Meryl Streep was stunned when she received a two-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival on May 14, where she accepted her honorary Palme d’Or.
A camera captured the moment when the actor, overwhelmed by the tremendous welcome, appeared to go off stage, only to return and dance to the cheers. During the event, French star Juliette Binoche presented her with the prize, becoming emotional in the process.
She said, “When I see you on the screen, I don’t see you…Where does it come from? Were you born this way? I’m not sure, but there’s a believer in you—a believer that allows me to believe.”
Binoche described Streep as an ‘international treasure,’ recognising her major impact on cinema: “You changed the way we look at cinema.”
Streep thanked Cannes for welcoming her back after 35 years, recalling her last performance at the festival in 1989 for ‘Evil Angels.’ Reflecting on her career path, she offered her thoughts about approaching 40 and being a mother of three at the time of her previous Cannes appearance, confessing, “I thought that my career was over.”
Streep attributed her sustained success to the outstanding artists she has worked with, including jury president Greta Gerwig, with whom she collaborated on ‘Little Women’ in 2019. She joked that her daughter was the one Gerwig’s character beat up in ‘Frances Ha.’
Juliette Binoche remet une Palme d'or d'honneur à la "Dancing Queen" Meryl Streep 💃 C'est officiel, le 77e Festival de Cannes peut commencer ! #Cannes2024
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Juliette Binoche awards an honorary Palme d'or to "Dancing Queen" Meryl Streep 💃 It's official, the 77th Festival… pic.twitter.com/t3RQhuFuGW
— Festival de Cannes (@Festival_Cannes) May 14, 2024
Streep expressed gratitude for her audience’s continued support, stating, “I am just so grateful that you haven’t gotten sick of my face and you haven’t gotten off the train.” She reflected on her mother’s admonition about the passing nature of time, realising how quickly her career had moved, except, she quipped, for her speech, which she found excessively long.
The Tuesday night celebration at Cannes 2024 was dedicated to Streep, with music from ‘Mamma Mia’ and her performance of ‘The Winner Takes It All’ and ‘Dancing Queen’ as she collected the prestigious Palme d’Or. Streep’s distinguished career spanning over five decades has earned her three Academy Awards and 21 nominations.
