‘You’re our modern-day Thalberg’ — Tom Cruise’s powerful tribute to McQ
Posted: June 2025
Tom Cruise’s remarks while presenting Christopher McQuarrie, “McQ,” as CinemaCon 2025’s Director of the Year on Thursday, April 3, 2025, at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. McQuarrie’s acceptance of the honor follows below.
“Thank y’all so much. I mean, it’s a real honor to be here. Now, I’m here to, uh, introduce Christopher McQuarrie, who is the Director of the Year. Now, McQ, as I like to call him, you know, he’s not one for hyperbole. He’s not one to pat himself on the back and openly discuss his extensive and invaluable contributions to cinema and to every single artist that has been lucky enough to work with him. Like the legendary producer Irving Thalberg, who never took credit, once said, ‘Credit you give yourself is not worth having.’ But that is why I’m here today, because I want to give credit to where credit is due to an exceptional artist.
“Now, I want you to know there’s no way that I can fully communicate everything McQ has done in this short period of time that we have today, but I’m gonna do my very best to cover a few highlights and just give you a concept of who he is and what he does and what he has done. And most of you probably know that McQ and I have been working together for a very long time, and here’s a shot of us on the set of ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ which he not only wrote, but he co-produced. And of course, here we are in the photo of our very first film together, ‘Jerry Maguire.’ (Crowd laughs.) I swear to you, we’ll be out places and they’ll come up and go, ‘I loved you in “Jerry Maguire” ’ — to McQ. I swear to you. Like, this is ... Anyway, obviously that is the wonderful Jonathan Lipnicki. McQ’s always so gracious. He goes, ‘Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.’ Doesn’t want to embarrass them, OK?
“Anyway, seriously, here he is at 26 years old, when he won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for ‘Usual Suspects.’ Now, at that age (crowd applauds), yes, please. You know, most people are still finding their voices at that age, when McQ had already written a film that changed the cinematic landscape. The usual suspects, it redefined the crime thriller genre, and obviously, it is an all-time classic. And I followed McQ’s career from that moment on, and of course, you know, all of his different writings, his directorial debut, but it wasn’t until ‘Valkyrie’ that I had the opportunity to meet him in person, uh, screenplay that he wrote and he was set up and lined up to produce. So I had him come over and we met in L.A. We met in my screening room and we spent hours together talking about movies. And from that meeting, I knew that he was an artist that I was going to work with the rest of my life. I absolutely knew that. That he was a creative brother who shares the same love and passion for cinema, that he understood that it is not what we do, but that is creating films, that it’s who we are.
“And ‘Mission: Impossible’ was the very first film that I ever produced, OK? So I studied movies, um, how do I make successful films? How do I create this kind of environment? One of the things with ‘Mission: Impossible’ that I realized right in the beginning is that, you know, you allow geography to inform the motion and action as we’re developing characters, and these films, they’re a puzzle, they’re a Rubik’s cube that they’re made under, under compression and under intense pressure. I mean, they are deceptively challenging films, and it utilizes every skill in filmmaking and as performers. And when I was making, you know, ‘Ghost Protocol,’ I knew that I had great geography, I had amazing set pieces and amazing cast. I had Brad Bird at the helm. You know, we’d already- we’d shot in Prague, I had to buy the tallest building in the world. I couldn’t wait to climb that, you know, we’d already shot this. That was a lot of fun, by the way. So. Now, at this point in the- in the film, I’d already shot most of the action, but I knew that I did not have the structural foundation yet, and Brad Bird and I were going back and forth trying to crack it, you know, trying to find reasons why I’m moving from Point A to Point B and flesh out characters’ dynamics that were just not coming together to my satisfaction. And, look, this happens when you’re making movies, you know. I’m always, you’re constantly challenging your story and you’re discovering your film. I mean, films. Films just, you know, it’s not just there on the page. They’re a living, breathing thing that you just have to constantly stay on top of and discover.
