Douglas got emotional when talking about the film
Film star Michael Douglas broke down in tears at a press conference in Cannes while discussing his role as flamboyant pianist Liberace.
He stars in the film, directed by Steven Soderbergh, with Matt Damon - who plays his secret lover.
A visibly upset Douglas said Behind the Candelabra, in competition at Cannes, held special meaning as it began life "right after my cancer".
He called the film "a beautiful gift", as he thanked Soderbergh and Damon.
"I will be eternally grateful," he said to applause from the gathered press.
Douglas, who won an Oscar in 1988 for his role as Gordon Gekko in Wall Street, underwent treatment for a form of throat cancer after being diagnosed in 2010.
The film, based on a book by Liberace's former lover Scott Thorson, shows the pair's often stormy relationship as the pianist, one of the most popular entertainers in the US was forced to shield his sexuality from the public.
Douglas and Damon star in Behind the Candelabra about the pianist Liberace and his secret lover Scott Thorson
Douglas said director Soderbergh initially approached his with the idea on the set of the film Traffic.
"I thought he was messing with me," said Douglas. "I was playing a drug czar in this movie and I saw this pensive look on Steven's face and he said, 'Have you ever thought about Liberace?'.
"I said, 'What does that have to do with anything?' and we teased each other about it I tried to do a take-off of his voice and forgot all about it.
"Then seven years later, he got his outlet I guess with Scott's book. He was the love of Lee's life."
The film has been made outside of the studio system, with US cable broadcaster HBO, amid reports that the gay subject matter had put off studio heads.
Douglas played the reports down, saying: "It's a difficult time for smaller independent pictures. Things seem to still be led by gambling on very large-budget movies with large marketing budgets.
"I don't think the problem they had was with the gay issue, it that they don't like to be bothered with smaller pictures."
But Soderbergh added: "The feeling was, when we first went round with this movie four or five years ago, the sense we got was 'We're not convinced there's an audience for this movie except for people who are gay."
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The film is based on a book by Liberace's former lover Scott Thorson
He said he looked forward to a time "when it just isn't an issue".
Damon, who worked with Soderbergh in the Ocean's 11 series, shares several intimate scenes with Douglas and joked that he now shared something in common with actress including Sharon Stone, Glenn Close and Demi Moore - who have all bedded the actor in movie roles.
"We can all got out and swap stories now," he joked.
Soderbergh also confirmed reports that the film will be his last for the near future.
"I came here 24 years ago," he said. "I'm absolutely taking a break, I don't know how extended it will be but I can't say that if this were the last movie I made, I'd be unhappy, I'm really proud of this film".
"Its been a nice ride."
Tearful Douglas hails Liberace role
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22611617#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa
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