Lily Gladstone says her “imposter syndrome” is back as she joins Greta Gerwig and others as a jury member at Cannes

Lily Gladstone, who made a name for herself after her amazing performance in Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon, is now a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival. This happened after an unforgettable year for Gladstone, who became the first Native American woman to be nominated for an Oscar and to win a Golden Globe for her role.

The Cannes Film Festival 2024 jury is chaired by Greta Gerwig, the first female American director to ever be in that position. This year's Palme d'Or winner—the highest honor awarded at the Cannes Film Festival—will be determined by an eight-member jury chaired by Greta Gerwig.

During a press conference on May 14, Lily Gladstone seemingly got overwhelmed by her achievements. She spoke candidly about experiencing imposter syndrome once again and said—

"It's a huge honor and privilege, and you know, I thought I got over my imposter syndrome last year after the run I had. Now it's started all over again. This is an incredible company to be in. I'm really really looking forward to just having this charge to sit and watch films from so many different perspectives around the globe."

Jury Members Nadine Labaki, Omar Sy, Lily Gladstone, President of the Jury Greta Gerwig, Ebru Ceylan, Hirokazu Kore-eda, and Eva Green attend the jury press conference at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 14, 2024, in Cannes, France. (Photo by Kristy Sparow/Getty Images)

Imposter syndrome is a psychological pattern where someone doubts their accomplishments and has a persistent fear of being exposed as a fraud. Despite evidence of their success, they remain convinced they don't belong or that their achievements are due to luck rather than skill.

Lily Gladstone will next be on the upcoming series Fancy Dance of Apple TV+.

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Lily Gladstone gives her views on imposter syndrome and indigenous representation at Cannes

For Gladstone, 2023 was a whirlwind year. Her performance in Killers of the Flower Moon catapulted her to fame. The film premiered at Cannes, her performance received a standing ovation, and Gladstone went on to become the first Native American woman nominated for a Best Actress Oscar and win a Golden Globe.

Gladstone opened up about experiencing imposter syndrome with Jeffrey Brown in February 2024, after her massive success. In the interview, she described the pressure of filming Killers of the Flower Moon.

“There's going to be an element of imposter syndrome when suddenly you're thrust in the middle of the circle with these incredibly renowned actors. And…, [“[I felt it] a bit. A bit. But I had to hide it", she admitted.

Gladstone went on to explain how witnessing the dedication and constant questioning of her co-stars, even these established actors, was a revelation.

Similarly, at a recent Cannes Film Festival press conference, the actress who is now a jury member, talked about her experience. She admitted to feeling self-doubt despite her past achievements. Despite these, Gladstone also expressed her enthusiasm for the role.

The conversation took a more serious turn when Gladstone addressed the portrayal of Indigenous artists. She acknowledged the vast diversity within Indigenous communities worldwide but also spoke of a unifying sense of identity and shared experiences. She said—

“As Indigenous people, we recognize representation coming from each other very quickly. Even though we’re an incredibly diverse global community, there’s still a sense of identity in how we experience the world. It’s impossible to try to homogenize us to one perspective, although I do think there is very much a shared experience."

Lily Gladstone emphasized that despite the immense diversity within Indigenous communities around the world, there's a unifying sense of identity in their worldview. She argued against simplifying this identity into a single perspective, acknowledging a strong sense of shared experience that transcends individual cultures.

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Exploring Lily's life in brief

Lily Gladstone, who was born in 1986, is an American actress with an ethnic background that is very varied. Being brought up on the Blackfeet Reservation, her bloodline is a mixture of Piegan Blackfeet, Nez Perce, and European ancestors.

In 2023, Lily Gladstone's career was on the top with her playing of Mollie Kyle, an Osage survivor of the Osage Indian murders, in Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon.

Jimmy P: The Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian (2012), a study of the psychological and emotional problems of a Plains Indian in a modern world, marked Lily Gladstone's feature film debut. After that, she collaborated with the famous director Kelly Reichardt on independent films such as Certain Women (2016) and First Cow (2019).