Tom Cruise was showered with a number of standing ovations Wednesday at the Cannes Film Festival, where he was awarded the honorary Palme d’Or award.
The “Top Gun: Maverick” star was moved to tears by the accolade — the most prestigious award at the iconic annual film festival.
“Thank you for your time. I make these movies for all of you,” the Hollywood star told the audience.
Cannes officials pulled out all the stops to fete the 59-year-old actor, paying tribute to Cruise with a red-carpet premiere featuring a flyby of jets trailing smoke in the colors of the French flag.
The festival’s president, Pierre Lescure, handed Cruise the award — given to only 15 people in the past — just moments before the screening began.
Cruise also credited his collaborators at Paramount for his latest onscreen venture in the “Top Gun” sequel.
“I make these movies for all of you.”
Tom Cruise
“They all worked so hard to bring this to the big screen, and it’s a dream to be here. I’m never going to forget this evening,” he said.
The Palme d’Or is the highest prize awarded at the annual festival after it was introduced in 1955.
The award replaced the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film as the highest prize, which was handed out to recipients from 1939 until 1954.
The Palme d’Or was again replaced by the Grand Prix, before being reintroduced in 1975 and kept in place ever since.
Earlier on in the day, Cruise had a message for people questioning why he risks his life to do his own stunts in the new action-packed film.
“No one asked Gene Kelly, ‘Why do you dance?’” he said Tuesday during a master class at the festival.
With Post wires
