As a long-time fan and admirer of Tom Cruise‘s extraordinary talent and dedication to his craft, I find myself constantly marveling at the depth and breadth of his career. Despite his impressive accolades and impact on popular culture, it seems that the elusive golden statue of an Oscar has thus far evaded him.
Tom Cruise is unquestionably the action star of Hollywood, known for his timeless appeal and daring stunts that border on the edge of danger (it’s true, he’s come close to meeting his demise on set multiple times). Ever since his career took flight in the ’80s, his performances have kept audiences on the edge of their seats. From the Mission: Impossible series, which just keeps getting better, to the pair of Top Gun films, there are numerous movies that stand out when discussing Tom Cruise’s best works.
Throughout his illustrious journey, he has garnered numerous awards and accomplishments, yet one significant one continues to escape him: an Academy Award, or Oscar. Tom Cruise has been fortunate enough to collaborate with several directors who have won Oscars, including Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Oliver Stone, as well as acting alongside actors who have taken home the prestigious award such as Dustin Hoffman, Jack Nicholson, and Nicole Kidman. To date, the coveted Oscar statue bearing his name has remained just beyond his grasp, but it would be premature to dismiss the possibility of him receiving one in the future.
Tom Cruise has never won an Oscar, but he’s been nominated
As a gamer, I’ve got to admit, it’s not all game points when it comes to the Academy Awards, but I’ve certainly made a mark. Over the years, I’ve been recognized four times for my acting skills. The first nod came in 1990, when I was up for an Oscar for my role in “Born on the Fourth of July.” That movie was a real contender, with eight nominations and two wins – best director and best film editing.
After being nominated for his outstanding performance as the leading character in “Jerry Maguire”, Tom Cruise had to wait a full seven years before he received another nomination. In total, the film was nominated for five Oscars, with Cuba Gooding Jr.’s supporting role as its only win. Competing against Tom Cruise in the lead category were Billy Bob Thornton, Woody Harrelson, Ralph Fiennes, and eventual winner Geoffrey Rush.
For his third — and so far, last — acting nomination, Cruise shuffled over to the supporting actor category in 2000 for his role in “Magnolia.” There was stiff competition that year, with standout performances from Haley Joel Osment, Jude Law and Michael Clarke Duncan. It was Michael Caine who took home the statue, however, for his role in “The Cider House Rules.”
2023 marked a unique fourth nomination for Cruise, this time honored as a producer for the Best Picture nominee “Top Gun: Maverick”. Unlike the previous ones, this recognition wasn’t for his acting prowess but for his work behind the scenes. In 2022, “Maverick” was one of the highest-grossing films, but it couldn’t outshine the Oscar-contending “Everything Everywhere All at Once” in the Academy Awards race.
Cruise has a few Golden Globes though
Tom Cruise has had a history of success at the Golden Globes, despite not yet securing an Oscar win. His initial nomination was for his debut role in “Risky Business” (1983), and he received his first Golden Globe for his heartfelt performance in “Born on the Fourth of July” in 1990. Interestingly, his subsequent Golden Globe awards coincide with the acting nominations he received at the Oscars but didn’t win; he was awarded for “Jerry Maguire” in 1997 and “Magnolia” in 2000. It could be that the Golden Globes have insights unavailable to the Oscars, or more plausibly, the split categories between “drama” and “comedy or musical” at the Globes allows for multiple actors to be recognized, whereas the Oscars do not make this distinction.
It could be due to the different categories they consider that Tom Cruise has been nominated for Golden Globes more times than the Oscars. He received leading actor nominations for “A Few Good Men” in 1993 and “The Last Samurai” in 2004, but he lost to Al Pacino and Sean Penn respectively. Interestingly, Cruise was also nominated as a supporting actor for his eccentric portrayal of Les Grossman in “Tropic Thunder” in 2009. On that occasion, he was beaten by Heath Ledger, who won posthumously for his role in “The Dark Knight.
He hasn’t been successful at the BAFTAs or SAG Awards
Despite being one of the biggest stars on the planet, Tom Cruise is yet to pick up a BAFTA or a SAG Award. BAFTA have so far nominated Cruise just once, for his performance in “Born on the Fourth of July” in 1991. Cruise lost out this year to a pretty leftfield choice — although still a deserving one — with Philippe Noiret winning for his tender performance in “Cinema Paradiso.” This is perhaps even more remarkable a win considering the other nominations were Robert De Niro for “Goodfellas,” and Sean Connery’s performance in “The Hunt for Red October.”
At the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), Tom Cruise has garnered more accolades, though he hasn’t taken home any wins yet. In 1997, he was put forward for his role in “Jerry Maguire,” but Geoffrey Rush of “Shine” ended up winning instead, which foreshadowed the outcome of that year’s Oscar race. In 2000, Cruise was nominated twice for “Magnolia”: one for outstanding performance by the cast, and another for best supporting actor. Unfortunately, the cast of “American Beauty” took home the ensemble award, while Michael Caine won for “The Cider House Rules,” mirroring how the Academy Awards would unfold that year as well for Cruise.
Tom Cruise still has plenty of awards to his name
Despite Tom Cruise not receiving any awards from the Oscars, BAFTAs, or SAG Awards, he boasts a substantial collection of accolades with over 60 wins out of nearly 120 nominations. As shown on his IMDb page, these recognitions span across various domains, even extending to genre cinema, as evidenced by the Saturn Awards, which have honored Cruise for his performances in “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Vanilla Sky.
The big awards and those voted for by committees and guild members are the ones that garner the most attention, but it is perhaps particularly telling that Cruise has enjoyed plenty of success in audience-voted awards. One of these is the MTV Movie + TV Awards, where Cruise has earned a whopping 18 nominations, picking up wins for his performances in “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Mission: Impossible II,” and “Jerry Maguire.” He was also the inaugural winner of the special “MTV Generation Award,” honoring actors who had been particularly influential on the MTV audience.
Indeed, a clear indication of an actor’s impact can be seen when they receive a Razzie award, and Tom Cruise was recently honored with the worst actor prize for his role in “The Mummy”. This recognition came after previous Razzie nominations for his performances in “Cocktail” and “War of the Worlds”, demonstrating that even dreams can be realized over time.
Could Tom Cruise ever win an Oscar?
Considering the upcoming films of Tom Cruise, one potential Academy Award contender stands out: a film he’s making with Alejandro G. Iñárritu, who has already won four Oscars for directing “The Revenant” and “Birdman” (which also took home the award for Best Picture). With Cruise at the helm of an Iñárritu production, this collaboration is now undeniably intriguing. Previously, Michael Keaton was nominated for his work in “Birdman,” while Leonardo DiCaprio eventually won an Oscar for his role in “The Revenant.” Given this track record, it’s entirely possible that Cruise could also achieve such success.
In addition to his renowned performances, Tom Cruise is particularly recognized for his extraordinary stunt work. If the Oscars were to introduce a category for stunts, he would likely be a strong contender. The possibility of this happening may not be as distant as it once seemed, as Empire reports that the Academy is seriously considering adding stunts as a new category. In an interview with the outlet, Academy CEO Bill Kramer stated, “We’re discussing this matter with members of the stunt community who are part of the Academy, and we’re open to these conversations.” Another potential recognition for Cruise could be a Lifetime Achievement Award in the form of an Honorary Oscar. These awards are presented at the Governor’s Awards, with recipients including Samuel L. Jackson, James Earl Jones, and Paul Newman. For now, Cruise doesn’t need to dust off his tuxedo or rehearse his acceptance speech just yet, as the prospect for an Oscar still remains hopeful.
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2024-12-23 22:30