US actor Tom Cruise was awarded an honorary Oscar on Sunday, earning the first golden statuette of his more than 40-year career to an enthusiastic standing ovation at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

Entering to the iconic “Mission: Impossible” theme, the 63-year-old actor was welcomed by colleagues and longtime collaborators, including Colin Farrell, Emilio Estevez, and director Steven Spielberg, with whom he worked on Minority Report and War of the Worlds.

A four-time nominee who had never won, Cruise delivered an emotional tribute to cinema, calling the big screen a place that ignites “a hunger for adventure, a hunger for knowledge, a hunger to understand humanity… to tell a story, to see the world.”

Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu, who directed Cruise in the upcoming film Judy, presented the award. “Writing a four-minute speech to celebrate Tom Cruise’s 45-year career is what is known, in this town, as a mission impossible,” he joked, adding that he had witnessed Cruise perform “his most dangerous stunt yet” on set: eating more chili than any Mexican.

The honorary Oscars, bestowed annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, recognize lasting contributions to film. This year’s honorees also included actor and choreographer Debbie Allen of Fame, production designer Wynn Thomas, and country music legend Dolly Parton, who was celebrated for her humanitarian work.