What To Know
- John Travolta rocked more than one beret at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.
- He continued to wear at subsequent events, sparking notable fan reactions on social media.
- He explained that the beret is an homage to old-school directors and serves as a personal marker.
John Travolta is speaking out about fan reactions to his surprise Cannes Film Festival appearance —specifically, his new beret look.
On May 15, the Grease star, 72, premiered his directorial debut, Propeller One-Way Night Coach, at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival in France. He brought his daughter, Ella Bleu Travolta, to the red carpet event, where he was also surprised with an honorary Palme d’Or.
For the premiere of his film, Travolta opted for a black suit, a white tie and undershirt, and a white beret. Meanwhile, Ella rocked a black velvet dress, accessorizing with silver earrings.
Travolta wore another beret (this time a black one) during a photo call for Propeller One-Way Night Coach on May 16. And he didn’t stop there. The Pulp Fiction actor was once again sporting a beret during a May 19 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and during a May 20 interview on Today.
Naturally, many fans took notice of his sudden style switch-up on social media.
Travolta broke his silence on the beret trend during a May 18 interview with CNN.
@cnnJohn Travolta talks to CNN’s Leah Dolan about his new beret look, unveiled at Cannes Film Festival, where he is premiering his new film and directorial debut “Propeller One-Way Night Coach.” Travolta won an honorary Palme d’Or at the festival, the equivalent of a lifetime achievement award.♬ original sound – CNN
“I said, ‘I’m a director this time,’” he explained. “’You’re an actor, play the part of a director, look like an old-school director.’”
He continued: “So I looked up pictures [from the] ’20s, ’30, ’40s, ’50s, 60’s, and the old-school directors wore berets, and the glasses. And I thought, ‘That’s what I’m doing. I’m doing an homage to being a director, so I’m going to play the part of being a director.’”
Travolta had a second reason for all the berets, explaining he’ll be able to tell what the photos are from, years from now.
“When I look back, I’ll know, ‘Oh, that was Propeller One-Way Night Coach, that was Cannes, what was when I won the Palme d’Or.’ And I will have vividness of it.”
@todayshowJohn Travolta has been showing off a new look, and explained the reasoning behind wearing a beret while promoting his directorial debut, “Propeller One-Way Night Coach.” “If you look up on the internet, ‘directors and berets.’ Every era, every, you know, for 100 years, has directors wearing berets. I said, ‘Well, I’m not an actor this time. I’m a director. Show up like a director!’”♬ original sound – TODAY Show
Travolta also echoed these sentiments during a May 20 appearance on Today — while wearing a beret.
What do you think of Travolta’s new style?