The 'Top Gun' star was honoured with the Department of the Navy's (DON) Distinguished Public Service (DPS) award at a ceremony in London.
After years of playing military heroes on screen, Tom Cruise is now one in real life, reports CNN.
The "Top Gun" star was honored with the Department of the Navy's Distinguished Public Service (DPS) Award during a ceremony in London that recognized Cruise's contributions and dedication to the U.S. Navy through his work in film.
According to a press release, the award is the Navy's highest honor a person outside the Department of the Navy can receive. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro presented the award to Cruz, saying his "work has inspired generations to serve in our Navy and Marine Corps."
"Cruz's efforts in the film industry have raised public awareness and appreciation for the Navy's highly skilled personnel and the sacrifices they make while in uniform," the release said.
"I am happy to have been able to be a source of inspiration for many of the Sailors who are serving today or have served in the past," Cruz said. "The effort was not only on my part, but also on the part of the cast and crew I got to work with on all of our sets. They are the ones who really bring the work to life."
Cruise is known for starring in the 1986 classic "Top Gun," in which he played a Marine fighter pilot, and the 2022 sequel "Top Gun: Maverick," which grossed over $1 billion at the box office.
The Navy said in a press release that Cruise's work on the original "Top Gun" film caused a sharp spike in recruiting pilots for the Navy at the time.
The film's producer, Jerry Bruckheimer, along with Cruise, were named honorary Navy aviators by the department in 2020 | BGNES
