The actor went viral for his beret-wearing look at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival
Credit: Brianna Bryson/FilmMagic
NEED TO KNOW
- John Travolta told Variety that he now owns a dozen berets after going viral for his new look
- The star debuted the viral accessory at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival
- Travolta previously told PEOPLE that the look is “an homage to being a director”
John Travolta is building up his beret collection.
The 72-year-old actor, who recently went viral for his new hat-wearing look, revealed that he owns a dozen berets.
"The beret has been around for 800 years,” Travolta told Variety at the Los Angeles premiere of his directorial debut, Propeller One-Way Night Coach, on Thursday, May 28. “ … It's an old-school thing. I looked at all the photographs of me for 50 years, and I can’t tell you the difference. I started to not be able to differentiate, and I said, ‘Well, you’re not an actor really.’"
He continued, "So I looked up all the old-school directors, and they all had berets and sometimes glasses, and it was very, it was cliché but in a wonderful way — they were probably reflecting painters and musicians of the type."
When asked how many berets he now has, Travolta replied, "I must have about 12. All different colors."
The Grease star debuted the viral accessory at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival premiere of Karma, a French psychological thriller starring Marion Cotillard. He attended alongside his daughter, Ella Bleu Travolta.
Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty
Travolta donned a black three-piece suit with a white shirt and tie, as well as silver-rimmed glasses, a cream-colored beret and black dress shoes. Ella, 26, opted for a sleeveless black velvet dress, black pointed-toe shoes and Chopard jewelry.
In an interview with CNN published on Monday, May 18, the actor explained the origin of the look.
“The old school directors wore berets and the glasses. And I thought, that's what I'm doing,” he told the outlet.
“Big day, big night in Cannes. Stay tuned!” Travolta captioned an Instagram video as he arrived after piloting his own plane to the premiere of Propeller One-Way Night Coach on Friday, May 15, along with Ella, who stars as a flight attendant in the film.
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At the New York City premiere of Propeller One-Way Night Coach on Thursday, May 20, the star spoke to PEOPLE about the reaction to his berets.
"I love it," he shared. "Once Vogue and Harper's Bazaar voted me the best dressed at Cannes, I went, 'Okay, we've arrived.'"
The star further explained that his appearance "was really just an homage to being a director."
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