President of France Jacques Chirac has deemed Clint Eastwood a knight in the country's Legion of Honor for his contribution in filmmaking.
- Feb 19, 2007
AceShowbiz - Representing "the best of Hollywood" while also being an "exceptional ambassador" for American culture around the world, Clint Eastwood was granted a slot in France's elite Legion of Honor by President Jacques Chirac on Saturday, February 17, 2007.
"France of course wants to pay homage to your immense talent as an actor, your genius as a director and to your place in the world of cinema," so Chirac stated in a ceremony in the presidential Elysee Palace.
Expressing his gratitude, the 76-year-old actor/director who has earned an Oscar nomination in best director category for his work in "Letters from Iwo Jima" earnestly remarked that he was pleased to receive the "wonderful honor."
"I've just finished being a Japanese director on a film and my great ambition one day is to do a French film, become a French director," said Eastwood.
Legion of Honor, or Legion d'Honneur in French, was created in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte to recognize military, cultural, scientific or social contributions to France, including by people who are not French citizens.
