Filipino actress Shaina Magdayao couldn’t help gushing over Meryl Streep at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where she had the chance to see the veteran American actress and listen to her talk.
Magdayao, who was at Cannes for the Directors’ Fortnight, detailed on her Instagram Stories how she had the opportunity to be among the audience in Streep’s talk at the international festival.
“Right after the premiere, I changed into flats and ran in my dress to make it to Meryl Streep’s talk. Priority si mama Meryl,” she wrote, also posting a video of her running.
The “Tanging Yaman” actress shared in her succeeding story that she made it to the forum and then went into full fangirl mode once the award-winning American actress appeared on stage.
“You are my hero. What a beautiful and extraordinarily talented human being,” the Filipino actress expressed, accompanied by a happy picture of her looking at the stage where Streep was sitting.
READ: Filipino stars attend Cannes Film Festival 2024
Magdayao attended this year’s Cannes Director’s Fortnight for their short film “Walay Balay,” opposite Hollywood breakout star Ruby Ruiz. Aside from the two, Filipino filmmakers and celebrities, including Kylie Verzosa, Sylvia Sanchez, Jericho Rosales and Xian Lim, among others, were also at the prestigious festival.
Meanwhile, Streep was awarded an honorary Palme d’Or—the festival’s highest honor—at the opening night ceremony on May 14. Actress Juliette Binoche turned emotional while presenting her the award, which came 35 years after Streep made her Cannes debut with 1988’s “Evil Angels,” for which she took home the festival’s best actress award.
“You have carved out an indelible place for yourself in the history of cinema,” Binoche told Streep onstage. “You are an international treasure.”
“What I could sense while watching your films is that you have to fulfill your dreams, our dreams, and beyond. You change the way we look at women,” Binoche continued. “You changed the way we look at women in the cinema world while also helping us to look at ourselves differently.”
The Cannes Film Festival runs from May 14 to May 25.
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