Kevin Costner was honored with France’s Order of Arts and Letter at the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday, ahead of the Out of Competition world premiere of his two-part Western epic 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 said in a speech paying tribute to the actor.
She went on to declare, “I will always love you” ahead of pinning the honorary ribbon medal to Costner’s white suit, in reference to his role in 1992 blockbuster The Bodyguard opposite Whitney Houston and its record-breaking hit track ‘I Always Love You’.
The Order of Arts and Letters is one of France’s highest honors, and recognizes people who have made a significant contribution to furthering the arts in France and throughout the world.
Previous recipients from the cinema world have included Neil Jordan, Sharon Stone, Johnnie To, Tim Burton and Diane Kruger.
The actor was then due to hit the red carpet for the screening of Horizon in the company of co-stars Sienna Miller, Abbey Lee and Sam Worthington.
“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,” said Costner.
“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.”