Tom Cruise has never won an Oscar, but his ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ co-star, Jennifer Connelly thinks he “absolutely deserves” it.
The Things
Tom Cruise has never won an Oscar like other major actors including Johnny Depp, Edward Norton, and Angela Bassett — who only got her second nomination after 30 years.
But after the success of the sequel film, Top Gun: Maverick, a lot of fans thought Cruise had a good shot at finally winning the Best Actor category. But he didn’t get a nomination at all. Now, even his co-star Jennifer Connelly thinks the Academy had snubbed the ageless actor.
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Tom Cruise Outshone Oscar Nominees During The Academy’s 2023 Annual Luncheon
In February 2023, the Academy hosted its annual luncheon for this year’s nominees in Beverly Hills, California. During the event, Cruise — who is nominated as a producer for Best Picture contender, Top Gun: Maverick — turned the ballroom into his own meet-and-greet for fellow nominees.
Everything Everywhere All at Once star, Ke Huy Quan went into full fanboy mode. “I love you, I love you, oh, my God! “I want a picture with this man!” he exclaimed before taking a selfie with the man of the hour. After that, other celebrities went in to give Cruise a hug. Among them were Guillermo del Toro, Brendan Fraser, Angela Bassett, and Michelle Williams. The Jerry Maguire star also posed for pictures with former collaborator, Steven Spielberg.
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But unlike most nominees, Iranian director Cyrus Neshvad — who’s nominated for his short film The Red Suitcase — used the opportunity to talk to Cruise about gender equality issues in Iran. “This issue, I can now be a bigger part of it. I went to the [Oscars] luncheon, I met Tom Cruise,” he said, noting: “I didn’t say, ‘Mr. Tom Cruise, I love you, blah blah blah’ I said, ‘Tom Cruise, I have to talk about a serious issue, about the woman’s rights in Iran.'”
Neshvad revealed that the famous Scientologist was actually aware of the matter. “He said, actually, that he knows what’s going on – and that he cares a lot about this. And actually, he took me in his arms and he took me like this and said, ‘We should be strong,'” he recalled of their interaction. “[The fact that] he heard about this from me, it will have a small change, perhaps not big, perhaps one hour later he’ll forget about it, but it was there.” We’re sure the actor could at least make a sizable donation from his massive net worth.
Why Jennifer Connelly Thinks Tom Cruise Deserves An Oscar For Top Gun: Maverick
In a new interview with Variety, Connelly said that Cruise “absolutely deserves” an Oscar for his “extraordinary” performance as Peter “Maverick” Mitchell.
“He does an amazing job in the movie. He’s extraordinary as a person and fantastic as an actor, and I think that he is just perfect,” the actress, who plays Penny, said during the Sundance Film Festival. “He embodies that character so beautifully, and I think he absolutely deserves it.”
The Labyrinth star continued: “I think that the film is a really well-made film and it’s really hard to make a film like that.” She also raved about Cruise’s onscreen chemistry with Miles Teller.
“Also, thinking about Tom’s work, think of the things that he did for that role. Besides all the stuff on the ground and how wonderful he is in those scenes and creating those relationships,” Connelly explained. “I think the relationship he has with Miles’ character is so beautiful and moving.”
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Of course, this generation’s dream girl didn’t forget about the action star’s impossible stunts. “But the work that he did to accomplish those flying sequences, it’s something else,” Connelly said of Cruise’s dedication. Even in May 2022, during a screening of the film in New York City, the actress spoke highly of The Last Samurai actor following a tribute to his career presented at that year’s Cannes Film Festival.
“The reel at the beginning of the film,” she told People, “it was so impressive and so moving and he’s really an extraordinary actor, so that was really beautiful, and was beautiful to see the acknowledgment, and watch him see it.”
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Jennifer Connelly On Working With Tom Cruise
In a 2022 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Connelly said that working with Cruise felt “like being a kid again.” She even recalled playing it cool during a dangerous scene with the actor.
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“When the cockpit was open, [Cruise] started the engine and flames burst out I tried to act really cool, but after a little bit, I couldn’t resist asking if that was normal,” she told the outlet. “And evidently, it was. With another pilot, I might have been more distracted by safety concerns, but I couldn’t have had more trust in Tom.”
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The Requiem for a Dream star even conquered her fear of flying after that. “He’s just so darn cool, and suddenly, it was like being a kid again,” he said of working with The Outsiders alum. “‘Oh my god, the cool kid is talking to me. Don’t mention that you’re afraid of flying.’ So it was kind of like that. His example is quite inspiring.”
As for their intimate scenes together, Connelly said that they kept it professional. “We focused on the intimacy of how they fit into each other’s lives. I think those characters have a really tender relationship, the way she understands him,” she said, focusing on their characters’ dynamics.
“They share a moment in bed chatting, and it tells as much about their relationship as the scene that is the preamble to that. Clearly, they have some unresolved business between them, and she navigates that with humor and playfulness. I feel like she’s someone who is positive and is moving toward happiness.”
Source: thethings.com
