Tom Cruise was honored for his nearly three decades of work as a producer at the Producers Guild of America Awards, where the film “Everything Everywhere All At Once” solidified its status as the frontrunner for the best picture Oscar by taking the top prize for best theatrical motion picture. Cruise’s producing career began in 1996 with “Mission: Impossible,” a film that earned him the David O. Selznick Award, a life achievement honour previously bestowed on notable producers.
Cruise accepted the award with humility and gratitude, praising his mentors and collaborators, including Stanley Jaffe, who let him participate in every aspect of the film-making process when Cruise made his debut in “Taps” at age 18. Cruise also thanked Jerry Bruckheimer, producer of the original “Top Gun” and his producing partner on “Top Gun: Maverick,” which was also nominated for the top PGA award.
Cruise’s acceptance speech was a heartfelt tribute to his mentors and partners, including Steven Spielberg, Sherry Lansing, and others who have enabled him to lead an adventurous life in film. He also thanked his audiences, saying that they are the reason he works in the industry.
The Producers Guild of America Awards have a strong track record of predicting the Oscar winners, with four of the past five and 11 of the past 14 PGA winners going on to win best picture. The strong possibility of a big night at the Screen Actors Guild Awards could further solidify “Everything Everywhere All At Once” as the film to beat at the Academy Awards.
Tom Cruise (Via Tom Cruise/Twitter)
In addition to honoring Cruise, the PGA Awards recognized several other films, including “Navalny” for best documentary feature, “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” for best animated film, and “Till” for the Stanley Kramer Award. The PGA also recognized several television programs, including “The Bear” for best comedy, “The White Lotus” for best drama, and “Lizzo’s Watch Out For The Big Grrrls” for best reality or competition series.
Mindy Kaling received the Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television for her work producing shows such as “The Mindy Project,” “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” and “Never Have I Ever.” B.J. Novak, her former “The Office” co-writer and co-star, presented Kaling with the award, praising her dedication to creating characters and stories that resonated with audiences.
The Producers Guild of America Awards celebrated the outstanding work of film and television professionals, including Tom Cruise, who has left a lasting impact on the industry with his producing career.
