If you cribbed about “poor guy” Leonardo DiCaprio not getting a nod from the Academy Awards (which he finally did, for The Revenant), then imagine what it must feel like for a guy like Jackie Chan – 56 years in the industry, with 200 films to his credit. But as he always portrayed in his films, the good guys win in the end, and it seems that he did just that.
Jackie Chan, now 62-years-old and not looking a day over 40, was presented with an honorary Oscar at the Eighth Annual Governors Awards on Saturday in Hollywood. He was surrounded by his biggest supporters in the industry – fellow actors Michelle Yeoh and Chris Tucker, along with Tom Hanks who presented the award to the martial arts phenomenon.
“As you know, the Governors Awards are a chance for the Academy to recognize unique achievements across an artist’s whole body of work, because Jackie Chan, the man who puts the Chan in Chan-tastic, because he has worked mostly in martial arts films and action comedies, two genres that have been, for some reason, shall we say, historically underrepresented at the Oscars, a fact that will change if I have any pull on the board of Governors,” said Hanks as he was presenting the award to the winner of the night.
He ended with: “Great acting comes in many forms, but if you are an actor you always know it when you see it. Jackie Chan’s films have been incredibly serious, sometimes gruesomely so, as well as incredibly hilarious to the point pop delighting millions of peoples around the globe……but Jackie does something that neither one of those great screen legends (John Wayne and Buster Keaton) was ever able to do. None of those great artists ever, ever put the bloopers on during the closing credits.”
Then Chan’s best friend and co-actor in the smash hit Rush Hour movies, Chris Tucker came on and said: “The fact that I got to work with Jackie was amazing, a living legend……Jackie, I love you, you are part of me, and congratulations, and I am so thrilled and honored to present to you, my good friend Jackie Chan, with the honor Oscars, ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Jackie Chan!”
The honorary Oscar recipient then came on and said: “After 56 years in the film industry, making over 200 films, I’ve broken so many bones, finally this is mine. I want to thank you, Hong Kong, such an incredible city, my hometown, my hood, who make me. China, my country. I am proud to be Chinese. Thank you, Hollywood, for all of those years, teaching me so many things, and also make me a little bit famous. I am just honored to be here.”
