Long is the way and hard that, out of darkness, leads up to Oscar light.
Cary Grant famously labored as a (mostly leading) Hollywood actor for 35 years before retiring. He began at Paramount in 1931 and retired after Walk Don’t Run in 1966. He had been Best Actor-nominated for Penny Serenade (’41) and None But the Lonely Heart (’44), but Grant never had his golden-statue moment until landing a Lifetime Achievement Oscar in 1970. 39 years in the making**.
On 11.16.25, Cruise, one of the most popular, hard-working and quality-aspiring stars in Hollywood history, will receive the same kind of award given to Grant — an Honorary Oscar — at a Governors Awards ceremony inside the Ray Dolby ballroom.
He’s been Best Actor-nominated three times — Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire and Magnolia — but, like Grant, has never won, and he damn well should have been nominated for playing Vincent-the-hit-man in Collateral. And now after 44 years of acting in major-league films (1981’s Taps was his first standout role) and serving as a major theatrical magnet since Risky Business, Cruise’s moment in the sun as at hand.
Grant was 66 when he finally took the Oscar stage; Cruise will be 63 when his big moment occurs five months hence.
** In my book Grant should have been nominated for his lead performances in Only Angels Have Wings, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, To Catch a Thief and absolutely North by Northwest.