Burt Kwouk receives OBE from Prince Charles

24-Feb-2011 • Actor News

Hollywood actress Catherine Zeta Jones and Pink Panther star Burt Kwouk were on Thursday awarded top British honours by Prince Charles in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

Oscar-winner Zeta Jones spoke of her happiness at being able to pick up her honour, the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), with her husband Michael Douglas after his battle with throat cancer.

"It means a lot to come home with my family and to be honoured in this way -- very emotional, rather nervous I must say," said the British actress.
"It was worth (it) to have Michael in good health to be able to enjoy it (with me)."

Douglas appeared thin after revealing recently that he had beaten cancer and got rid of his tumour.

Zeta Jones, 41, has starred in films including Steven Soderbergh's "Traffic", "Entrapment" and slick blockbuster "Ocean's Twelve".

In a career highlight, she won an Oscar for playing the ruthless showgirl Velma Kelly in the 2002 adaptation of the musical "Chicago."
Her honour was for services to the film industry and also in recognition of her work raising money for charitable causes.

In 2006, she returned to her native Wales to officially open the first phase of a children's hospital, for which she has helped to raise funds as an appeal patron.

Kwouk, who played Inspector Clouseau's servant Cato in the Pink Panther films, was honoured on Thursday with an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to drama.

The 80-year-old actor, who was born in Britain but brought up in Shanghai until the age of 17, said Prince Charles revealed he was a fan of the Pink Panther as he handed over the award.

"He told me that when he gets depressed, he puts on a Pink Panther film and that makes him feel better," said Kwouk.

Kwouk, who has an extensive list of credits including three James Bond films, became a household name in 1964 when he was cast as the servant Kato (later changed to Cato) in the first Clouseau film, "A Shot in the Dark."

In the series of films, martial arts expert Cato was under orders to attack Clouseau at any given moment in an effort to keep the hapless detective on his guard.