The British Film Institute (BFI) Thursday announced that Hollywood icon Tom Cruise will be awarded the BFI Fellowship in recognition of his “achievements as an extraordinary, versatile actor”.
The BFI Fellowship will be presented to Cruise at the BFI Chair’s Dinner in London on May 12, hosted by BFI Chair Jay Hunt. Before the formal presentation, Cruise will attend a special event, Tom Cruise in Conversation, at BFI Southbank on May 11.
In addition to the fellowship, the BFI will celebrate Cruise’s illustrious career with a month-long retrospective, screening 27 of his films at BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX throughout May. Further details on the full programme will be announced soon.
Cruise joins a distinguished list of previous BFI Fellows, including David Lean, Bette Davis, Akira Kurosawa, Elizabeth Taylor, Martin Scorsese, Satyajit Ray, and Tilda Swinton.
“The fellowship also recognises Cruise’s huge contribution to the UK film industry as a producer who is intricately involved in every part of the movie-making process,” BFI said in its statement.
His productions, including the Mission: Impossible franchise, have also supported UK talent through initiatives like the BFI Film Academy and BFI Future Skills programme, the BFI further stated.
Over the past four decades, Cruise has evolved from a rising star in the 1980s to one of the most recognisable names in cinema. From critically acclaimed dramas to action-packed blockbusters, his career has showcased an impressive range of roles, with notable performances in Risky Business, Top Gun, Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire, and the Mission: Impossible franchise.
Cruise’s long-standing relationship with the UK also includes collaborations with renowned directors such as Ridley Scott (Legend), Stanley Kubrick (Eyes Wide Shut), and Christopher McQuarrie (Mission: Impossible), among others.
In a statement, Cruise expressed gratitude, saying, “I am truly honoured by this acknowledgement. I’ve been making films in the UK for over 40 years and have no plans to stop. The UK is home to incredibly talented professionals — actors, directors, writers, and crews, as well as some of the most stunning locations in the world. I’m grateful for all the BFI has done to support UK filmmaking and this incredible art form we share.”
“Tom has brought so much to the UK as a producer through choosing to make many of his films on our shores, where he is welcomed by our crews who step up to help make his cinematic visions a reality. He is, of course, also simply one of the world’s great actors,” BFI Chair Jay Hunt said.
On the work front, Cruise is set to headline Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, the eighth instalment in the spy thriller franchise, set for a theatrical release on May 23.