The Artist's Jean Dujardin received a heroes' welcome in his native France as he carried the Best Actor Oscar through Charles De Galle airport on Tuesday (February 28, 2012). In a surreal scene, the 39-year-old was mobbed by photographers and fans as he attempted to clutch onto his statuette while making his way through the terminal, reports the UK's Daily Mail.
France had waited anxiously throughout the 84th Academy Awards on Sunday, where the heavily tipped silent-movie was expected to dominate. Fans were on tenterhooks as the film failed to secure the early technical awards - with Martin Scorsese's Hugo instead performing well - though they didn't wait long for the major awards to begin rolling in. Director Michel Hazanavicius scooped Best Director, with Dujardin pipping George Clooney to Best Actor. In the final moments of this year's Oscars, actor Tom Cruise announced that The Artist had won Best Picture, sparking frantic celebrations back in Europe. Flanked by French police and bodyguards to help him through the crowds, Dujardin tirelessly signed autographs for fans and kept smiling despite the frenetic scenes. During his acceptance speech in Los Angeles on Sunday, the actor said, "I love your country! So many of you here tonight have inspired me".
Despite talk of Dujardin heading to America to make blockbusters - he boasts a typical 'Hollywood' movie-star appearance - the actor said, "I'm not an American actor. I'm a French actor. I'll continue in France. If I could make another silent movie in America, I'd like to!".