Did you have a good weekend? Well, whatever joys you experienced (getting married, receiving a large windfall of cash), you did not have as good of a weekend as Tom Cruise. The actor had the time of his life at the Governors Awards, where he received an honorary Oscar and then got to dance with Debbie Allen and Phylicia Rashad at the after-party. Nothing could really top that.
Despite giving at least two performances that should have earned him an Oscar, Cruise has somehow never won one. On Sunday, he finally got his statue and delivered an emotional speech all about the great love of his life — which is, of course, the movies.
“The cinema, it takes me around the world,” Cruise said. “It helps me to appreciate and respect differences. It shows me also our shared humanity, how alike we are in so, so many ways. And no matter where we come from, in that theater, we laugh together, we feel together, we hope together — and that is the power of this art form. And that is why it matters; that is why it matters to me. So making films is not what I do, it is who I am.” Sorry to bring up his ex, but maybe Cruise should write Nicole Kidman’s next AMC monologue.
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Following the ceremony, Cruise hit the after-party, where he quickly found the best dancers in the room. Videos from the party show him dancing with Debbie Allen, Phylicia Rashad, and Jennifer Lewis for multiple songs in a row, including Beyoncé’s “Before I Let Go” and Luther Vandross’s “Never Too Much.”
Okayy Tom Cruise, Debbie Allen, Jennifer Lewis, and Phylicia Rashad vibing to Beyoncé’s version of ‘Before I Let Go’ 😂🔥 pic.twitter.com/0RJHT1O3CF
— Yoncé Vocals (@YonceVocals) November 16, 2025
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Would Cruise have preferred to win an Oscar for his role in Magnolia? Maybe, but they don’t usually let you talk for ten minutes straight at the actual Oscars, and then he wouldn’t have gotten to party with Allen, whom he referred to as a “once-in-a-lifetime force of kindness and artistic expression” in his speech. So sorry to all of you who had your first child this weekend, but Cruise has you beat in the jubilation department.