“So, we’re a good way through filming, and I called McQ. You know, I was like, ‘Man, please, you got to come and help me, you know.’ He came on set immediately, and I was actually standing there with Simon Pegg and Brad Bird, and we were shooting the scene, um, I- I’m holding up the gloves that I’m about to climb. I’d already shot all the action the Burj, but I’m about to climb the Burj, and we’re going back and forth. It seems like, eh, you know. And so I’m holding the gloves up, you know, I see McQ over there, and I say, you know, ‘Come on,’ I, you arrived. I said- And there’s Bird and Pegg, looking at me quizzically, like, ‘Who’s this guy’ as we’re trying to write this scene back and forth. And I didn’t tell him that he was actually there to write the script. I just said, look, I was like, I quickly just introduced everyone, and, uh, and I explained this scene to McQ very briefly, and I just said, OK, there’s a blue light, a red light, the blue means the gloves are sticking, and I’m able to stick to the wall, and the red means, I don’t stick.’
“Now, listen, without hesitation, McQ goes, ‘Oh, oh, well, blue’s glue, red is dead.’ And then he proceeded to write the entire scene that we shot, like that. (Crowd applauds.) And I’ll never forget Brad Bird. Very, very talented writer, director. And Simon Pegg, talented actor and writer in his own right. They looked at me. He was like, ‘Who the hell is this guy?’ And I just said, ‘That’s McQ.’ (Crowd applauds.) So McQ spent the next few days just writing on set, and here’s a picture of him, you know, with Brad Bird as he’s writing, and he’s, you know, untangling the rest of our structure and laying the very foundation for our entire film, really in short order, OK? Now, you have to understand that he would write the scenes and we would shoot them immediately. Now, Christopher McQuarrie is the uncredited hero of that film, all right? It was a big hit for all of us, for Paramount, and put Skydance on the map.
A photo of Christopher McQuarrie shown at CinemaCon.
“So next, yeah. (Crowd applauds.) So, next we went on to ‘Jack Reacher,’ you know, his cool, aesthetic and sharp wit is very evident in that. And again, we worked on ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ working with the brilliant Doug Liman, you know, yes. (Crowd applauds.) A time-traveling alien film, OK? I mean, the most challenging structure any of us had ever faced, and the most sophisticated, kind of storytelling. Working not only as a writer, but providing tremendous work and advice in the editing room, OK? Now, he did the same thing with us on ‘American Made,’ as well as ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and just so many other films. And while we’re working on ‘Edge’ and preparing the next ‘Mission: Impossible,’ ‘Rogue Nation’ with McQ at the helm is the director, he provided on the side and again, uncredited, his invaluable talents to ‘World War Z.’ Now, he restructured the entire film, wrote it, overseeing the edit, and all the pickups, just while we’re prepping everything else, and once again to extraordinary effect, and ensuring the tremendous success of that film with my friend Brad Pitt for Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Which, by the way, uh, Brad’s got the movie, Pitt, ‘Formula 1’ with Jerry Bruckheimer and Joe Kosinski. I can’t wait to see that- that movie this summer. I’ll be there opening weekend. (Crowd applauds.) It’s gonna be awesome. It’s great to see Brad driving. He’s very good. He’s a very good driver. Believe me, I’ve raced against him. (Crowd laughs.) Yeah, well we were doing ‘Interview with the Vampire,’ we’d go and race go karts, uh, against each other. We’d literally finish and then go drive go karts all night. And he was a hell of a driver. (Crowd chuckling.) What? He was. So, from, uh from there, we went on, you know, many, you know, different adventures. OK, ‘Rogue Nation,’ OK, ‘Fallout.’ OK. (Crowd applauds.) That’s literally on the plane, you know, I’m about to jump out, and of course, ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’
“Now, I don’t have time to cover all the adventures, but I’ll take you to 2019, where Paramount Pictures basically came to us and said, ‘Please make two epic “Mission: Impossibles.” ’ OK. And then in 2020, we were preparing filming in Venice, Italy, and we were there, and the global pandemic hit. We were in post on ‘Top Gun Maverick.’ We’re there in Italy, literally, you know, ready to roll. We, uh, could not progress filming without Christopher McQuarrie and his family’s commitment either, who’s here today. Thank you, Gigi, Wilhelmina. You know, I want you to know, I love you guys, and I am, I am forever grateful, because we could not have commenced. And we could not have continued without your all’s consent and your understanding of the importance of continuing these films. And McQ did it. And he didn’t do it for personal glory, not just to make a film, but truly in recognition of the responsibility that we have for others, for our industry, and recognition that to lead is to serve, we are able to keep people working safely throughout that time period. Keep creating, keep educating our industry and countries on how you can continue to film, to create with and during such a devastating time.
