Throughout May, the British Film Institute (BFI) has dedicated an entire season to the illustrious career of Tom Cruise in celebration of him being awarded the BFI Fellowship – an accolade awarded to individuals who have made a significant impact on British cinema. 

The award dates back to 1983 with Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger being the first to receive this award, to more recent awardees such as Dame Judi Dench, Olivia Coleman, and Christopher Nolan. Cruise is the 94th recipient and officially received the title at the BFI Chair’s Dinner on Monday, May 12th, from Jay Hunt, the chair of BFI.

At first glance, you may wonder why a man as intrinsically linked with America would be given this privilege, yet the further you dive into his film catalogue, you begin to understand just how monumental his impact in the UK truly has been. While Cruise’s acting career began with his role in Franco Zeffirelli’s Endless Love (1981), his relationship with British cinema began when he starred as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible (1996), the first installment of the lucrative franchise.

The latter half of Mission: Impossible shows Hunt and his team taking shelter in a safe house just above Liverpool Street Underground Station in Central London, subsequently leading to a shocking confrontation filmed inside Liverpool Street Train Station. As someone who has lived in London their entire life and sets foot in this station every morning as part of their commute to work, the scene brings waves of delight in knowing this era of London has been preserved for generations to come. We are able to bask in the station’s beauty that is taken for granted, merely seen as a step towards their destination, completely and utterly romanticizing its mundanity. 

Across the eight films in the franchise, over half include scenes shot in England, like Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One (2024) using Birmingham’s Grand Central as Abu Dhabi International Airport, or British characters with Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (2015) introducing MI6 agent Ilsa Faust played by Rebecca Ferguson. Christopher McQuarrie’s Mission Impossible: Fallout (2018) pays the biggest homage to the city of London with its iconic stunt-based chase sequence across the London skyline through to St Paul’s Cathedral. 

Shortly after wrapping on the first Mission: Impossible, Cruise starred alongside Nicole Kidman in Eyes Wide Shut (1999), directed by Stanley Kubrick. Although the film is supposedly set in New York City, it was entirely shot in England – filming at Mentmore Towers, Ham House, Pinewood Studios, and the streets of East London. I cannot help but notice the similarities in Kubrick and Cruise seen in their joint solace in the UK as Americans, using it as a form of escapism through their art from the pressure and unease felt in the US, which is a feeling harbored now more than ever.

Aside from these strong ties to Great Britain, his diverse filmography is incomparable to anyone else of his time. From his role as patriarchal entrepreneur Frank T.J. Mackey in Magnolia (1999), sultry vampire Lestat in Interview with the Vampire (1994), and cheeky college-bound Joel Goodson in Risky Business (1983), these are but a few of the intriguing roles he dares himself to embody to a high level of craftsmanship.

It is evident that Cruise is not showing any signs of slowing down in his career. Later this month, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025) opens in theatres worldwide, where we get to see him submerging himself in the ocean, hanging off the end of a Boeing Stearman biplane, and more sequences shot in England. 

In 2026, we are set to see him star in an Untitled Alejandro G. Iñárritu Film with Jesse Plemons and John Goodman. In a most recent conversation at the BFI, he has even stated that he wishes to star in a musical. His ambition for the pursuit of excellence in cinema and the survival of the moviegoing experience is unmatched. 

I can only see him wanting to continue channeling this passion in the British creative arts for more years to come, making him all the more deserving of the BFI Fellowship. So grab a large tub of popcorn and let’s make sure we keep seeing him at the movies.

Opinion Courtesy of Nandita Joshi

Feature Image from BFI via Variety