous evening, the box office sensation, who is only adding to his enviable list of awards, credited his collaborators at Paramount.
‘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,’ he gushed.
Special moment: Prior to receiving the award from Cannes festival director Thierry Fremaux, the three-time Golden Globe winner, 59, was in awe on the Palais des Festivals red carpet as eight fighter jets whizzed above the proceedings
Memorable evening: The actor’s hotly-anticipated movie Top Gun: Maverick was screened during the second evening of the two-week festival (pictured with Thierry Fremaux)
Genuine: Tom addressed the crowd before being handed the coveted accolade and said, ‘Thank you for your time. I make these movies for all of you’ (Pierre Lescure pictured)
Tom’s standing ovations mark one of the first times of late that an actor has been given such a reaction prior to the first frame of a film gracing the screen.
The Palme d’Or is the highest prize awarded at the annual event and was introduced in 1955 by the festival’s organising committee.
The award replaced the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film as the highest prize, which was in place from 1939 to 1954.
Genuine: Elsewhere during the momentous evening, the box office sensation, who is only adding to his enviable list of awards, credited his collaborators at Paramount
Well done: The Palme d’Or is the highest prize awarded at the annual event and was introduced in 1955 by the festival’s organising committee
However The Palme d’Or was replaced again by the Grand Prix, before being reintroduced in 1975.
Leading man Tom and his co-star Jennifer Connelly dressed to impress as they arrived at the star-studded premiere of their film Top Gun: Maverick.
The actor, who reprised his famous role as LT Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell for the film, cut a dapper figure in a classic black tuxedo, while Jennifer, 51, who plays Penny Benjamin, looked simply flawless in a striking off-the-shoulder metallic gown.
Stars of the show: Leading man Tom and his co-star Jennifer Connelly dressed to impress as they arrived at the star-studded premiere of their film Top Gun: Maverick
The sequel to Tony Scott’s classic 1986 blockbuster Top Gun has been unanimously praised in early reviews with one even declaring that it ‘improves upon the original in every conceivable way.’
Tom, who is famous for doing his own stunts, is said to have trained to withstand g-force power and actually flew in real fighter jets for the sequel.
Peter Hoskin for the Daily Mail gave the film five stars, writing: ‘Whenever the film threatens to become too cosy, it shocks itself – and us – back into the present with another madly ambitious action sequence.’
Tom underwent a full Aviation Survival Training Curriculum before going up in the US Navy F-18, as did his co-stars. They worked up to the supersonic jets by going up in a succession of slower planes first over many months.
Much has been made of Tom’s insistence on real flying scenes, with no CGI work. He has said in numerous interviews that he refused to even talk about a Top Gun sequel unless they flew in real planes.
Tom said: ‘For years, people had said, ‘Can’t you shoot [the movie] with CGI?’ And I always said, ‘No. That’s not the experience.’ I said, ‘I need to find the right story. And we’re going to need the right team. This movie is like trying to hit a bullet with a bullet. I’m not playing.’
Top Gun: Maverick is soaring into UK cinemas on May 25 and May 27 in the US.
Impressive: Top Gun: Maverick is soaring into UK cinemas on May 25 and May 27 in the US (Tom Cruise pictured in character)
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk