Top Gun: Maverick was nominated for Best Picture at the 95th Academy Awards but LOST. An even bigger disappointment to the fans of the franchise, that Tom Cruise himself was not even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Lead Actor. It is understandable why he didn't attend. According to Reuters "Actor Tom Cruise, whose starring role in “Top Gun: Maverick” wowed audiences but was overlooked in the best actor category."
The ceremony took place at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 12, 2023. Tom Cruise who played the Naval Aviator in both Top Gun and Maverick, did not attend the ceremony due to filming a sequel to the movie Mission Impossible overseas. But, would he have attended if he had not been snubbed by the academy, especially since Director Steven Spielberg has even said himself that Tom Cruise saved the movie industry with the release of Maverick, which was a blockbuster worldwide?
According to People "The Top Gun: Maverick star, 60, is skipping the annual awards show, being held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday, despite his film being up for six honors, including Best Picture. A rep for Cruise confirms to PEOPLE that his absence is because he is currently filming Mission: Impossible 8 overseas. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer will accept the award for Best Picture should Maverick emerge victorious, Entertainment Tonight reports." Cruise's absence comes as a bit of a surprise, considering his attendance the Oscars nominees luncheon at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles last month."
"In a video that circulated on social media at the time, Steven Spielberg could be seen telling Cruise he "saved Hollywood's ass" with Top Gun: Maverick, which claimed the spot as the highest-grossing movie of 2022 in the United States. The legendary director, 76, added that Cruise "might have saved theatrical distribution" entirely with the long-awaited sequel to his hit '80s action flick."
"Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published Tuesday that Cruise would be at Sunday's ceremony, and he was asked whether he would joke about the actor as hosts of other awards shows this season have." Unfortunately, Tom Cruise clearly was not present.
The long-awaited sequel to 1986's Top Gun was also nominated in other categories for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Original Song, Best Visual Effects and Best Sound, which they did receive an Oscar for.
Additionally, Lady Gaga performed the nominated song, "Hold My Hand" for Top Gun: Maverick and lost as well.
Comments / 15