Rooney Mara, Emmanuelle Bercot share Cannes best actress award

Australian actress Cate Blanchett (right) and US actress Rooney Mara (left) leave the screening of 'Carol' during the 68th annual Cannes Film Festival, in Cannes, France, on May 17, 2015. -- PHOTO: EPA
Australian actress Cate Blanchett (right) and US actress Rooney Mara (left) leave the screening of 'Carol' during the 68th annual Cannes Film Festival, in Cannes, France, on May 17, 2015. -- PHOTO: EPA
Actress Emmanuelle Bercot, Best Actress award winner for her role in the film "Mon roi", reacts on stage during the closing ceremony of the 68th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 24, 2015. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

CANNES, France (AFP) - In a surprise decision, the Cannes jury on Sunday split the best actress award between up-and-coming Hollywood star Rooney Mara and France's Emmanuelle Bercot, bypassing bookies' favourite Cate Blanchett.

Mara took the prize for her part in 1950s lesbian love story, Carol, starring Blanchett, while Bercot was awarded for her part in Mon roi (My King), in which a woman looks back on a destructive relationship with a deceitful but charming boyfriend.

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