Chinese actor Jackie Chan, British film editor Anne V. Coates, American casting director Lynn Stalmaster and American documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman were presented with the Academy's Honorary Awards Saturday night to recognize their lifetime contributions to the film industry.
The honors were presented at the eighth annual Governors Awards ceremony at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center.
"The Honorary Award was created for artists like Jackie Chan, Anne Coates, Lynn Stalmaster and Frederick Wiseman -- true pioneers and legends in their crafts," Cheryl Boone Isaacs, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, said, "The Board is proud to honor their extraordinary achievements."
Chan, as an actor, writer, director and producer, has been performing since the age of eight, appearing in dozens of martial arts films in Hong Kong before becoming an international film star. He charmed audiences with his dazzling athleticism, inventive stunt work and boundless charisma.
Since Rumble in the Bronx in 1996, he has gone on to enormous worldwide success with the Rush Hour movies, Shanghai Noon, Shanghai Knights, Around the World in 80 Days, The Karate Kid and the Kung Fu Panda series of animated films.
Wearing a typical Chinese gown, Chan said with his golden Oscar statuette, "I still can't believe I am standing here. It's a dream."
