How Tom Cruise is finally getting his Oscar, along with Dolly Parton
Cruise has been nominated for four Oscars, but never won the award.
"Mission: Impossible" star Tom Cruise, country music legend Dolly Parton, choreographer Debbie Allen and production designer Wynn Thomas will receive honorary career Oscars, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on June 17.
The four Oscar statuettes will be presented at the Academy’s Governors Awards on Nov. 16.
"This year’s Governors Awards will celebrate four legendary individuals whose extraordinary careers and commitment to our filmmaking community continue to leave a lasting impact," Academy President Janet Yang said in a statement.
Cruise, 62, has been nominated for four Academy Awards, most recently as a producer for "Top Gun: Maverick." The superstar actor and producer also was nominated for acting roles in "Born on the Fourth of July," "Jerry Maguire" and "Magnolia," but he's never won the coveted gold trophy.
Cruise has been a "committed advocate of the theatrical experience, and he helped to usher the industry through a challenging time during the COVID-19 pandemic," the announcement said, referring to Cruise's insistence on a theatrical release for "Maverick." The gamble paid off for Cruise, Paramount Pictures and theaters worldwide with a thrilling $1.5 billion worldwide box office total (a sequel is in development).
Dolly Parton will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
Parton, 79, will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award "for her unwavering dedication to charitable efforts," Yang said. The music icon has starred in films such as "Nine to Five" and "Steel Magnolias," and earned two Oscar nominations for best original song for "9 to 5" and "Travelin’ Thru" from "Transamerica."
Parton's philanthropic work includes the Dollywood Foundation, established in 1988 to inspire children in her home state of Tennessee to achieve educational success. The humanitarian award announcement comes three months after Parton's husband, Carl Thomas Dean, died at age 82 on March 3.
'Fame' star Debbie Allen will receive a career Academy Award
Allen’s screen career spans nearly five decades, encompassing roles as a choreographer, actor, and producer. She choreographed the Academy Awards seven times, as well as films including "Forget Paris" and “A Jazzman's Blues.” Allen, 75, made her mark as an actress with “Fame,” “Ragtime,” and “Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling.”
Acclaimed production designer Thomas began his career working on Spike Lee’s "She’s Gotta Have It," and includes Lee films “Do the Right Thing," "Malcolm X" and "Da 5 Bloods." Other notable credits include "A Beautiful Mind," as well as “Cinderella Man" and “Hidden Figures."