June Squibb Joins ‘Eleanor the Great’ Premiere at Cannes Riviera
Veteran June Squibb and Eleanor The Great stars bring sunlit Riviera flair to Cannes debut
Poulami is an associate editor. She did her MA in English from Miranda House, University of Delhi and has qualified UGC-NET. She also holds a PG diploma in Editing and Publishing from Jadavpur University. Her journey as a content writer began in 2017 and since then, Poulami has garnered diverse interests along the way.
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At the Cannes Film Festival this week, Oscar-nominated veteran June Squibb traded Hollywood backlots for the sun-drenched shores of the French Riviera. The 94-year-old character actress joined director Scarlett Johansson and her all-female ensemble for the debut of Eleanor The Great, posting a bright group shot to Instagram captioned, “Bonjour from the Cannes Riviera with the ladies of #EleanorTheGreat 🎡💙.” (“Bonjour” translates simply as “hello,” a fitting greeting for festivalgoers.)
Bonjour From The Cannes Riviera
Squibb and her co-stars swapped gowns for daytime chic in a sunlit carousel of candid snaps. In the lead image, Squibb stands center-stage in a flowing white dress, flanked by colleagues in cobalt, coral, and canary-yellow ensembles. A pastel-pink Ferris wheel looms behind them, underscoring the playful tone of the moment. The cast’s shared photo has already racked up over 20,000 likes, as fans delight in seeing the film’s stars unwind on the Promenade des Anglais before the red-carpet spotlight.
Un Certain Regard Spotlight
Eleanor The Great marks Scarlett Johansson’s second turn behind the camera, and its world premiere lands in Cannes’ marquee Un Certain Regard strand. Johansson—best known for her on-screen roles—assembled an ensemble of powerhouse actresses including June Squibb, whose performance anchors the film’s intergenerational storyline. Throughout the festival’s opening days, Johansson and her cast have made regular appearances along Boulevard de la Croisette, mingling with press and peers alike.
An earlier post from May 18 showed the ladies of Eleanor The Great in full red-carpet regalia, captioned “The ladies of ELEANOR THE GREAT at the @festivaldecannes red carpet 🎡 #eleanorthegreat.” That evening’s world premiere screening elicited a warm reception, with critics praising Johansson’s nuanced direction and Squibb’s magnetic screen presence.
A Storied Career
Born in 1929, June Squibb boasts a seven-decade career spanning stage, television, and film. She earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 2013 for her role in Alexander Payne’s Nebraska, and has appeared in titles ranging from Broadcast News to The Artist’s Wife. Squibb’s turn in Eleanor The Great reunites her with a female-driven narrative—one that spotlights aging, ambition, and unlikely friendships.
In interviews, Squibb has reflected on the changing landscape of roles for older actresses. “I’ve never felt more alive,” she told Variety earlier this year, noting that projects like Eleanor The Great are reshaping industry norms.
Fans Eye Future Moves
Beyond Cannes, fans have started campaigning for Squibb to co-host next year’s Oscars alongside Johansson. A social-media campaign under #HostTheOscarsNow rallied behind the duo after another behind-the-scenes snap at Cannes. While the Academy has yet to announce any hosts for the 2025 ceremony, Squibb’s legion of admirers shows no signs of slowing down.
With Eleanor The Great now making its festival rounds, Squibb and Johansson are set to attend press junkets across Europe before the film’s wide release later this year. For Squibb, the Riviera interlude represents both a celebration of her storied past and a bright marker of her ongoing impact on screen.
As the sun sets on another Cannes evening, we can be certain that June Squibb’s Riviera bonjour is only the prologue to what may be her most memorable chapter yet.
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