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Top 10 Astonishing Facts about Ang Lee

Lee was born in the southern Taiwanese city of Pingtung in 1954. The son of a high school principal, he grew up in Taiwan and failed his university entrance exam twice in Taiwan and instead went to Taiwan鈥檚 National Arts School, where he cultivated an intense interest in film.

Lee went to the U.S. in 1979 to study film-making at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. After graduating he moved to New York to study film and worked with Spike Lee.

With varied education experiences sprinkled with his father鈥檚 influence, Lee sets his movies on the conflict of US vs Chinese cultures and unintentionally made some movies based on the topic of fatherhood.

The trilogy on 鈥渇ather knows the best鈥� perfectly captures the clash between the West and the East and at the same time the role of the figure of father in both cultures.

Taiwanese film director Ang Lee with his diverse backgrounds has successfully negotiated for big Hollywood productions and also has received several accolades and critical acclaim.

Furthermore, Lee has been able to work successfully on wide range of films. Find out the top 10 astonishing facts about Ang Lee.

1.  Ang Lee Failed Uni Entrance Exams Twice

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Ang Lee attended the Provincial Tainan First Senior High School (presently National Tainan First Senior High School).

He was required to pass the annual Joint College/University Entrance Examination to qualify for a University education according to the ROC鈥檚 rule.

However, he remained unsuccessful in clearing the hurdle even after attempting twice to obtain the requisite qualification.

The principal of the high school where Lee studied, happened to be his father.

Lee then enrolled himself in the National Arts School to pursue a three-year degree course in arts.

Ang Lee graduated from there in 1975. 

He also undertook compulsory military service in Republic of China Navy (ROCN).

2.  Ang Lee was the First non-White to win Best Director

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Where he was born there are no horses. Men don’t wear cowboy hats and pickup trucks don’t rumble down dusty roads.

Director Ang Lee’s southern Taiwan hometown is worlds away from the panoramic American West on display in “Brokeback Mountain” one of his directorial gems.

But, just as the film’s gay ranch hands struggled in conservative 1960’s Wyoming, Lee鈥檚 films grapple with theme of culture in different context.

The 鈥楤rokeback Mountain鈥� won Lee the Academy Award for Best Director, apart from winning two more Oscar.

He is the first non-white person to win the Oscar for Best Director Award.

The news media of People鈥檚 Republic of China did not mention the fact that he was a Taiwanese, calling him Chinese-American when reporting his award win.

3. His Kung Fu Film Boyhood Dream Came True

In 1999, he fulfilled his childhood dream, when he got an opportunity to direct martial art film 鈥楥rouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon.鈥�

The dream was actualized with the help of famed fight choreographer Mr. Yuen Wo-Ping.

He had admired Wo-Ping even before becoming a film student and had many fantasies about doing the martial arts genre.

The film became a box-office success in many countries including UK and US. The film apart from winning the Academy Award for the Best Foreign Language Film, also became highest-grossing foreign film in US with $128 million.

The intensity of directing 鈥楥rouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon鈥� for eight month without break, took toll on his health.

4. Ang Lee Decided on Pursue Film Directing due to Language

As part of his graduation study his directional venture, 鈥楽hades of Lake鈥� in 1982 won him the Best Drama Award in short film category in Taiwan.

Ang Lee prepared a 43-minute short film titled 鈥楩ine Line鈥� (1984) as part of his master鈥檚 project. Lee received the Wasserman Award for Outstanding Direction from NYU.

The award is New York University鈥檚 top recognition for exceptional attainment in film production. 

Ang Lee went to New York University with Spike Lee and they worked together on his thesis film where he served as assistant director on Spike Lee鈥檚 student film Joe’s Bed-Stuy Barber Shop: We Cut Heads.

Upon realizing the fact that being a Chinese, his English speaking capability including his pronunciation style was not conducive for becoming an actor, Lee decided to focus on direction and accordingly enrolled at the Tisch School of the Arts of New York University to study a postgraduate degree course called MFA (Master of Fine Arts) in film production.

5. For the Movie, Life of Pi Ang Lee Consulted A Real Life Shipwreck Survivor

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Life of Pi tells the story of a young boy who finds himself stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean after the ship carrying his family (and zoo animals) to Canada is sunk as a result of terrible weather on the voyage.

While the story is far-fetched in some places, similar events have occurred to others in the past.

