Veteran actor Meryl Streep is all set to receive the honorary Palme d'Or at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on May 14. The organisers confirmed that she would be honoured at the opening ceremony, where she would also be the guest of honour. The event would take place on the stage of the Grand Theatre Lumiere, and Meryl is expected to kick off the upcoming edition with the awards list given by the jury president, Greta Gerwig.
Reacting to her bagging the Palme d'Or at Cannes 2024, the actress said in a statement, “I am immeasurably honoured to receive the news of this prestigious award." She added, "To win a prize at Cannes, for the international community of artists, has always represented the highest achievement in the art of filmmaking. To stand in the shadow of those who have previously been honoured is humbling and thrilling in equal part. I look forward to coming to France to thank everyone in person this May."
For those caught unaware, the legendary actress has only been to Cannes once, and won the best actress that year -- in 1989's ‘A Cry in the Dark’.
About honouring Meryl Streep with Palme d'Or, the Cannes Film Festival organisers also issued a statement, saying, “Because she has spanned almost 50 years of cinema and embodied countless masterpieces, Meryl Streep is part of our collective imagination, our shared love of cinema.”
Meryl is undoubtedly one of the most revered actors in Hollywood history, and has a record 21 Oscar nominations and three wins. She is known for drama films like ‘The Deer Hunter’, ‘Out of Africa’, and all-time favourites such as ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ and ‘Mamma Mia’.
This year, at Cannes, Meryl is all set to join a host of Hollywood veterans. While ‘Star Wars’ creator George Lucas will be receiving a lifetime achievement award at the closing ceremony, the legendary Japanese animators Studio Ghibli will also be awarded with Palme d'Or.
