Jackie Chan was awarded an honorary Academy Award at the Eighth Annual Governors Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday night, marking the first time the 62-year-old actor has received that distinction in his decades-long career.

Tom Hanks, who co-presented Chan’s award with Michelle Yeoh and Chris Tucker, co-stars from some of his previous movies, spoke briefly about how the Rush Hour star’s action and comedy-oriented films aren’t usually the ones that get the Academy’s attention.

“As you know the Governors Awards are a chance for the Academy to recognize unique achievements across an artist’s whole body of work, because Jackie Chan, the man who puts the ‘Chan’ in ‘Chan-Tastic,’ has worked mostly in martial arts films and action comedies, two genres that have been, for some reason, shall we say, historically underrepresented at the Oscars,” Hanks shared, joking, “A fact that will change if I have any pull on the board of Governors.”

“Great acting comes in many different forms, but if you are an actor you always know it when you see it. Jackie Chan’s films have been incredibly serious, sometimes gruesomely so, as well as incredibly hilarious,” Hanks added. “Delighting millions of peoples around the globe.”

Chan graciously accepted his award, sharing that his father had always asked him about taking home an Oscar.

“My dad always said, ‘Son, you get so many movie awards in the world, when are you going to get one of these?’” he revealed. “Then I’d just look at my dad, “Dad, I only make comedy action movies.’”

“After 56 years in the film industry, making over 200 films, I’ve broken so many bones, finally this is mine,” he said. “I want to thank you, Hong Kong, such an incredible city, my hometown, my hood, who make me. China, my country, I am proud to be Chinese. Thank you, Hollywood, for all of those years teaching me so many things, and also make me a little bit famous. I’m just honored to be here.”