At the Cannes Film Festival, Tom Cruise had a tremendous day, and it got much bigger in a way he wasn’t anticipating. Along with the premiere of his new film Top Gun: Maverick, the actor received an unexpected accolade. He was honored with an honorary Palme d’Or, Cannes’ highest award.
On Wednesday, Tom Cruise was the star of the Cannes Film Festival, not only making a big entrance with fighter planes flying overhead, but also receiving a standing ovation from the audience during the showing of his film Top Gun: Maverick. Tom was moved to tears when he realized how well his action picture was received at the screening.
The Tom Gun: Maverick team’s entry comprised eight fighter jets zooming above the event, spewing smoke in red and blue to match the French flag’s color. The actor finally joined his colleagues for the screening after spending several minutes posing for photos with fans and signing autographs. According to the tabloid, the audience gave a six-minute standing ovation following the film’s showing, which reduced Tom to tears.
He was given another honor before the showing, led by festival director Thierry Fremaux, after participating in a MasterClass Conversation in the 1,000-seat Debussy Theatre earlier in the day. Thierry offered remarks (in French) and launched a 13-minute clip reel that featured every entry in Tom’s filmography in honor of his lengthy career at the center of international pop culture.
When Thierry announced that Tom Cruise will get a Palme d’Or from the festival, Thierry surprised Tom once more. He was virtually speechless, and his only response was “wow.” Following the news, he witnessed yet another standing ovation, which was not an everyday experience.
