On Friday, Kristen Stewart won a supporting-actress César for her work in Cloud of Sils Maria, making her the first American actress to ever take home France’s most coveted acting award.
In the drama from writer/director Olivier Assayas, Stewart plays a personal assistant to an aging film actress (Juliette Binoche) who is looking to make a career comeback.
Accepting the prize, Stewart said “OK. Here we go. I can’t even move my hands,” she said in English as she unfolded a piece of paper. “Je suis désolée, je ne parle pas Fren — uh, français, mais je promets de travailler — something like that”. Translation: “I am sorry I do not speak French, but I promise to work at it”.
Stewart gave the rest of her speech in English, where she was keen to praise her co-star – “Juliette, thank you, thank you, thank you. I’m standing in front of a room where I do not have to explain the power of Juliette”.
Stewart told journalists backstage,
“The reasons why people make films here in France are very different from the reasons why people make movies in Hollywood and I prefer it here a little bit.” According to the outlet, “she also revealed she will star in another French film but declined to reveal any further details.”
Kristen Stewart
There also was recognition for another American actor, Sean Penn, who was in attendance with Charlize Theron.
