Michelle Yeoh

Michelle Yeoh Choo Kheng, born on August 6, 1962, in Ipoh, Malaysia, began her acting career credited as Michelle Khan in Hong Kong films during the 1980s. She gained prominence in the 1990s for her roles in Hong Kong action films, where she performed her own stunts, showcasing her talent and skill in movies such as Yes, Madam (1985), Magnificent Warriors (1987), Police Story 3: Supercop (1992), The Heroic Trio (1993), and Holy Weapon (1993).


Yeoh's international breakthrough came after moving to the United States. She gained widespread recognition for her role in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and earned critical acclaim for her performance in Ang Lee's martial arts epic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), which earned her a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
Her Hollywood career flourished with roles in various films such as Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), Sunshine (2007), The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), Reign of Assassins (2010), Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011), and The Lady (2011), where she portrayed Aung San Suu Kyi.


Yeoh continued to diversify her roles, appearing in supporting roles in romantic comedies like Crazy Rich Asians (2018) and Last Christmas (2019). She also made her mark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with her role in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) and gained praise for her portrayal of Captain Philippa Georgiou in the television series Star Trek: Discovery (2017–2020).
In 2022, Yeoh starred in Everything Everywhere All at Once, receiving widespread acclaim for her performance as an overwhelmed matriarch navigating the multiverse. This role earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress, making her the first Asian to win the category and the first Malaysian to win an Academy Award.


Throughout her career, Yeoh has been recognized for her contributions to cinema. Rotten Tomatoes ranked her as the greatest action heroine of all time in 2008. People magazine named her one of the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" in 1997 and listed her as one of the "35 All-Time Screen Beauties" in 2009. In 2022, Time magazine included her in its annual list of the world's 100 most influential people and named her its Icon of the Year.


Michelle Yeoh was born on August 6, 1962, in Ipoh, Perak, to Janet Yeoh and Yeoh Kian-teik. Her father, a prominent figure in Malaysian politics and business, served as a Senator representing Perak and was involved in various other endeavors, including founding a major intercity coach service.
Despite being of Hokkien and Cantonese descent, Yeoh primarily spoke English growing up. She began ballet at the age of four and continued her passion for dance throughout her childhood. After moving to the United Kingdom with her parents at the age of 15, she attended The Hammond School in Chester to further her ballet training. However, a spinal injury dashed her hopes of becoming a professional ballet dancer, prompting her to explore other avenues within the arts.


Yeoh shifted her focus to choreography and other artistic pursuits, eventually earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Manchester Metropolitan University in 1983. While she never learned to read or write Chinese, she later became fluent in Cantonese and also learned some Mandarin.
Her upbringing and early experiences laid the foundation for her multifaceted career in entertainment, where she would go on to achieve international acclaim for her acting prowess and her contributions to cinema.


In 1983, Michelle Yeoh, then twenty years old, clinched the title of Miss Malaysia World, earning the opportunity to represent Malaysia at the prestigious Miss World 1983 pageant held in London, where she finished in the eighteenth position. Following her success in the beauty pageant circuit, she ventured into the world of pageantry once more and triumphed at the 1984 Miss Moomba International pageant in Australia.


Despite her burgeoning career in beauty pageants, Yeoh's entry into the realm of acting came unexpectedly. While in Australia, she starred in a television commercial for Guy Laroche watches alongside Jackie Chan, which led to her being noticed by D&B Films, a burgeoning Hong Kong film production company. Despite her lack of fluency in Cantonese, she was offered a role in a television commercial with Chan, only realizing that "Sing Long" was Jackie Chan's Cantonese name when she arrived at the studio. Undeterred by the language barrier, Yeoh embarked on her acting journey in Hong Kong, where she began learning Cantonese as she immersed herself in the industry.


Yeoh quickly established herself as a force to be reckoned with in action and martial arts films, where she showcased her remarkable talent by performing her own stunts. Her breakout role came in her third film, "Yes, Madam" (1985), which marked the beginning of her illustrious career in the Hong Kong film industry.
Initially adopting the pseudonym Michelle Khan, chosen by D&B Films for its potential appeal to international audiences, Yeoh soon gained recognition for her exceptional skills and screen presence. In 1987, she married her first husband, Dickson Poon, a co-founder of D&B Films. Following her marriage, Yeoh made the decision to step back from acting, albeit temporarily, as she embarked on a new chapter in her personal life.

References

1.  NBR Gala 2023 — NBR Best Actress Winner Michelle Yeoh (plus Awkwafina introduction) Archived 22 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Youtube clip of the NBR Gala on 8 January 2023 at 4:00 mins
2. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica Almanac 2010, p. 75 Archived 11 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine
3. ^ Sun, Rebecca (8 March 2023). "What Michelle Yeoh Taught Me About Motherhood". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 19 March 2023. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
4. ^ Sun, Rebecca (12 March 2023). "Michelle Yeoh Is Oscars' First Asian Best Actress Winner: 'This is a Beacon of Hope and Possibilities'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 20 August 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
5. ^ Sun, Rebecca (24 January 2023). "Oscars: Michelle Yeoh Makes History as First Asian Best Actress Nominee". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
6. ^ "Total Recall: The 25 Best Action Heroines of All Time". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
7. ^ "People Weekly – Special Double Issue – The 50 Most Beautiful People In The World". People. 12 May 1997.
8. "British Airways 'Shoes' How To Kick Start Flights To Kuala Lumpur". British Airways. 28 May 2015. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
9. ^ "35 All-Time Screen Beauties". People. 28 September 2009. Archived from the original on 30 January 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
10. ^ "The 100 Most Influential People of 2022". Time. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
11. ^ "Time names Michelle Yeoh its 2022 Icon of the Year. She's ready for Oscars love too". Los Angeles Times. 6 December 2022. Archived from the original on 17 December 2022. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
12. ^ Lhooq, Michelle (17 August 2018). "Michelle Yeoh Has Kicked Ass for Three Decades". GQ. Archived from the original on 2 August 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
13. a b c Chan-Koppen, SeeFoon (1–15 July 2010). "Dato' Yeoh Kian Teik – Legal Stalwart and Transport Mogul" (PDF). Ipoh Echo. p. 5. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
14. ^ "Dewan Negara (Senate) Official Report" (PDF). Dewan Negara. 11 October 1959. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
15. ^ "Dewan Negara (Senate) Pen vata Rasmi" (PDF). Dewan Negara. 22 October 1968. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023.