Cannes Film Festival 2024: Meryl Streep gets standing ovation as she receives Honorary Palme d'Or

Cannes was delighted to award the Palme d'Or to the Oscar-winning actor Meryl Streep.

The veteran actor received a two-minute standing ovation upon taking the stage. After playfully dancing to the applause, she expressed gratitude to Cannes for the warm welcome 35 years later.

A video montage showcasing her works over the years filled Streep with nostalgia. She likened watching the retrospective clips of her career to ‘looking out the window of a bullet train, watching my youth fly into my middle age, right onto where I am standing on this stage tonight. So many faces and so many places that I remember.’

The ‘Mamma Mia’ actor eloquently recounted her industry journey and revealed that she initially believed it would end when she became a mother of three at 40. She noted that at the time, surviving the industry beyond her prime years seemed like an ‘unrealistic expectation.’

‘The only reason I'm here tonight and that it continued is because of the very gifted artists with whom I've worked, including Madame La President,’ she said, gesturing to jury president Greta Gerwig, who directed her in 2019's ‘Little Women.’ ‘And, incidentally, that was my daughter she was beating up in 'Frances Ha' in the first clip. I'll speak to you about that later,’ she added.

Streep concluded her speech by expressing gratitude, saying, ‘I'm just so grateful that you haven't gotten sick of my face and you haven't gotten off the train.’

‘My mother, who is usually right about everything, said to me: 'Meryl, my darling, you'll see. It all goes so fast. So fast.' And it has, and it does,’ Streep reflected. ‘Except for my speech, which is too long,’ she quipped.

Juliette Binoche lauded Streep for her immersive performances, dubbing her ‘an international treasure.’ Binoche revealed that whenever she watched the Oscar-winning actor on-screen, she saw only the character, never the actress herself.

‘Where does it come from? Were you born like this? I don’t know, but there’s a believer in you; a believer that allows me to believe,’ she asked Streep jokingly.

Binoche further praises the actor for altering perceptions of women in cinema and for aiding in their self-perception.

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