Movie icon Julia Roberts has been named the Godmother of the Trophée Chopard 2022 at Cannes Film Festival.
As Godmother, Roberts will present the award to both a male and female young actor on the rise. She follows Godmother Jessica Chastain, who presented the award to Jessie Buckley and Kingsley Ben-Adir at Cannes Film Festival 2021.
Zhang Ziyi, Charlize Theron, Robert De Niro, Cate Blanchett, Elton John, Julianne Moore, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law and Helen Mirren are among previous presenters. Previous recipients include Florence Pugh, Joe Alwyn, Marion Cotillard, Ezra Miller, Shailene Woodley, Logan Lerman, James McAvoy, John Boyega and Gael García Bernal, many of whom have gone on to extremely successful careers after receiving the award.
Roberts is known for her roles in “Pretty Woman” (1990), “Erin Brockovich” (2000), “Steel Magnolias” (1989) and a long list of other iconic films, including many romantic comedies in the ’90s and early 2000s. This year, she can be seen in the Starz series “Gaslit,” playing the role of Watergate whistleblower Martha Mitchell. After stepping away from the rom-com scene, Roberts is returning in October with “Ticket to Paradise,” starring alongside George Clooney.
President of the festival Pierre Lescure, general delegate Thierry Frémaux and co-president and artistic director of Chopard Caroline Scheufele will hold the ceremony at a dinner on the Croisette in Cannes on May 19.
Popular on Variety
“For a fan of cinema like myself, Julia Roberts represents a film legend,” Scheufele said. “Her energy and talent have made an indelible imprint on successive generations and it is an honor that she has agreed to symbolically impart the experience of her rich career to the two winners of the 2022 Trophée Chopard.”
This year is the 75th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival, which is being celebrated with a highly anticipated lineup that includes David Cronenberg’s “Crimes of the Future,” his first film since 2014; Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis,” his first film since 2013; “Top Gun: Maverick,” starring Tom Cruise; and Brett Morgen’s “Moonage Daydream,” a movie tribute to David Bowie.
Variety has partnered with Chopard on the annual event since 2012, and the festival this year coincides with the 25th anniversary of Chopard’s collaboration with the festival.
