27 Jun – It was reported that Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro were among the actors invited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to join as new members. As reported on Mingpao, in an announcement made by AMPAS, it was revealed that the Academy has made a record number of invitations with 928, which is higher than the 774 invitations that were sent out in 2017. The expansion of the membership is in line with the Academy's effort to diversify its members, following previous backlash over the lack of African-American nominees at the Academy Awards in 2015 and 2016. Aside from Andy and Takeshi, the Academy also extended the invitation to various other Asian stars, including Taiwanese filmmaker Sylvia Chang, Korean actors Kim Min-hee and Cho Jin-woong, and Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, and Anil Kapoor. Hollywood actress Quvenzhané Wallis was the youngest actor to be invited as a member at the age of 14. (Photo source: RTHK, Shutterstock | GQ)