Tom Cruise to be honoured with BFI fellowship
The US actor and producer follows in the footsteps of names including actress Tilda Swinton and director Sir Christopher Nolan.
Mission: Impossible star Tom Cruise will be honoured with the British Film Institute’s most prestigious accolade, a BFI fellowship.
The Hollywood actor, 62, best known for playing US agent Ethan Hunt in the popular action films, will be recognised for his acting career and contribution to the UK film industry as a producer who has chosen to shoot films in locations across the country.
“I am truly honoured by this acknowledgement,” said Cruise.
“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.”
Cruise will be presented with the fellowship at the BFI Chair’s Dinner in London on May 12.
He will also attend a special event the day before titled Tom Cruise In Conversation at BFI Southbank, where he will talk about his acting career, including the stunts he has undertaken for the Mission: Impossible movies.
The fellowship forms part of a month-long BFI celebration of Cruise’s film career, with 27 movies to be screened at BFI Southbank and BFI Imax throughout May.
Cruise broke through in the 1980s in films such as Risky Business (1983), The Colour Of Money (1986) and Top Gun (1986).
Top Gun was a huge box office hit and spawned famous one-liners by Cruise’s character, including: “I feel the need, the need for speed.”
In December 2024 the US navy praised Cruise for “boosting the force’s recruitment of pilots” with his role as Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in the first Top Gun film.
He was presented with the Distinguished Public Service Award, which rewards civilians for acts of heroism or support to the navy.
His latest Mission: Impossible film, Dead Reckoning Part One, was filmed in areas including Yorkshire and Birmingham.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning premieres on May 23.
BFI chairwoman Jay Hunt said: “We are thrilled to be honouring Tom Cruise with a BFI fellowship.
“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.
“In doing so, he also supports our studios and puts our locations on a world stage, in the process creating jobs and inspiring the next generation of film talent.
“He is, of course, also simply one of the world’s great actors and a true movie star, delighting audiences as the action hero and romantic lead and then surprising us with brave, leftfield roles where his versatility and talent shine through.”
Cruise follows in the footsteps of other BFI fellows including actress Tilda Swinton, James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson, and directors Spike Lee and Sir Christopher Nolan.