“Now, these obstacles, these challenges, these sacrifices, OK, we- we all experience these very much so in our own ways and our own personal lives. But in spite of these barriers, because of Christopher McQuarrie, we’re able to keep that show on the road. We’re able to deliver ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ to theaters and these two ‘Mission: Impossible’ films that he wrote, directed, and produced, in the face of being shut down several times due to the pandemic and two industry strikes. This man forged through it all and was able to create epic adventures for global audiences with the most complex, the most complicated, and the most daring practical action sequences that are literally, have ever been filled in cinema history.
“So Christopher McQuarrie, McQ, you are not only my dear friend, my creative brother, Director of the Year. You are an artist for all time. You are a modern-day Thalberg. You’re our modern-day Thalberg. You are an asset to every artist, studio, and global audience that you live to serve. Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to Christopher McQ, Director of the Year, McQ. (Crowd applauds.)
A screenplay that Tom read ‘that no one else would’ — McQ accepts Director of the Year at CinemaCon
“Tom knows I really cannot stand compliments. He’s enjoying this immensely.
(Tom Cruise: “Yes, I am.”)
“Um, I’ve written this down, and I’m gonna make a mess of it. Uh, I have several people to thank. The first one, obviously, that I want to thank is Tom Cruise. (Crowd applauds.) Um, I also want to thank you for clearing up the Jonathan Lipnicki thing.
(Tom Cruise: “It’s still gonna live on!”)
“For his sake, by the way. For his sake, thank you. Um, if I’ve learned anything for my 30 years in this business, that long-term success relies on two things: vision and trust. And almost 20 years ago, at a time when no one would hire me, I had my first meeting with Tom, and he didn’t know it, but I had just decided to quit the movie business. Uh, as such, there was no agenda. So for three hours, we just talked about life and movies and, uh, and really just our love, our love of movies. And based partly on that meeting and based partly on a screenplay that he read that no one else would, uh, and a directoral debut that almost no one watched, uh, Tom saw the potential, uh, for the director that’s standing here holding this award right now. Um. That’s Tom Cruise. (Crowd applauds.)
“So, Tom, I’m- I’m here today because of your vision and trust. It’s been an honor and a privilege to work with you, to learn from you, and to place you in harm’s way for other people’s entertainment. (Tom laughs.) But truly I- do. I love you, brother. I really do. And it means the world to me that you’ve trusted me, and that you have supported me, you’ve pushed me, uh, beyond anything I ever thought I was capable of doing. Thank you, thank you. I really appreciate it.
Tom Cruise watches the speech by Christopher McQuarrie.
“So to paraphrase Tim Burton’s ‘Ed Wood.’ It’s the only thing harder than being a dreamer is being the family of one. And, uh, I really want to thank my wife, Heather, and our daughters, Gigi and Wilhelmina, your support, your understanding, uh, the years of enduring the life of circus people. Uh, it’s- it’s without you, all of this work, everything we’ve done, would have no meaning. And I love you, and thank you for your support. Thank you very much. (Crowd applauds.)
“Of course, my thanks to Michael O’Leary, Mitch Neuhauser, Matt Pollock, and the entire Cinema United Team for this award. Obviously, thank you very much. And I’m here to thank all of you. I’m here to thank everyone in this room who works every day to keep the cinematic experience alive. We strive to create a fragile ephemeral magic through story and a shared experience. And it’s a medium I love with all of my heart, and it’s brought me a lifetime of joy and it’s brought my life purpose, and I really mean it, I thank every one of you for, for keeping that experience alive.
(Tom Cruise: “Thank you.”)
“That purpose comes down to the audience, for whom we work and to whom I offer my deepest gratitude. I speak for Tom and myself when I say, we would not be where we are without the audience, and the audience wouldn’t be there without you. So thank you very much. Appreciate it. (Crowd applauds.)