John Travolta arrived in Cannes hoping to premiere a film. He came away with something that left him in tears.
The 72-year-old actor was surprised on Friday, May 15, on the stage of the Théâtre Debussy, when the festival director, Thierry Frémaux, presented him with an honorary Palme d’Or, one of the most prestigious distinctions in world cinema.
Frémaux called Travolta “one of the greatest actors” deserving of the recognition, catching the star completely off guard.
“I can’t believe it. This is the last thing I expected,” Travolta said, visibly moved.
“You said it would be a special night, but I didn’t think you meant that. It’s a humbling moment. It goes beyond the Oscar.”
It had already been a big night for Travolta, who walked the red carpet earlier alongside the cast of One-way propeller night coach, his first film, which he also wrote, narrated and produced.
The film, based on his 1997 book of the same name, follows Jeff, an eight-year-old aviation enthusiast, who takes a cross-country flight to Hollywood with his mother.
Travolta wrote the original book for his late son Jett, who died in 2009 at the age of 16.
His daughter Ella Bleu Travolta, 26, stars in the film and was by his side throughout the evening, having also accompanied her father on the rather spectacular journey to get there.
Earlier in the day, Travolta flew his own plane to Nice, documenting the flight on Instagram and signing off with a promise that champagne for all passengers was on him.
By accepting this honor, Travolta made it clear how much the people around him shaped his work.
“That’s the blueprint for my life and everyone that was in the movie is sitting in the audience right there, my family, and that’s why this movie exists and why I exist as an artist because of that group of people right there,” he said.