In fact, Ang Lee actually hired a 鈥楴autical Consultant鈥� named Stephen Callahan to consult on the movie. Callahan had survived for 76 days in the Atlantic after his ship sank, making his experience vital to Life of Pi’s drama and emotions.

Callahan’s story can be read in his memoir Adrift: 76 Days Lost At Sea.

6. Ang Lee was a Househusband for 6 Years

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Before he became an internationally acclaimed director, Ang Lee was a house husband. While his wife worked as a molecular biologist, he took the time to write a number of screenplays.

After having earned his Master of Fine Arts degree in film production, Lee spent his next six years trying to convince the Hollywood Studio Executives about his potential in direction and as a screenplay writer.

Initially unsuccessful, Lee participated in a screenplay competition promoted by the Government Information Office of R.O.C in 1990.

鈥楶ushing Hands鈥� and 鈥�The Wedding Banquet,鈥�  screenplays he submitted were declared first and second respectively by the concerned competent authority.

The win caught the attention of two independent film production houses towards Lee, and they decided to sponsor and produce his movies.

After a long and frustrating struggle of more than six years, Lee鈥檚 debut directorial venture received the necessary support.

7.  His Son Mason Lee is an Actor

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Mason Lee (born May 30, 1990) is a Taiwanese-American actor. He is the son of three-time Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee, and Jane Lin, a microbiology researcher.

The Hangover Part II  role as Teddy raised his visibility within the profession.

His son Mason featured in Lee鈥檚 The Wedding Banquet as a baby and Billy Lynn鈥檚 Long Halftime Walk as an adult as well as featuring in the Taiwanese hit Who Killed Cock Robin?

Ang Lee has expressed pride in his son’s acting career, Mason Lee has so far appeared in over 15 productions.

8. Director Ingmar Bergman鈥檚 was one of his Main Inspirations

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He cites cult director Ingmar Bergman鈥檚 The Virgin Spring (1960) as one of his main inspirations and reasons for entering the film industry.

Winner of the Academy Award for best foreign-language film, Ingmar Bergman鈥檚 The Virgin Spring is a harrowing tale of faith, revenge, and savagery in medieval Sweden.

With austere simplicity, the director tells the story of the rape and murder of the virgin Karin, and her father T枚re鈥檚 ruthless pursuit of vengeance against the three killers.

Ernst Ingmar Bergman was a Swedish film director, screenwriter, producer and playwright. 

Bergman’s films are “profoundly personal meditations into the myriad struggles facing the psyche and the soul.

9.  Ang Lee is a Highly Decorated Cinematographer

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Ang Lee was been lauded with the L茅gion d鈥檋onneur (The Legion of Honor), France鈥檚 highest order of merit in 2021.

The Taiwanese born-American filmmaker was honoured for his global contribution to culture and received the honour from the French Ambassador to Taiwan at a private ceremony.

This order is the highest civil and military order of the French republic and is awarded not only for artists but for people who have made significant achievements in many different fields.  

The Taiwanese government bestowed the 鈥極rder of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon鈥� the second highest civilian honour in 2006.

Lee has been nominated for 8 Oscars, winning 3. His other Oscar came for Best International Feature for Crouching Tiger. He has directed five Oscar-nominated performances.

He is one of only seven living directors who have won the Directors Guild of America Award more than once.

10.  Ang Lee Directed the first Kiss Between two Men in Taiwanese Cinema

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Over the course of his career, Taiwanese-born director Ang Lee has made two films that feature gay couples as protagonists.

The better-known of the two, Brokeback Mountain (2005), tells the story of Jack and Ennis, two cowboys from Wyoming who engage in an on-and-off relationship over the span of two decades.

Conversely, Lee鈥檚 earlier 鈥済ay couple film,鈥� The Wedding Banquet (1993), follows Wai-Tung, a Taiwanese-American landlord who tries to conceal his sexuality and boyfriend from his parents by marrying and accidentally impregnating one of his female tenants.

Ang Lee has never stopped exploring the lives of characters on the fringes of society.

His main theme is the repression of feelings and of individuals trapped in moral, social or political shackles.

The Taiwanese filmmaker examines how they attempt to free themselves and discover their own individuality.

From Life of Pi onwards he revived the use of 3D, increased the frame rate and invented credible computer-generated creatures. He uses these special effects to achieve more immersion, realism and emotion.

He鈥檚 avant-garde, he transcends all categories, genres and aesthetics.