CANNES, France — Renowned actor Robert De Niro, aged 81, is set to be honored with an honorary Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. This accolade signifies a significant achievement for De Niro, whose association with the esteemed French film festival dates back 50 years.
De Niro’s notable presence at Cannes emerged in 1976 when he starred in Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver” and Bernardo Bertolucci’s “1900,” both of which competed at the festival. “Taxi Driver” became an instant classic and secured the Palme d’Or, the festival’s highest honor.
Since then, De Niro has been a frequent visitor to the famous Croisette at Cannes. He returned with impactful performances in “The King of Comedy” in 1983, Sergio Leone’s “Once Upon a Time in America” in 1984, and Roland Joffé’s “The Mission” in 1986, the latter of which also took home the Palme d’Or. This accomplishment marks De Niro as one of the few actors to have starred in two Palme d’Or-winning films.
Despite being actively involved with the Tribeca Festival, an event he co-founded in New York, De Niro has maintained a strong connection with the Cannes Film Festival. In 2011, he led the festival jury that awarded the Palme to Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life.” Most recently, he rejoined Scorsese in 2023 to present their collaborative work “Killers of the Flower Moon” at Cannes.
Expressing his sentiments about receiving the honorary Palme d’Or, De Niro shared, “I have such close feelings for Festival de Cannes… Especially now when there’s so much in the world pulling us apart, Cannes brings us together — storytellers, filmmakers, fans, and friends. It’s like coming home.”
The prestigious award will be bestowed upon De Niro during the festival’s opening ceremony on May 13.