AFI announced today it will confer a Doctorate of Fine Arts degree honoris causa for contributions of distinction to the art of the moving image upon Michelle Yeoh, who will become the first Asian artist to receive the AFI honor; and a Doctorate of Communication Arts degree honoris causa upon AFI Trustee Emeritus Lawrence Herbert for his commitment to the mission of the American Film Institute. Yeoh and Herbert will be recognized during the AFI Conservatory’s commencement ceremony celebrating the Class of 2022 on Saturday, August 13, 2022, at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
“Michelle Yeoh and Lawrence Herbert have inspired the world with their remarkable talents,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI President and CEO. “Though both of these trailblazers have proven impact in vastly different ways, it is their shared dedication to the art of the moving image that provides this proud moment for AFI to shine a proper light upon their gifts given us.”
Yeoh has appeared in more than 70 features and television series, with her filmography showcasing a collection of iconic roles, including CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA, TOMORROW NEVER DIES, SUNSHINE and CRAZY RICH ASIANS. After appearing in the second installment of the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY franchise, Yeoh returned to the Marvel universe in SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS. In March, she starred in the mind-bending, critically acclaimed EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE.
Herbert made his mark as the driving creative force behind inventing a variety of color systems, including the world-renowned PANTONE® MATCHING SYSTEM®, which have become the standards for global communication of color in the printing, publishing, packaging, graphic arts, paint, plastics, coatings, computer, film, video, textiles and fashion industries. Herbert joined the AFI Board of Trustees in 1987 and served until 2017. In 2020, his extraordinary commitment to AFI established the Lawrence Herbert Alumni Center on the AFI Campus.
Yeoh and Herbert join an esteemed group of distinguished past recipients, including Robert Altman, Maya Angelou, Saul Bass, Angela Bassett, Kathryn Bigelow, Mel Brooks, Carol Burnett, Anne V. Coates, Clint Eastwood, Roger Ebert, Nora Ephron, Jodie Foster, Lesli Linka Glatter, James Earl Jones, Lawrence Kasdan, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Kathleen Kennedy, Angela Lansbury, Spike Lee, David Lynch, Helen Mirren, Rita Moreno, Paul Schrader, Quentin Tarantino, Lily Tomlin, Robert Towne, Cicely Tyson, Haskell Wexler and John Williams.
To learn more about AFI and the AFI Conservatory, visit AFI.com.
