The 77th Cannes Film Festival opened on a high note as legendary actress Meryl Streep was honored with an honorary Palme d’Or. The prestigious ceremony took place Tuesday night at the Grand Lumiere Theatre, packed with over 2,000 attendees.
During a momentous occasion, French actress Juliette Binoche presented Streep with the gold-plated emblem of Cannes. Streep received a rousing 2.5-minute standing ovation, during which Greta Gerwig, this year’s jury president and director of Streep in “Little Women,” was visibly moved to tears.
In an emotional exchange, Binoche lauded Streep, saying, “You changed the way we look at women,” to which Streep responded by comforting her. Accepting the accolade, Streep expressed her gratitude, “This prize is unique in the world of cinema and I’m very, very honoured to receive it.” She acknowledged her long-time agent, Kevin Huvane, and her hair and makeup stylist, J Roy Helland, crediting him for his significant role in her career spanning nearly five decades.
Reflecting on her journey, Streep shared a personal anecdote from her last visit to Cannes nearly four decades ago, recalling her thoughts about her career’s prospects as she neared the age of 40. “I thought that my career was over — and that was not an unrealistic expectation for actresses at that time,” Streep remarked. She credited her sustained success to “the very gifted artists with whom I’ve worked, including madame la president [Gerwig].”
