DUSTIN HOFFMAN - HOFFMAN HONOURED IN FRANCE

HOFFMAN HONOURED IN FRANCE

DUSTIN HOFFMAN fought back tears as he accepted his honorary commander title from the French government on Thursday (26Feb09) in recognition of his contributions to the film industry.
The 71-year-old became emotional after receiving a green medallion from France's Culture Minister Christine Albanel in a glamorous Parisian ceremony - making him a foreign commander of the country's National Order of Arts and Letters.
The two-time Oscar winner was hailed as one of Hollywood's leading figures by Albanel, who told the star, "You have such a dramatic power that it is difficult to dissociate you from the characters you have played."
And a modest Hoffman quickly brushed off his watery eyes, joking, "When you get to my age, you cry at the weather reports."
It begins a week of recognition for Hoffman in the country - he will receive an honorary trophy at France's equivalent of the Oscars, the Cesar awards, on Friday (27Feb09).