Tony Leung receives Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in Venice

Hong Kong actor and singer Tony Leung Chiu-wai was presented with a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 80th International Film Festival of the Biennale di Venezia on 2 September 2023.

Tony Leung, born in 1962, is known for his collaborations with director Wong Kar-wai, with whom he has worked in seven films including Chungking Express (1994), Happy Together (1997), In the Mood for Love (2000), and The Grandmaster (2013).

He also appeared in three Venice Film Festival Golden Lion-winning films, including A City of Sadness (1989) by Hsiao-Hsien Hou, Cyclo (1995) by Anh Hung Tran and Lust, Caution (2007) by Ang Lee.

Leung also stars in the Academy Award-nominated film Hero (2002) by Zhang Yimou, and the box office hits Hard Boiled (1992) by John Woo and Infernal Affairs (2002-03) by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak.

Leung was cast as Wenwu in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) by Destin Daniel Cretton.

Festival Director Alberto Barbera declared: 'Tony Leung is a charismatic performer in the course of an exceptional transnational career which has evolved paralleling the expansion of global film circulation. Not only have Tony Leung's roles spanned a great variety of genres, but also have bridged television, popular culture, and art-cinema at different latitudes. (...) Recognised as one of the major actors of his generation, while maintaining the incredible versatility that first turned him into a film and pop star in Hong Kong in the 1980s, he has achieved a unique profile as a pan-Asian and global star confirming his presence within ever shifting screen cultures, deconstructing the traditional idea of male stardom and bringing compelling sensitivity to all his roles.';

In accepting the award, Tony Leung declared: I am overwhelmed and honoured with the news from the Biennale di Venezia. I hope to celebrate this award with all the filmmakers I have worked with. This award is a tribute to all of them as well.