John Travolta got a major Cannes surprise ahead of the world premiere of his directorial debut “Propeller One-Way Night Coach” when the festival presented him with an honorary Palme d’Or, which is the Cannes equivalent of a lifetime achievement prize. Travolta was shocked and overwhelmed by the surprise honor, holding back tears while saying: “This is beyond the Oscar.”
“Surprise complétement!” an emotional Travolta exclaimed in French as the crowd erupted into rapturous applause. “I can’t believe this. This is the last thing I expected.”
Turning to Cannes director Thierry Fremaux, Travolta added, “You said this would be a special night, but I didn’t know it would mean this.” Fremaux responded: “We knew!”
“This is a humbling moment, so thank you Thierry from the bottom of my heart,” Travolta continued. “When I met with you in November, I had no expectation that my film would be accepted. And when Thierry said it was not only accepted but it was making history because it would be the first film ever accepted that early, I cried like a baby because I just couldn’t believe it. Because in my opinion, you are the most discerning person in the movie industry. I was just happy to be here! I never expected this. Thank you so much.”
