Joel Edgerton: I Never Thought Of Myself As Talented

The Australian actor, 51, was honoured at the 51st edition of the festival and was in Deauville, Normandy, with director Chris Bentley to present the French premiere of Train Dreams, a Netflix drama in which he stars alongside Felicity Jones.

Edgerton said:“I never thought of myself as talented... I've always seen myself as one of the lucky ones. Lucky enough to deeply love going to work as an actor, a writer and occasionally a director.”

He added:“And I share this honor with the extraordinary people I've been lucky enough to work alongside, been challenged by and learned from.”

Edgerton's award was presented by French-Iranian actor Golshifteh Farahani, who is presiding over this year's festival, reports co.

The actor and Golshifteh previously appeared together in Ridley Scott's 2014 Old Testament epic Exodus: Gods and Kings.

Looking back on his early life in his acceptance speech, he said he“grew up a long way from here... on the other side of the world” in the rural suburbs of Sydney.”

He added he“rarely had traveled until my teenage years”, adding“but films from around the world traveled to me”.

The actor also said:“When I was very young, movies were a chance to escape – to other worlds, into other lives. To be transported away from my real life.

“As I got older, I got more interested in the ways cinema could also reflect real life and its experiences. I suspect the best of the films that captured my imagination as a child did both: transported but also reflected.”

Although avoiding political themes during his speech, he spotlighted the value of international festivals, saying they“celebrate a connection of cultures” and stressing film“connects people across cultures, across oceans and across languages”.

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