Tom Cruise Awarded Honorary Palme d'Or at Cannes

Hollywood star Tom Cruise was lauded with a surprise honorary Palme d'Or on Wednesday during the "Top Gun: Maverick" premiere at the 75th Cannes Film Festival.

The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the two-week annual event and was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. The award replaced the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film as the highest prize, which was in place from 1939 to 1954.

However, the Palme d'Or was replaced again by the Grand Prix, before reintroduced in 1975.

The blockbuster actor received a five-minute standing ovation from the audience.

Prior to the event, French fighter jets took the sky as a prelude and streamed blue, white and red smoke. The squadron did a second pass before Cruise took the stage at the Palais.

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“An incredible evening and an incredible time. Just to see everyone’s faces. It’s been 36 years since "Top Gun" and we had to hold this for two years because of the pandemic,” Cruise told the crowd.

“Thank you Paramount people, this was a dream to be here with you. I’m going to take this all in and I’m never going to forget this evening. Thank you for being here. We’re here for you. I make these movies for all of you. I’m of you in ever meeting, in every moment, especially in Cannes, you love movies,” he continued.

Cruise  had received another ovation after the introductory remarks.

Hours before the premiere, Cruise particapted in a one-on-one interview preceding his Cannes tribute at the Salle Debussey.

The 59-year-old star expressed his devotion to making movies for the big screen and how working on film sets from the onset with 1981's "Taps" at the age of 18, was his film school.

He also highlighted that "Top Gun: Maverick" being streamed was never an option while movie theaters were closed during the coronavirus pandemic.