The inspiring story of Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh

Everything Everywhere All At Once star Michelle Yeoh recently made history by becoming the first Asian woman to win ‘Best Actress’ at the Academy Awards. She won the prestigious accolade for her role as Evelyn Quan Wang, a middle-aged laundromat owner and Chinese-American immigrant who discovers multiple versions of herself in parallel universes. In Evelyn’s attempts to save the multiverse from destruction, the film takes a mind-bending trip through genres, mixing absurdist humour with heartfelt explorations of human connection.

However, before Yeoh landed the role, she was not a major player in Hollywood. In fact, many critics have incorrectly labelled her performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once as her breakthrough, despite beginning her acting career in the 1980s. Although Yeoh did find mainstream success upon starring in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, her role in EEAAO has truly given the actor the recognition she finally deserves.

Before Yeoh made it to Hollywood, she appeared in many Hong Kong martial arts films and action flicks, performing most of the stunts by herself, even though she had never been formally trained to do so. Her first role came in 1984 with The Owl vs Bombo. However, her leading role in 1985’s Yes, Madam saw Yeoh become a star of Chinese cinema. It was the 21st-highest-grossing film of the year in Hong Kong, and Yeoh’s performance, particularly the fight scenes, was praised. 

However, Yeoh has actively spoken out against Hollywood’s lack of accessibility for women of colour, also pointing out her inability to find roles as she has grown older. Thus, over the decades, Yeoh found it difficult to gain success in Hollywood, although her recent Oscar win is sure to finally send her to even greater, well-deserved heights.

Who is Michelle Yeoh?

Michelle Yeoh is one of the most popular icons of global cinema, known for her incredible collaborations with pioneering artists such as Jackie Chan and Ang Lee. Regarded as one of the most influential action stars of her generation, Yeoh developed a stellar reputation within the industry for executing her own stunts. She successfully translated her success in Asian cinema to Hollywood as well, featuring in multiple notable productions – including the James Bond franchise.

Recently named by Time Magazine as the ‘Icon of the Year’, Yeoh has experienced a fantastic resurgence following the recent successes of films such as Crazy Rich Asians and Everything Everywhere All at Once. In addition to her important contributions to the world of cinema, Yeoh has also impacted environmental efforts and has aided foundations like Save China’s Tigers.

Where is Michelle Yeoh from?

Michelle Yeoh was born on August 6th, 1962, in Ipoh, the capital city of the Malaysian state of Perak. Growing up, the actor, whose birth name is Yeoh Choo Kheng, was fluent in both English and Malay before learning Cantonese in the 1980s and a bit of Mandarin in the 2000s. Despite her success as an Academy Award-winning actor, she aspired to become a dancer from a young age. Following many years of ballet training, she enrolled in London’s Royal Academy of Dance when she moved to the United Kingdom as a teenager.

What movies has Michelle Yeoh starred in?

Following her undergraduate degree, and a spinal injury that prevented her from pursuing ballet professionally, Yeoh began competing in beauty pageants, earning the title of Miss Malaysia World. Her success in beauty pageants worldwide led her to secure a role in a commercial alongside Jackie Chan, kickstarting her on-screen career. 

Through the 1990s, Yeoh starred in numerous action films, including Police Story 3: Super Cop and Super Cop 2, reuniting her with Chan. Yeoh was credited as Michelle Khan to appeal to Western audiences during this time, although she decided to revert to her original name when she began working in Hollywood. 

Yeoh transitioned into Hollywood with a role in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, playing one of Bond’s allies, Wai Lin. Her performance and dedication to the role were highly praised by critics and those she worked with, leading Ang Lee to request her to star in his upcoming film. She accepted, and her performance in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon became another standout moment in her career. At the time, Lee’s film was the highest-grossing foreign-language movie in the United States, garnering over $213.5million worldwide. Moreover, her performance earned her a BAFTA nomination for ‘Best Actress in a Leading Role’, although she was beaten to the post by Julia Roberts for Erin Brockovich. 

In 2005 she starred in the Steven Spielberg-produced Memoirs of a Geisha and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor in 2008 alongside fellow Oscar winner Brendan Fraser. In recent years, Yeoh’s notable credits include Star Trek: Discovery, Crazy Rich Asians, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. 

However, Yeoh’s major breakthrough into mainstream success was delivered by Everything Everywhere All At Once, the A24 movie that swept up seven Academy Awards, including ‘Best Picture’ and ‘Best Director’.

Michelle Yeoh in the brilliant Everything Everywhere All at Once. (Credit: A24) Why did Michelle Yeoh’s career stall?

Yeoh has always been defiant in working against stereotypes, meaning that she struggled to find any Hollywood roles in the late 1990s that she felt were appropriate. She told People, “At that point, people in the industry couldn’t really tell the difference between whether I was Chinese or Japanese or Korean or if I even spoke English. They would talk very loudly and very slow. I didn’t work for almost two years, until Crouching Tiger, simply because I could not agree with the stereotypical roles that were put forward to me”.

Moreover, Yeoh told The Envelope Podcast, “As you get older, the roles get smaller. It seems like the numbers go up, and these things go narrow, and then you start getting relegated to the side more and more. So when Everything Everywhere came… it was very emotional because this means that you are the one who’s leading this whole process, who’s telling the story.”

She continued: “You know, as you get older, people start saying, ‘Oh yeah, you should retire. You should do this. You should…’ No, guys. Do not tell me what to do. I should be in control of what I am capable of.” 

What has Michelle Yeoh said about her comeback?

In Yeoh’s Oscar speech, she said, “For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities. This is proof to dream big, and dreams do come true. And ladies, don’t ever let anyone tell you you’re past your prime. Never give up.” In recent interviews, Yeoh has shared her joy towards Hollywood’s journey towards greater inclusion and diversity, telling the Financial Times, “The last few years, things have changed phenomenally. [To win an Oscar] is to be given a seat at the table. To say, ‘Make more roles for us. Give us the opportunity to compete.'” 

Backstage at the Oscars, Yeoh told Deadline: “This is actually a historical moment, so I really have to thank the Academy for acknowledging and embracing diversity and true representation. This is something we have been working so hard towards for a very long time… I’m still here today. Finally, after 40 years, I get this. It just goes to show we will win. That’s what we’re doing. Don’t give up because once you give up, that’s a loss.” 

Praise for Michelle Yeoh…

“I was just a huge, huge fan of hers. There was always a twinkle in her eye.” – Quentin Tarantino said.

“While we were shooting, we started to reflect on how the whole movie was becoming this opportunity to show that all these Asian actors have so much more to offer than Hollywood has been giving them. Michelle has a crazy résumé, but she was getting to show new sides of herself.” – Daniel Scheinert commented.

“She’s one of the most determined people I know, hardworking, soulful, and earnest. We’ve remained great friends. I couldn’t be more happy for what Asian Americans can do these days. It took a while, but they shine each year. So wonderful.” – Ang Lee said.

Jamie Lee Curtis, Yeohs’ castmate, added: “What you see is what you get. You get a woman of great integrity, courage, she’s got a lot of spice to her and great beauty.”