Tom Cruise dubbed 'last great movie star' for bringing back audiences to cinema

Tom Cruise hailed over his efforts to bring audiences back to cinemas after pandemic with his blockbuster film Top Gun: Maverick by co-star Jay Ellis.

The Escape Room actor gushed over the Mission Impossible star saying he deserves the Academy Award for his dedication to the film industry.

Ellis also dubbed Cruise the “last great movie star” while talking to The Sun about how the Hollywood hunk did not give up despite pressure to sell the Joseph Kosinski directorial to streaming networks amid pandemic.

"Absolutely he helped the business,” Ellis said. "As the movie was pushed because of the pandemic, he would reach out to us and say 'This movie has been to be in theaters. The viewing experience of this movie is going to make people love going to theaters and love film again.'”

"And he was right,” the actor added. “It was a gamble considering what was going on in this world. It was a gamble that paid off in an absolutely amazing way. It helped the world feel ready to go back to theaters.”

"And we were grateful for every single person who spent every dime to go see this movie,” Ellis continued. "It's a testament to him and his commitment to his craft, the power of film that he brought people together again."

He went on to add that even if Cruise does not get an Oscar for his performance, they should give him an Academy Award for his services towards the film industry.

“Tom is unique. He has done it all. I think people sleep on Tom,” Ellis said. "But people should know that he is the last great movie star.”

"What people forget is that his body of work is very vast. He has done every genre; there is character, plot, action, everything - and he succeeded.

"His ability to not only organically perform and use the camera while organically performing on camera is a masterclass. There are not a lot of folks out there, none that can do it in the way he does.

"He is the nicest, most genuine and just giving open guy,” Ellis concluded.