Ang Lee Net Worth - Pulptastic

What is Ang Lee’s Net Worth?

Ang Lee, the Taiwanese filmmaker, has a net worth of $20 million. He first gained acclaim in Asia before making his breakthrough in Hollywood with “Sense and Sensibility” in 1995. Lee has directed several critically acclaimed and commercially successful films, including “Life of Pi” (2012), which grossed over $609 million worldwide and won several Academy Awards. “Brokeback Mountain” (2005) was another major box office success, grossing over $178 million worldwide and receiving eight Oscar nominations. Lee’s other notable films include “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000), which won four Academy Awards and grossed over $213 million worldwide, and “Hulk” (2003), which grossed over $245 million worldwide.

Early Life and Education

Ang Lee was born in Pingtung County, Taiwan in 1954 to mainland Chinese parents. He attended Provincial Tainan First Senior High School where his father served as principal. After graduating in 1975, Lee enrolled in the National Arts School and completed a three-year program. He then served in the Republic of China Navy before moving to the United States to attend the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, where he earned a BA in theater in 1980.

Initially interested in acting, Lee struggled with his English language skills and instead turned to directing. He went on to earn his MFA in film production from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where his thesis film, “Fine Line,” won the Wasserman Award for Outstanding Direction.

Lee’s Early Success in Film

In 1990, Ang Lee submitted two screenplays to a competition sponsored by the Government Information Office of Taiwan. “Pushing Hands” and “The Wedding Banquet” won first and second place, respectively. Studio manager Hsu Li-kong noticed Lee’s talent and invited him to direct “Pushing Hands,” which was released in 1991 to critical acclaim. Lee followed up with “The Wedding Banquet,” which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film in 1993. He received a second consecutive Best Foreign Language Film nomination in 1994 for “Eat Drink Man Woman.” Collectively, these three films are known as the “Father Knows Best” trilogy.

Ang Lee’s Breakthrough in Hollywood

In 1995, Ang Lee had his breakthrough in Hollywood with his version of Jane Austen’s classic novel “Sense and Sensibility.” The film, written by and starring Emma Thompson, earned seven Academy Award nominations and won for Thompson’s screenplay. Lee directed two more Hollywood films after that, both adapted from novels. “The Ice Storm,” released in 1997, and the revisionist Western “Ride with the Devil,” released in 1999, were both critically lauded but were less successful at the box office.

Ang Lee’s Film Career

In the 21st century, Ang Lee directed several acclaimed films, starting with the Chinese-language wuxia drama “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” which became the highest-grossing foreign film in many countries and earned Lee four Academy Awards. He went on to direct the Golden Lion-winning gay romantic drama “Brokeback Mountain,” the Mandarin-language erotic espionage film “Lust, Caution,” and the fantasy adventure drama “Life of Pi,” which earned Lee his second Academy Award for Best Director. However, his subsequent films, including “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” and “Gemini Man,” struggled to replicate his earlier success, despite his experimentation with high frame-rate 3D technology.

Lee’s Marriage and Family Life

Lee married microbiologist Jane Lin in 1983, whom he had met during their time at the University of Illinois. The couple has two sons and currently resides in Larchmont, located in Westchester County, New York.

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