Kevin Costner has bagged France’s Order of Arts and Letter at the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday.
The Yellowstone star also received a seven-minute standing ovation at the film festival for his upcoming movie, Horizon: An American Saga.
“You represent the America of wide spaces, the America of free minds, the America of cinema and the love of culture that we share on both sides of the Atlantic,” French Culture Minister, Rachida Dati, praised the American actor and producer during her tribute speech.
She confessed, “I will always love you” before pinning the honorary ribbon medal to Kevin’s white suit. The phrase was a reference to his role in 1992 blockbuster The Bodyguard and its famous hit track, I Always Love You.
The Order of Arts and Letters is one of France’s highest honors and the previous recipients of this honor include Neil Jordan, Sharon Stone, Johnnie To, Tim Burton and Diane Kruger.
Kevin expressed his gratitude at the event, “Being honored in this way at the Cannes Film Festival, the international home of cinema, with my own film about to play, trying to find the right words is difficult.”
He added, “When I find myself retracing the breadcrumbs of my life, I’m a much simpler person than you might imagine, but I understand this day, this moment completely and it’s one that I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.”
Horizon: An American Saga will be released on June 28, 2024.
