Jackie Chan, 3 other Hollywood legends get Oscars at 2016 Governors Awards

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- After nearly 60 years and 200 films, Jackie Chan "finally" won an Oscar -- an honorary one -- for his efforts, as did three Hollywood legends lesser known outside of Hollywood itself.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored Chan, film editor Anne Coates, documentary director Frederick Wiseman and casting director Lynn Stalmaster at the eighth annual Governors Awards in Los Angeles.

The event, named for the Academy's board of governors, who pick the nominees each year, is one of the earliest events of awards season in Hollywood. Last year's Governors Awards honored Spike Lee, Debbie Reynolds and Gena Rowlands.

Tom Hanks, Michelle Yeoh and Chris Tucker introduced Chan, calling him a cross between John Wayne and Buster Keaton for the combination of action hero and comedy that has made him a global movie star. Chan hadn't received an Oscar despite his accomplishments, which Hanks noted have "been for some reason, shall we say, historically underrepresented at the Oscars."

After receiving the award, Chan told the audience he'd once seen an Oscar at Sylvester Stallone's house, and "I touched it, kissed it, smelled it. I believe it still has my fingerprints."

"After 56 years in the film industry, making more than 200 films, breaking so many bones, finally this is mine," Chan said.

Coates, who has an Oscar for editing "Lawrence of Arabia," has been editing movies since the early 1950s. Her first movie was "The Pickwick Papers," and her credits include "The Elephant Man," "In The Line of Fire," "Striptease," "50 Shades of Grey" and "What About Bob?"

Stalmaster was introduced as "the master caster" by Jeff Bridges and is the first person to win an Oscar for casting films. He found the right actors for "West Side Story," "The Graduate," "Superman," Fiddler on the Roof" and "Harold and Maude," among a long list of others.

Wiseman was honored for his documentary work, which includes "Titicut Follies," a film about an insane asylum that Ben Kingsley said he watched while preparing for "Shutter Island," and "High School," about Northeast High in Philadelphia, which influenced Wes Anderson while he was working on "Rushmore."

Documentary film director Alex Gibney, who introduced him, said Wiseman's films offer a view of everyday people dealing with some level of success and any range of other issues -- which Wiseman said the documenting of is important for a full view of life while accepting his Oscar.

"I think it's as important to document kindness, civility and generosity of spirit as it is to show cruelty, banality and indifference," Wiseman said.