Hollywood actor Tom Cruise, who recently wrapped up filming large parts of his upcoming movie, “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning”, in South Africa, has credited Mzansi for teaching him about the beautiful philosophy of “ubuntu“.
Speaking recently at the 34th Producers Guild Awards, which was held on Saturday, February 25, Cruise shared his experience of filming in SA and how he realised that “luck” isn't just a matter of chance.
Cruise was at the event to receive the David O. Selznick Award for his “outstanding body of work in motion pictures”.
Previous recipients include Brad Pitt, Steven Spielberg and Michael Douglas.
In his acceptance speech, he said: “I know that things don’t just happen, it’s not just luck, you have to recreate that luck, you have to will it into existence.
“I just got back from filming in South Africa. It’s an absolutely stunning country, and there’s a beautiful philosophy, it’s ‘ubuntu’, that originated there. And it is the idea that humanity is based on the plural, not the singular.
“‘Ubuntu’ means essentially, I am because we are. And so, I thank all of you. I am because you are. Thank you.”
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He continued: “You enabled me the adventurous life that I’ve wanted. I’ve been able to travel the world and work and watch films in so many countries, to share in their cultures and realise how much we all have in common, and to admire our differences.”
In February 2022, Cruise was spotted in Oribi Gorge on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal, cruising about in his very own chopper and in Hoedspruit in Limpopo.
The sight of Cruise sent Mzansi into a frenzy.
Then again in December, the award-winning star was spotted at Killarney Country Club in Johannesburg.
The country club posted several images of staff with the actor and confirmed that he “landed his helicopter there before going to a meeting with producers and the production team of ‘Mission Impossible’.”
Meanwhile, at the PGA Awards, producer Jonathan Wang’s “Everything Everywhere All at Once” was the big winner of the night.