Elle Fanning Fainted at Cannes, Transforming Colin Firth Back Into Mr. Darcy

There’s nowhere more welcome to drama than the Cannes Film Festival. And, fittingly enough, that’s where one of this year’s jury members, Elle Fanning, happened to be when she fainted and fell off her chair in the middle of the festival’s annual dinner party for the Chopard Trophée, where award winners Florence Pugh and François Civil were being recognized for their talent as up-and-coming actors.

Of course, neither ended up getting nearly as much recognition as had been planned. According to Variety, Fanning collapsed almost immediately after the festival’s director, Thierry Fremaux, welcomed Civil to the stage, ousting him from the spotlight and sending the crowd into shock. From the sound of it, what followed was a scene that could have been taken straight out of a Victorian era period piece: Dakota Fanning leapt to her sister’s side, helping her up to her feet so that security could whisk them away from onlookers like a very worried Marion Cotillard (its reported she put her hand over her heart following the event).

Fret not: Fanning is now safe and sound, as she assured the world just a few hours after the incident, via Instagram. Really, it was no big deal: She’d simply had the extremely relatable experience of falling victim to a vintage corset made by Prada. “Oops, had a fainting spell tonight in my 1950’s Prada prom dress but it’s all good!!,” she captioned a selfie of her giving a thumbs up, using two hashtags to elaborate: “#dresstootight” and “#timeofthemonth.” Within less than 24 hours, her recovery has so far earned her 185,000 likes—and a comments section full of advice to take deep breaths and drink water. Fellow actress January Jones also expressed her sympathy, commenting, “Where’s your smelling salts when you need em??”

But don’t let all that fool you. Now that Fanning’s recovered, it’s time to recognize the real star of the evening’s theatrics: Colin Firth, who, by springing to his feet to come to Fanning’s aid, effectively also sprang back into character as Mr. Darcy, the brooding gentleman and love interest of Elizabeth Bennet at the center of the BBC’s TV adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the role which first put him on the map.

That was all the way back in 1995, but rest assured: These days, the now 58-year-old Firth is no less spry. Twenty-four years ago, he managed to turn a scene in which Darcy, sopping wet after a swim, unexpectedly encounters Elizabeth, into what the Guardian once described as “one of the most unforgettable moments in British TV history.” And when it comes to Cannes history, his impromptu revival performance in the midst of a dinner party just might end up being equally unforgettable.

Related: What Richard Madden, Selena Gomez, and More Are Doing Off the 2019 Cannes Film Festival Red Carpet