At 93 years old, Ellen Burstyn is still making movies — something even she never expected.

The Oscar-winning actress was honored with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 83rd Venice Film Festival, celebrating a career that has stretched across more than six decades and continues to bring her major new roles.

A career that keeps surprising her

For Burstyn, receiving one of Venice’s most prestigious honors has prompted a rare moment of reflection.

She admitted that when she was working in her 40s, she was already surprised to still be playing leading roles. She certainly never imagined that she would remain this active in the film industry well into her 90s.

Yet continuing to work now feels entirely natural to her.

Acting has been part of Burstyn’s life for decades, and she sees her longevity less as a deliberate plan than the result of continuing to follow the work she loves.

Maggie Gyllenhaal presents the Golden Lion

Burstyn received the award from Maggie Gyllenhaal, who directed her in the short film Flesh Impact.

The film screened in Venice following the lifetime achievement ceremony, making the evening both a celebration of Burstyn’s past and a showcase for her current work.

Rather than arriving at Venice only to look back at an extraordinary career, Burstyn came with new projects — proof that the actress remains creatively active at an age when few performers are still leading films.

Two new films bring her to Venice

Burstyn has two projects screening at this year’s festival.

Alongside Flesh Impact, she stars in Place to Be, a new film from director Kornél Mundruczó, who previously worked with her on Pieces of a Woman.

The film also stars Taika Waititi and follows Burstyn as Brooke Graham, a woman whose life has revolved around her children following the death of her husband.

Her routine changes unexpectedly when a carrier pigeon appears at her home and refuses to leave.

Determined to return the bird to its owner, Brooke embarks on a journey that leads to an unlikely friendship with a frustrated businessman played by Waititi.

Finding meaning through creativity

Burstyn’s reflections in Venice went beyond awards and career milestones.

She spoke about creativity as something that can give a person’s life a deeper sense of meaning.

Whether someone is an actor, musician, painter or another kind of artist, Burstyn believes the most fulfilling path is often the one driven by an internal need to create.

Her advice to younger actors has remained remarkably consistent: try to build a life around work you would still want to do even if money were not the main motivation.

For Burstyn, that philosophy has helped sustain a career that has lasted far longer than she ever imagined.

One of Hollywood’s most decorated actresses

The Golden Lion joins an exceptional collection of honors.

Burstyn has won an Academy Award, Tony Award, two Primetime Emmys, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA, placing her among the rare performers to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting.

Her Oscar came for Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, while her broader filmography includes classics such as The Exorcist and a long list of acclaimed dramatic performances.

Despite that history, Burstyn approached the Venice honor with characteristic modesty.

Her reaction was essentially one of surprise: after decades of work, the recognition made her feel that she must have learned something along the way that allowed her to keep evolving as an actress.

Still leading films in her 90s

What makes Burstyn’s latest chapter especially remarkable is that she is not simply making brief appearances or ceremonial cameos.

At 93, she is still taking on substantial roles and carrying films.

That kind of longevity remains extremely rare in Hollywood, particularly for women, where leading opportunities have historically narrowed dramatically with age.

Burstyn’s current run quietly challenges that pattern.

Instead of treating age as the closing chapter of her career, she continues to work with filmmakers from younger generations and explore characters that reflect entirely different stages of life.

A lifetime achievement award that does not feel like an ending

Lifetime achievement honors often arrive with the suggestion that an artist’s greatest work is behind them.

For Ellen Burstyn, Venice feels different.

She arrived at the festival with two new films, accepted one of cinema’s most prestigious honors and spoke openly about the joy she still finds in acting.

More than 60 years into her career, she remains curious, active and unexpectedly busy.

And perhaps that is what makes the Golden Lion particularly fitting.

At 93, Ellen Burstyn is being celebrated for a lifetime in cinema — while continuing to prove that her story on screen is not finished yet.