Tom Cruise's Graduation Speech Inspires Students At Acting Studio

Imagine: One of the world's biggest movie stars giving a surprise commencement speech at your acting studio's graduation. According to the New York Post, that's just what happened on Sunday when Tom Cruise sauntered into Joanne Baron/D.W. Brown Studio's graduation ceremony and delivered a spirited speech in front of roughly 60 students.

A thrilled source for the paper recounted what the "Mission Impossible" actor told the graduates: "He said that when you do finally get the chance of being in a movie, don't spend time in the trailer. He said you need to experience everything on the movie, talk to everyone on the crew, the grips, everyone. Learn everything you can. You will never get that time back ... He talked about trying to be as prepared as possible, and that you can only depend on yourself.”

Video footage of Cruise's beginning remarks can be seen in the YouTube clip below.

The connection wasn't completely random, of course. Cruise's younger cousin, William Mapother ("Lost," "Another Earth"), attended the school. The studio also counts Hollywood veterans Keanu Reeves and Halle Berry as supporters.