Tom Cruise awarded U.S. Navy's highest civilian honour

Tom Cruise has been awarded the U.S. Navy's highest civilian honour.

The Top Gun: Maverick actor was presented with the Distinguished Public Service Award by U.S. Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro, at Longcross Studios in Surrey, England on Tuesday.

Cruise, who plays a U.S. Navy pilot in the Top Gun films, posed proudly with his medal and certificate and shook hands with Del Toro during the ceremony.

Cruise, who has been filming in the U.K., said he was proud to receive the "extraordinary acknowledgement".

"I admire all of the servicemen and women," he added, reports The Associated Press. "I know in life, something that is very true to me, is that is to lead is to serve. And I know that to my core. And I see that in the servicemen and women."

The Navy said Cruise, 62, had "increased public awareness and appreciation for our highly trained personnel and the sacrifices they make while in uniform".

According to the Navy's website, the award honours individuals who have carried out acts of valour or heroism or who have demonstrated exceptionally outstanding service of substantial and long-term benefit to the Navy, Marine Corps, or the Navy as a whole.

The honour was previously awarded to Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks for their work on their 1998 war epic Saving Private Ryan.

This marks the second time Cruise has been bestowed a honour by the U.S. Navy. In September 2020, he and producer Jerry Bruckheimer were made Honorary Naval Aviators before a screening of their 2021 movie Top Gun: Maverick.

A third Top Gun movie is currently in development, although it is unlikely to enter production in the near future.