But the veteran British actor with his trademark Cockney accent clearly experienced a few translation problems as he thanked the French for the wrong award – an even higher one.
Sir Michael, 77, born Maurice Micklewhite, was made Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters, which awards figures who have “significantly contributed to the enrichment of French cultural heritage”.
But he mistakenly thought he had received the Legion of Honour, France’s highest award created by Napoleon Bonaparte. He said that Sean Connery and Gregory Peck had this award but that they had French wives, which he always thought was a prerequisite until now.
Listing his numerous film achievements from Alfie to Batman, Frédéric Mitterrand, the French culture minister, said he embodied “the humour, magic and the warmth of the cinema” and was a “true gentleman”. He reminded the audience that Sir Michael had first come to Paris to sell chips on the boulevard de Clichy to make ends meet and had signed the contract for The Man Who Would be King with director John Huston in a Paris restaurant.
In his acceptance speech, which he made in pidgin French, Sir Michael said: “I’ve always loved this country, the food, the people. (Until now) I didn’t know whether the French loved me and thought maybe it was a one-way affair. But now I have this award, I know (they do).”
“I’m the quintessential Englishman but not the quintessential British snob if you see what I mean. I also do speak French which helps — not very well but I do speak it,” he said afterwards.
Sir Michael said he fell in love with French cinema while watching Jean Gabin, an iconic postwar actor because he was “blond like me, while all the actors in Hollywood films at the time had black hair”. He admitted, however, that he has never acted in a French film.
There was a touching scene when he met the man who has been his French voice for the past 50 years, 80-year-old Dominique Paturel, who said he was “mad with joy” to finally meet the actor whose “breathing and very heart beat hold no secrets for me”.
Mr Paturel said that it was impossible to find a French equivalent of Sir Michael’s Cockney speech.
“One can only try and find the same spirit, in his way of being, his behaviour, his reactions. His diction is not easy to imitate – it’s a kind of light stammering, he stumbles on every word. That was quite difficult to capture but essential as it’s his hallmark — but I’ve cracked it after all these years.” Sir Michael, he said was “much loved by the French public due to his likeable nature, his talent, exceptional adaptability to roles, his inventiveness. I’m a bit older than him but hope we both keep going strong for years more,” he said.
