The Friars Club has honoured Tom Cruise with its Entertainment Icon Award at a ceremony in New York.

"It kind of hasn't hit me yet. When they told me I just felt really, really honoured, really privileged," Cruise said on receiving the prize.

"You don't expected anything like that and I'm just, you know, feel so lucky and privileged to be able to do something that I love and this evening is very special to me," he added.

Cruise is only the fourth person in the club's 108 year history to receive the honour.

On the red carpet, the Rock of Ages star revealed how he has managed to maintain his good looks over the years.

"I guess 30 years of hard stunt training and, you know, I guess just being happy," he said.