Hong Kong superstar Tony Leung accepted the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement award Saturday at the Venice Film Festival, making history as the first Asian actor to take home the honor.
The legendary actor received the award after three of his movies — “A City of Sadness” (1989), “Cyclo” (1995), and “Lust, Caution” (2007) — previously won the top prize at the festival. Leung is a household name in Asian cinema and won worldwide acclaim and starred in “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”
While accepting the award, the actor said, “I am so grateful to have been raised in Hong Kong, as well as being nurtured later by the Hong Kong movie industry … where my acting career began.”
Oscar-winning director Ang Lee presented the award and worked with Leung on “Love, Caution.”
The 61-year-old actor has appeared in three films that have won the award for best picture at Venice.
