Irish American star to receive honorary Oscar

Tom Cruise will finally get an Academy Award. The Irish American actor is one of four stars set to receive an honorary Oscar this November.

Tom Cruise is set to receive an honorary Oscar next year, finally being recognized by the Academy for his decades-long career in Hollywood. The news was announced by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences earlier this week.

Cruise, 62, has been one of the biggest box office draws in the world since the 1980s, starring in hits like "Top Gun", "Rain Man", "Jerry Maguire", and the long-running "Mission: Impossible" franchise. Despite three Oscar nominations over the years, he has never won, until now.

Cruise will be honored at the 14th annual Governors Awards on November 15, 2025, in Los Angeles, along with country music icon Dolly Parton, film editor Carol Littleton, and director-producer Richard Curtis.

Academy President Janet Yang said Cruise was being recognized as "an electrifying actor, courageous producer, and tireless advocate for the theatrical experience."

Tom Cruise attends the "Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning" Mexico Red Carpet and Premiere at Auditorio Nacional on May 20, 2025.

But what many don’t realize is that Tom Cruise has deep Irish roots, dating all the way back to the Norman invasion of Ireland.

Back in 2013, Cruise was officially presented with a Certificate of Irish Heritage by the Irish government after genealogists traced his ancestry to the de Burgh (Burke) and Cruise families of Counties Dublin and Meath.

His lineage even includes a connection to Strongbow, aka Richard de Clare, a key figure in Ireland’s 12th-century history. That makes Cruise’s family ties to Ireland nearly 800 years old.

When he visited Ireland in 2013 to promote "Oblivion", Cruise said he was “very proud” of his Irish ancestry and described the trip as “incredible.” He also received a warm welcome at Dublin’s Mansion House and met with senior Irish politicians.