Tom Cruise has been awarded the U.S. Navy’s highest civilian honor for his “outstanding contributions” to the military through his film roles, particularly his portrayal of fighter pilots in Top Gun and its sequel.
The 62-year-old actor received the Distinguished Public Service Award during a ceremony Tuesday at Longcross Film Studios in Chertsey, Surrey. The honor, presented by U.S. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, recognizes Cruise’s impact in increasing public awareness and appreciation for the U.S. military and its personnel.
Cruise, best known for his role as Maverick in the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun, expressed his gratitude, calling the award an “extraordinary acknowledgement.” Standing next to Del Toro, Cruise said, “I admire all of the servicemen and women… To lead is to serve. I know that to my core, and I see that in the servicemen and women.”
The Navy noted that Top Gun and its 2022 sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, played a significant role in boosting military enlistment, with the first film even prompting the Navy to set up recruitment tables at theaters. The sequel, the Navy said, “reinvigorated” interest in the military, particularly among younger audiences.
Del Toro praised Cruise for nearly four decades of unwavering support for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, adding, “Tom Cruise has spent nearly four decades as an unwavering supporter of the men, women, and families of the Navy and Marine Corps.”
In addition to Top Gun, Cruise’s career includes notable roles in Born on the Fourth of July, A Few Good Men, and the Mission: Impossible series, all of which contributed to his reputation as a major Hollywood figure and supporter of the military.
Cruise was in Chertsey working on Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, set for release in May 2025.
The Distinguished Public Service Award is the Navy’s highest civilian honor and has been presented in the past to figures like Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks for their work on the World War II film Saving Private Ryan.
