Ellen Burstyn has spent decades collecting some of acting’s biggest honors, but receiving a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival still left the 93-year-old overwhelmed with emotion.
The Oscar-winning actress received the prestigious honor on September 7 during the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, where she was greeted with a lengthy standing ovation. The moment came more than a year after Burstyn delighted fans with a rare red carpet appearance at the Tribeca Film Festival.
As the applause continued in Venice, Burstyn wiped away tears and told the audience they were making her cry. Despite having an Oscar, Tony and two Emmys to her name, the veteran actress made it clear that this latest recognition held a special place in her remarkable career.
Ellen Burstyn Says Her Golden Lion Honor Means ‘a Lot’
Burstyn’s emotional reaction reflected just how meaningful the honor was to her after more than six decades on stage and screen. According to Variety, Burstyn acknowledged the extraordinary awards she has already received before explaining why the Golden Lion felt different.
“You can’t imagine how meaningful this is to me,” she said. “It’s one thing to win an Oscar, a Tony or an Emmy, all of which I’ve won. But this … it’s a lot.”
The Venice Film Festival had announced Burstyn as a recipient of its lifetime achievement honor in July. At the time, she said she was “so filled with gratitude” about returning to one of her favorite cities and bringing home a Golden Lion.
Festival artistic director Alberto Barbera described Burstyn as an actress of “rare intensity and truth,” highlighting the depth she has brought to memorable characters throughout her career.
Ellen Burstyn Is Still Making Movies at 93
The Golden Lion is celebrating Burstyn’s past, but the actress has little interest in treating her career as finished.
In an interview with People published on September 7, Burstyn admitted she never imagined she would still be making movies at 93. She explained that acting remains something she genuinely loves and encouraged younger performers to pursue work that feels rewarding even without external recognition. Venice audiences are also getting proof that Burstyn remains busy.
She appears in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s short film “Flesh Impact,” an imaginative project honoring Marilyn Monroe during the year of what would have been Monroe’s 100th birthday. Dakota Johnson portrays Monroe at the height of her fame, while Burstyn plays an imagined older version of the Hollywood icon.
The actress also stars opposite Taika Waititi and Pamela Anderson in “Place to Be,” directed by Kornél Mundruczó. EntertainmentNow previously covered Anderson’s arrival in Venice for the film, which follows Burstyn’s character on an unusual road trip.
Ellen Burstyn’s Career Put Her in Rare Company
Burstyn’s awards shelf already reflects an achievement few actors have matched.
She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Martin Scorsese’s 1974 film “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” and earned a Tony Award for “Same Time, Next Year” in 1975. She later completed acting’s prestigious Triple Crown with an Emmy for her guest role on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” in 2009 and won another Emmy for “Political Animals” in 2013.
Her celebrated filmography also includes “The Exorcist,” “The Last Picture Show,” “Requiem for a Dream” and “Interstellar.” Even after all those milestones, Burstyn told People that receiving a lifetime achievement award provided reassurance that the path she has followed has meant something.
Her tearful Venice reception offered another reminder of that impact. At 93, Burstyn is not only being celebrated for an extraordinary body of work, she is still adding new chapters to it.
