Tom Cruise surprised a group of students after he showed up unexpectedly as commencement speaker at the Joanne Baron/D.W. Brown Studio in Santa Monica, California.
Wearing a sharp suit and tie, the 'Top Gun' star gave a moving speech with notes from his acting career during the ceremony.
He advised the aspiring actors to be open to new experiences and learn all they can, and be well prepared for their role, the New York Post reported.
The 51-year-old reminisced about his first film, 'Taps' with Sean Penn in 1981 during the speech.
According to sources, Cruise's cousin, William Mapother, is a graduate of the school.
The boutique school has previously hosted Tom Hanks, Anthony Hopkins, Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman previously.
