![Jackie Chan Jackie Chan](https://i0.wp.com/www.geeksofdoom.com/GoD/img/2016/09/jackie-chan-530x265.jpg?resize=530%2C265&ssl=1)
It’s not too soon to talk about potential Oscar nominees, and the Academy has already named a few people who have contributed their talents to entertainment who will be getting lifetime achievement awards. A lot of the time these honorary awards go to people we rarely hear about. But come next year, the Academy will give out four lifetime achievement awards, one of which to go to actor and legendary stuntman Jackie Chan.
That’s right, Jackie Chan!
The other recipients are film editor Anne Coates, casting director Lynn Stalmaster, and documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman.
Variety was the first to confirm that news. Here’s what Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs said in a statement:
“The Honorary Award was created for artists like Jackie Chan, Anne Coates, Lynn Stalmaster, and Frederick Wiseman – true pioneers and legends in their crafts. The board is proud to honor their extraordinary achievements, and we look forward to celebrating with them at the Governors Awards in November.”
Chan being selected is a step in the right direction for the Academy, which has been struggling to show its diversity in the past few years, most notably when the #OscarSoWhite campaign launched last year. Coates is 90 and is best known for her work on Becket, The Elephant Man, In the Line of Fire, and Out of Sight. Her most recent work includes 50 Shades Of Grey. Stalmaster, a casting director, is 87. Credits include Superman, In the Heat of the Night, The Thomas Crown Affair, and The Untouchables. As for Wiseman, who is 86, she is best known for last year’s documentary In Jackson Heights. What this tells us is that the Academy is putting accusations of being ageist behind them. These moves and awards prove that the Academy is moving forward, and let’s hope that these awards can extend to minority actors being recognized for their hard work.
But what is most interesting about these choices is Chan, a Chinese actor and stuntman whose work spans more than 180 films, this includes films in front of the camera and behind it as well. Combining action with death-defying stunts and cheesy comedy was a staple of the Jackie Chan movies, which we so rarely see nowadays.
These awards will be handed out during the Academy’s Governor Awards, which is the eighth annual event that will take place November 12, 2016. You can expect to see footage of all four recipients receiving their awards during a special presentation shown during the actual Academy Awards in February of next year.
[Source: Variety]
No Comments »
No comments yet.
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL
Leave a comment