There are few places more cinematic than Cannes — and this year, Succession star Jeremy Strong found himself at the heart of the drama, not on screen, but behind closed doors, as part of the festival’s prestigious jury.
"It’s a conclave... with champagne," Strong said of the experience — and suddenly, the image is irresistible: a secretive gathering of filmmakers, critics, and artists, locked in luxurious deliberation, half Vatican, half Riviera.
As Variety reveals,Strong explained that while the jury’s work was confidential, the conversations were anything but casual.
"There’s a kind of seal of silence," he told reporters. "You’re sequestered. You’re really not supposed to talk about it."
Still, he offered a thoughtful peek into the group’s shared vision. "We wanted to recognize films that were transcendent as intrinsically as they were pieces of work."
The Palme d’Or went to Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi for It Was Just an Accident — a bold and resonant choice that reflected the jury’s focus on storytelling that pushes beyond borders, both literal and emotional.
And while Strong’s red carpet looks made headlines — from monochrome lilac to soft summer pastels — it’s his quiet intensity in that jury room that truly left its mark.
