On the heels of Top Gun: Maverick, Tom Cruise is one of the most celebrated actors in Hollywood today. Maverick was a massive success, the box-office blockbuster was nominated for Best Picture, and he’s currently doing insane stunts for Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning. Well, did you notice something about the Oscars red carpet? Tom Cruise was nowhere to be seen. Is it because he wasn’t nominated for Best Actor? Could it be because he sent back his Golden Globe awards after the Hollywood Foreign Press Association controversy? (Maybe it’s all the scientology jokes.)
It turns out that Cruise is too busy filming Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning, Part II in the UK, Entertainment Tonight reports. He’s doing what he loves, folks—making movies for us. Cruise previously teased his upcoming Mission Impossible stunt where he jumps a motorcycle off of a cliff. Here’s hoping he tries to blast into space next. Next time the man is up for more trophies, I’ll give Hollywood an impossible mission: get Tom Cruise to show up at your awards show.
Still, that doesn’t mean the Cruise jokes stopped at the 95th Academy Awards. “Everyone loved Top Gun, everyone,” Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel joked at the beginning of the show. “Tom Cruise with his shirt off in that beach football scene? L. Ron Hubba Hubba!” Scientology bits! A classic Hollywood gag. “Tom (Cruise) and James Cameron didn’t show up tonight,” Kimmel continued, after parachuting into the venue as part of a Top Gun skit.”The two guys who insisted we go to the theater, did not show up at the theater.” I’m sure some folks at home were wondering if jokes like these were the real reason Cruise didn’t show up tonight. Either way, Cruise certainly isn’t feeling down. Top Gun: Maverick received six nominations at the Oscars tonight, including Best Original Song, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Picture.