The reason why 'Best Actor' Lee Byung-hun is honored even though he didn't win an Oscar

Recently, the 50th Toronto Film Festival announced the names that will be honored at the Tribute Awards. Besides names that are 'familiar' with the Oscars such as director Guillermo del Toro, star Jodie Foster, 'King of Films' Lee Byung-hun unexpectedly appeared on the list.

According to the TIFF announcement, Lee Byung-hun was named for his "outstanding talent" and "film career in both Korea and Hollywood." In addition to the honoring ceremony, the actor will also attend the North American premiere of Park Chan-wook's film No Other Choice, in which he stars.

This year, The Mummy actor Brendan Fraser will take on the role of Honorary Chairman at the 2025 Tribute Awards. His picks include Guillermo del Toro, Jodie Foster, Hikari, and Lee Byung-hun.

Brendan Fraser (right) has selected four names: Guillermo del Toro, Jodie Foster, Hikari and Lee Byung-hun to honor this year.

PHOTO: NEXT BEST PICTURE

Commenting on the role, Fraser said: "I am honoured to be back in Toronto once again and participating in the TIFF Achievement Awards, this time not as a recipient but as Honorary President. TIFF means a lot to me and it is an honour to take on this role during this landmark 50th edition of the festival."

2025 marks the seventh annual Tribute Awards. Each year, TIFF organizers select a list of honorees — all actors and crew members of films shown at TIFF that year — for various categories.

This year, director Guillermo del Toro will receive the TIFF Ebert Director Award. His latest film, Frankenstein , will screen at TIFF following its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival. Previous winners of the award include Spike Lee, Mike Leigh, Denis Villeneuve and Chloé Zhao.

Meanwhile, Silence of the Lambs star Jodie Foster will be honored at TIFF's Share Her Journey Groundbreaker Award, which was established in 2022 to honor women who have made significant efforts to support and empower other women in the film industry.

This year, Foster will be coming to TIFF with A Private Life , directed by Rebecca Zlotowski, after premiering at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Previous recipients of the Share Her Journey Groundbreaker award include Michelle Yeoh, Patricia Arquette, and Cate Blanchett.

The organizers also honored writer/director Hikari with the Emerging Talent Award. This year, her second film, Rental Family, will have its world premiere at TIFF. Fraser also stars in the film.

Finally, Lee Byung-hun will receive the TIFF Special Honor Award, recognizing his career in both Korea and Hollywood. The actor recently appeared in both K-Pop Demon Hunters and the final season of Netflix's Squid Game .

Lee Byung-hun stars in Squid Game

PHOTO: IMDB

"We are delighted to announce this year's recipients, each of whom has left an indelible mark on cinema: from the extraordinary talent of Lee Byung-hun, the rich imagination of master Guillermo del Toro, the captivating storytelling of HIKARI to the illustrious career of actress, filmmaker and cinema icon Jodie Foster. We are honored to welcome these outstanding artists to Toronto for the 7th Annual Tribute Awards," said Cameron Bailey, Executive Director of TIFF, in a statement.

TIFF will announce more categories before the awards ceremony on September 7. The festival will officially take place from September 4-14, 2025.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ly-do-anh-de-lee-byung-hun-duoc-ton-vinh-du-khong-thang-oscar-185250801112039538.htm