Actor Michael Douglas will receive the Honorary Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in recognition of his "brilliant" career in cinema, as well as his "commitment" to the sector, the organization announced on Wednesday.

"It's always a breath of fresh air to be in Cannes. From my first time here in 1979 for 'The China Syndrome' to my most recent premiere of 'Behind the Candelabra' in 2013, the Festival has always reminded me that the magic of cinema is not only in what we see on screen, but in its ability to impact the people around us. After more than 50 years in business, it is an honour to return to the Croisette to open the Festival and embrace our shared global cinematic language."

The award will be presented during the opening ceremony that will take place on May 16. This award has been granted on previous occasions to film personalities such as Forest Whitaker, Agnès Varda, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Jodie Foster or Manoel de Oliveira.

Michael Douglas has worked as an actor with directors such as Robert Zemeckis in 'Behind the Green Heart' (1984), Ridley Scott in Black Rain (1989), Barry Levinson in Harassment (1994), Joel Shumacher in A Day of Fury (1993). His name is linked to great successes such as Fatal Attraction, Basic Instinct or The War of the Roses. He has recently appeared in several films of the Marvel superhero saga (Ant Man, Ant Man and the Wasp, and Avengers Endgame) and has achieved great success with the television series The Kominsky Method.

In 1987, Michael Douglas won the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of Gordon Gekko in 'Wall Street'. The sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, was screened out of competition at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival. His father, the legendary Kirk Douglas, chaired the festival's jury in 1980.

He was also awarded as a producer for the film "Someone Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" by Milos Forman, which won the Oscar for best picture in 1976.

In addition to his contribution to cinema, the Festival de Cannes highlights Douglas' involvement in multiple social causes. For example, they mention his role as a United Nations Messenger of Peace, where he has been committed to nuclear disarmament worldwide since 1998 and has also been an advocate for arms control in the United States.

  • cinema

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Learn more