Tom Cruise pays a visit to the BFI National Archive

Hollywood icon Tom Cruise paid a visit to the BFI National Archive last week, immersing himself in the history and artistry of filmmaking with infectious enthusiasm. Ahead of receiving an honorary Oscar on Sunday, Cruise – who was awarded the BFI Fellowship in May – spent hours exploring rare materials and engaging in animated conversations with archivists.

Known for his meticulous approach to craft, Cruise showed deep admiration for the nuts and bolts of film and television making and the technical evolution of the moving image, from those working in-camera and experimenting with lenses, film stock and lighting to those rethinking performance itself. During his visit, the actor was shown a selection of treasures preserved at the BFI National Archive Conservation Centre, including a newly struck 35mm print of Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia (1999) in which Cruise’s turn as motivational speaker Frank T.J. Mackey earned him an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor…