Michelle Yeoh on Her Journey from Action Hero to Oscar Nominee | Women Changing the World | PEOPLE
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
- PEOPLE's Women Changing the World cover star Michelle Yeoh gets personal - and emotional - about her journey from action hero to Oscar nominee, her unique friendship with "bae" Jamie Lee Curtis, and how fighting stereotypes has changed Hollywood for the better: "It's happening and I am so grateful that I'm here when it is."
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Michelle Yeoh on Her Journey from Action Hero to Oscar Nominee | Women Changing the World | PEOPLE
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She was already a super star in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia in the 80's and 90's. Then she came to USA to start from scratch in this male dominated profession. Look what she accomplished today. What a resilient and strong woman!
totally agree. I thought she was only focusing on Kongfu movies. But it turns out she is an amazing actress.
No, she flopped during the 80s or 90s in Chinese movies and that's why she has never win a single acting award in Hong Kong or Taiwan. At that time, the action heroine in Hong Kong is Brigitte Lin Qing Xia. And there are other actresses like Anita Mui, Maggie Cheung, Cherrie Chung, Dodo Cheng etc who are more popular than her. Even in Crouching Tiger, she was overshadowed by a newcomer Zhang Ziyi.
@@truth8307 Read again. I only said she was already a super star back then, I did not talk about winning awards.
@@corazonazultw she wasn't a superstar back then or now, you aren't from HK so you don't know.
@@truth8307 why does it matter? She is the one having the last laugh today. What happened to those you mentioned? They are complacent and quit or thought they have hit the ceiling and stopped going further? Why compare? You sounded so sour.
So well deserved and hope she wins the Oscar next week! She’s made Malaysians proud! Go Michelle!
Yes please !!!!
in 2 weeks.
Michelle will DEFINITELY win HER Oscar on 3/12/23; it is HER year !!!
I hope so, is tough fight.
michelle yeoh is gay--she kissed jamie @ the sga... ... in malaysia will b jailed ..like anwar...wat if ???she loses n all in malaysia will ignore her...for being chinese...n eat with chop sticks....
ACADEMY, YOU HAVE ONE JOB AND ONE JOB ONLY: GIVE MICHELLE YEOH THE OSCAR!!!!!!!!!!!! Let us not play games. Oscar voters watching this, do the right thing!!! PLEASE !!!!! GIVE MICHELLE HER FLOWERS!!! She is transcendant in this movie and her performance is literally out of this world. DO THE RIGHT THING. Thank you.
I'll second that!
💯 ❤❤
like many great actors who never won... favorites like glen close...monero, ..gong li.. peter o'toole...lawernce oliver.... alec ginnee...don't count chicken b 4 hatched....
@@ifuknjk Nobody is counting anything. Read the comment again. It clearly says please give her the Oscar, not she will win the Oscar.
@@backto-il9ne there r yeoh haters as well as admirers
This interview was so good. She is so sweet and genuine. I love her passion for acting and the people around her. I hope she wins the Oscar this year and opens a lot more leading roles for her after this.
At her age, i still can't take my eyes off of her. It's called inner beauty. She has it in spades.
You think so? her face look so dry, she should not be stingy on cosmetics.
@@truth8307 you're not very smart. She's not 18. For her age, she looks amazing. Take a screen shot of your idiotic comment and check it when you are her age. Let's see what you look like when you're her age
@@arkadeyellow2931 I wrote her skin look so dry but you responded with so much rubbish, are you 16?
@@truth8307 no i thought you were. I was trying to talk to your level.
@@arkadeyellow2931 you won't be having a poor sense of beauty if you are at my level
Gorgeousness, amazing talent, wisdom, coherence, passion, true love for her craft, compassion, bravery, always giving the extra mile, honesty, hard work, dedication, discipline, courage, impeccability, elegance, grace, understanding... Michelle Yeoh is the real deal. One of the best thing to happen in cinema! Great interview!
Relatively, she s an ok actor, I prefer Maggie Cheung’s acting. That said, she does look most gorgeous among those her age, I heard she was a trained ballet dancer before going to the movie business!! Pretty sure she s disciplined!!
Gorgeousness and Amazing Talent is CORRECT.
I hope that this amazing actress Michelle Yeoh will win the Oscar next week. Her unique and bravura performance in this bizarre and utterly brilliant film “Everything Everywhere All At Once” makes you have a kind of glimpse behind the fabric of life as we know it. And there it was on the big screen. Stunningly depicted every moment of it. It was mesmerizing!
🎈I am blown away by her interview here . Once again, I am captivated by how intellectual and and graceful she is in addressing big issues such as diversity and stereotypes in the film industry . So elegant and heartwarming in expressing her thoughts and telling her stories about her long journey in the film industry ! Her film "Everything Everywhere All At Once" made me cry 3 times - such a powerful and heartfelt movie ! I am from KL, Malaysia and I am truly proud of her !
Yes she addressed racism in subtle way..Hollywood has miles to go.
I admire Michelle with every cell of my body. She’s so eloquent, smart, kind and talented. I’m rooting for every recognition she gets and deserves for the role in Everything Everywhere All at Once! Tremendous work. 🤞🏻👏🏻
SEBASTIAN: Your comment made me Cry; I understand where She is coming from; but Your admiration of Michelle is So touching to me, not as an Actress, but as a Woman who knows how hard this World made it for exotic women to Succeed.
She so deserves the Oscar!!! And I have a crush on her for decades. Still do!! She’s my favorite actress in Star Trek
Yes please !!!!
I first saw her in Memoirs of a Geisha, and that memory never left me. She was so impressive. And I am SO glad that she gets the recognition she deserves.
It's such an amazing movie 😍
Tan Sri Yeoh, 40 years in the business, and she has never lost that Malaysian accent, so so proud of Tan Sri Yeoh. ❤❤
Everyone will be rooting for you at the Oscars! 💪💪
This is what a smart Malaysian people accents. World will appreciate it.
she is chinese n never lost the cantonese accent as she lives in hong kong
If she had stayed in Malaysia she will never make it
@@ifuknjk 'Malaysian Chinese' .. growing up she only spoke in Malay and English. she's only speak Cantonese and Mandarin when she moving to HK, but stil, her mother tongue is English and her Cantonese or Mandarin not fluent at all, but how come you telling us her Cantonese accent?
@@sabahandiKL u r talking crap... b 4 hk she was in uk..b 4 uk she was in ipoh speaking hockien n malay...until hk where she spoke cantonese.
She was also incredible in "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" and some rarely seen movies like "Far North"(w/Sean Bean) and "The Lady"(directed by Luc Besson) !! It's time for Oscar to recognize her works!!
Ya! She would have won the Oscar in Crouching Tiger or The Lady. Hopefully she can snatch it this time!
I loved her in memoirs of a geisha ..
She totally deserved to win, much less be nominated, for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
@@sikavik She should be recognised for her work she is absolutely captivating when on screen
Indeed! I’ve been watching her movies since I was a kid in the late 80s / early 90s, and her work only got better and better. SO glad that she’s finally gaining individual acclaims after working in Hollywood for over 30 yrs!!!
I just finished watching EEAAO and it was amazing!!!!! Amazing performance by Michelle.
As much as I love Cate Blanchett, Michelle’s perfomance in EEAAO is certainly the last year’s best!
This is SO true. Sometimes I feel with the Oscars end up awarding the film's subject matter rather than the aspect of the film itself. Like when The King's Speech won over The Social Network when the latter was obviously a much better film. Blanchett was sublime in Tár because that's what the story called for, in contrast she was unhinged and over-the-top in Blue Jasmine because that's what *that* story called for.
EEAAO demanded Yeoh to balance the dramatic with the comic, for a role which was purposely meant to be life affirming, no matter what kind of life you end up living. It's a very different kind of story itself because it's a character studying herself in all the different directions her life could have gone. God I hope the academy folks vote with their hearts and brains and not out of some long-overdue-sentiment stuff.
Same sentiment 😁
Michelle thank you for saying so many truths with such grace. I hope they give you the Oscar, but tbqh you are greater than that. 🙏🏾♥️
This interview is so amazing. I just remember how close she was with Anita Mui, another true icon. They really supported each other. That’s the female power she mentioned. And it started over 20 years ago. They were really ahead of their time.
@Hang in there
I knew Michelle + Anita were in Heroic Trio + Executioners (also w Maggie), but never knew they were
close. Kindly refer me to some material (books, articles, etc) detailing their bond.
Many thanx !!!
@@maggiechan33 ua-cam.com/video/Gm9RQGkhIys/v-deo.html and Michelle was one of the eight people who carried the hearse of Anita on her final journey.
@@hanginthere1101
Extremely grateful for your response; you are a beautiful soul, like Anita + Michelle !!!
@@hanginthere1101
Just viewed your linked video - very appreciative. (Also saw a video of Michelle being Anita's pallbearer.)
I am a Cantonese speaker, but I understood what Michelle said about Anita.
If you are a Mandarin speaker + if you saw the movie Everything Everywhere All at Once,
can you please comment on Ke Huy Kuan's Mandarin ? A million THANX in advance !
She is already an Oscar winner in my eyes. She believes it, breathes it, expresses it. So well deserved. ❤
She should be the next beautiful woman in the world on People Magazine this year
💯
Really! I think she6 attractive but not beautiful.
@@rosalinelowe972There were lots of female celebrities who were picked as the most beautiful, that I don't even find them extremely beautiful, but hey, beauty is subjective. So i'm not gonna complain that they're on the cover. For me personally, she's beautiful.
Yeoh!! Michelle is a legend. It was great to hear about her experiences while navigating through the industry.
Legendary actress Linda Hunt once said, “There was an Indonesian phrase in the film (A Life Of Living Dangerously), which translates into English as “Water From The Moon.”, and it means that which is an attainable….the impossible,…. that which one can never have or know”. Michelle Yeoh is the water from the moon….40 years of impeccable contributions to the industry and in the world of cinema. Her sole performance in this cleverly brilliant and ingenious film by the Daniels, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”, is a masterpiece of sincere emotion. She gives a landmark performance. It is both death-defying and emotionally powerful-an increasingly rare combination. I’d compare her to a bottle of fine wine, she’s constantly evolving and gaining complexity….. I hope the academy voters would give this incomparable actress this once in a lifetime opportunity to be the first asian actress to win the top honour.
hv u seen eeaao ? no ... how u judge?
From action to drama to comedy, her role in Everything Everywhere All at Once was very challenging. Give her the Oscar she deserves.
She is so absolutely gorgeous… inside and out. Like many, we were really introduced to her acting skills in Crouching Tiger. Could have watched it over and over when I first saw it. Admittedly, I did not realize it was Michelle in the Bond movie with Pierce Brosnan. She was as captivating as the film! I’d love to see her get an Oscar!
She deserves the Oscars. Best actress in the category!
God I love Michelle Yeoh. So grateful for her performance in EEAAO
Michelle Yeoh! You deserves EVERYTHING! Academy voters, please vote for her, vote for amazing performance, vote for hard work and vote for HISTORY!
She's adorable 😍
SO MUCH ADMIRATION FOR THIS WOMAN! I really hope she wins The Oscar this year 😃🤍
At 62 she is absolutely breathtaking! She makes my heart skip a beat!
Really?
Michelle Yaoh🎉❤❤❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉. I love how she is bold and brave and also humble and mentions those who came before, all while opening the world in new and good ways. She is seen and heard and maybe because of her others are too!
She is also inspirational
Where are you from?
Hope she gets that Oscar ! She is the one who deserves
cate.. viola davis n 3 more can win
Genuine and well balanced.
Someone who is graceful, grateful and doesn't take for granted her fame. I can safely say I'm a fan. Love Michelle Yeoh, been watching her since I was a kid.
I hope she wins the Oscar what a genuine human wonderful actress ❤️👏
She has been an inspiration to me long before she came to Hollywood. I remember watching her kicking ass in Hong Kong action movies in the 80's and 90's as a child and always thought she was super cool. Even then, she was breaking barriers, as a female who could fight and be a badass in a male dominated movie genre. Then she went to Hollywood and broke more barriers as the first Asian bond girl. She was also one of the few Asian actresses who were given roles with dialogues in Hollywood, which to me was amazing, because I remember how frustrated I was everytime I saw an Asian in a movie with one sentence or no dialogue at all, which just enforced the stereotype that none of us could speak proper English.
You must be a great fan of hers
The; talent, wisdom, beauty, strength, spirit and inner light of Michelle Yeoh is incredible. What an amazing human being!
She’s so beautiful from the inside out, and all of these looks are divine 😍🙌🏼
🇲🇾 represents!! We love you Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh!! 💪🏽🥰
Man, I really hope she wins the Oscar next week. As much as I love Cate Blanchett, I truly believe Michelle Yeoh gave the better performance.
This is such a great interview! Love being able to hear Michelle talk about her career like this
SHE DESERVES THIS OSCAR, SERIOUSLY! MICHELLE IS AN AMAZING ACTRESS
Wow! Congratulations Michelle Yeoh 🎊🎉💐 We are very proud you😘Thank you for showing us big dreams are achievable in any age
One of the very adorable women in the entertainment industry whom i always love watching. She deserved all the accolades in everything, everywhere, sll at once...💕
She is really an ICON
7 times oscar winner merial strep is icon
Such a huge fan of Michelle, she is a true kick ass, bad ass woman. One of my favorite films of hers, Gunpowder Milkshake! So hope she takes the Oscar home next week!
What Michelle says, how eloquently + elegantly she verbalizes it + how majestically she carries herself, is why we
admire her; a magnificent fearless, forward-looking feminist for the ages + a role model to all.
she soke english n cantonese ... not malay
@@ifuknjk
troll.
Damn about time after 40 yrs in the business. Glad she never gives up hope. She is breaking the wave for Asian actress in America ❤.
New Michelle Yeoh fans are in for a treat because her filmography goes back to the 80s. Everything she does is great, but her 80-90s work are especially amazing.
But her 2000 CTHD is one of her best work until EEAAO.
Yes, people don't realize Michelle got her start in Jackie Chan movies from almost 40 years ago.
She did her own stunts and action scenes on MOVING trains and buses.
I dare anyone to try THAT !
@@shihlin1
Yes Michelle did all her daredevil stunts, but she didn't begin her film career w Jackie.
(only the watch commercial)
Her 1st movie, 1984 "The Owl vs Bombo" was w Sammo Hung, where Michelle didn't fight.
In 1985, she + Cynthia Rothrock catapulted into superstardom with the still mesmerizing
"Yes Madam", directed by 1 of Hong Kong's best action director - Corey Yuen.
It was not until 1992, that she teamed w Jackie in Supercop (also w Maggie Cheung), where
Michelle mastered incredible stunts better than most guys, + still is 1 of the best action flick.
In the 1990's the "trifecta" of Hong Kong Actresses, Michelle, Maggie + Anita Mui, stared 1st
in Heroic Trio + then in it quasi-sequel, The Executioners, both directed by famed Johnny To.
@@shihlin1
I dare Cate to try:
-jumping onto a fast moving train from a speeding motocycle
-or in heavy traffic, hang from the side of a moving van, then somersault to the top
of the van, + from here, jump into a moving sport car.
(I think these 2 of Michelle's eye popping stunts in Supercop are much more interesting than
Jackie hanging from that helicopter ladder.)
She truly is AMAZING.
Just love this woman ever since i saw her in the Police Story with Jackie Chan. She's great in almost every movie she's in. Finally she's getting the accolade she deserve!
She is One of the MOST BEAUTIFUL and GIFTED and talented Actresses in the WORLD.
Im very humbled just listening to her interview. She is amazing ❤
I adore her powerful personality 💛 her roles are Always so so I influential💛
Beautiful, smart, and talented! She's the whole package!
Indeed 😁
Best wishes to Michelle in all her endeavours, I've been a fan since Police Story 3. She truly deserves the Oscar!
Bravo Michelle - love your country ( I am in Kota Kinabalu as I write this), love your acting skills and have enjoyed all of your movies over the years from Bond to Crouching to Crazy to Everything!! BRAVO!!! ENCORE!!!!!! Cheering for you always.
WHEN I WAS IN HONGKONG AS OFW..... I SERVED THESE WOMAN FACE TO FACE... SHE WAS THE EX GIRLFRIEND OF MY FORMER EMPLOYER SON, DICKSON POON. YEAR 1984... CONGRATULATION, MICHELLE YEOH... YOU DESERVED IT....
Wow really
You had her served face to face 😮
Manifesting her Oscars! Let her win! Well deserved!
Indeed 😁
Yes Ms Michelle Yeoh!! 💖💖💖
She is an artist who appreciates what was given to her. bad or good.
LOVE Michelle Yeoh! Thank you for doing this story! 💝💝
This year's Oscar already belongs to Michelle Yeoh!!! Congrats dear lady, It's yours even if they never hand it to you!!!!
chicks not yet hatched
Such a talent! We've waited with to3u for your long over due moment Michelle. We are rooting for you!
Michelle is a gift and I absolutely love her.
Glad to see Michelle's hard work recognized. Well-deserved rewards. 😍🤩
Michelle represents womenhood at its best. She is humble and a great mentor. A rare gem. 😊😊😊
You speak good of her
Where are you from?
Very inspiring interview… loved her in all her movies… but didn’t realise she was in James Bond. I think I loved her since crouching tiger and watched almost all her movies since then. If she is in the movie I must watch it.
Such intellect, passionate and down to earth… admire her so much 🤗🙌
❤
She is loved by all women because she inspires them
Love her so much. She deserve the world. Hope she wins the Oscars.
This woman is a fucking ICON
"There is a hero, if u look inside ur heart, u don't have to be afraid of what you are..."..my sweetest DARLING, beautiful, brilliant MIND-SET, lovely princess Michelle YEOH. ..GOOD LUCK AT OSCAR'S NIGHT ..SWEETHEART. .MY HERO MICHELLE YEOH AFTER 40 YEARS OF MAKING AS THE GREATEST & AMAZING ACTRESS AT ALL TIMES..YOUR HARD WORKED IS PAYING OFF NOW & BEYOND.
Been a fan from the very beginning when I saw her in Wing Chun. And what I most appreciated about her is she kept true to herself and proudly owned her Malaysian accent, even in Hollywood roles. Not bowing in to "acceptable" American or British accents. Kudos on your Oscar Michelle and thanks for showing us what middle aged Asian women are capable of - kicking ass when it matters. :)
Bravo 👏
I guess you must be a fan of her
Malaysia represent 🇲🇾 Oscar is next for her 💯 mark my words!
As a chinese man,I m really proud of you. I m sure,this year you can get the winner of Oscar. Bravo. God Bless.
4:55 I love this Bond movie with her. I was introduced to Michelle at that time at 7 years old. I haven’t forgotten her since. Then, I loved Super Cop and her future movies! She is brilliant. Her awards she got this year is waay overdue. I’m so happy for her
Michelle - Congrats and love and admiration and gratitude - keep shining bright, you are a beautiful soul and force of character !
Hmm 😊
What a warm and kind complement
She’s so beautiful inside and out . Tremendous actor ❤
Love love love her ever since. LONG OVERDUE. She should have been nominated for Mamea. She's otherworldly
She is a role model for Asian women who have dreams and being ignored. "Don't give up! I took 40 years to get here! ". What a wisdom. On the side, despite her age, she is elegant & modest, enjoying watching her.
We have watched so many of your movies Michelle Yeah. We love and adore your work. Sending lots of love and caring your way. Hugs hugs.
Loves it Michelle, listening to your true stories ,I've seen "The Lady " about Burma's leader ASSK, you did so well,I am from Burma, and so proud of your acting career as an Asian ,you're strong,intelligent and stood up and true to your words.Enjoyed all your movies .God bless you.
Love her! She is the moment. ❤
I love love LOVE this interview. It's so clear she has been thinking - and fighting - for these changes and boundary-breaking movements a long time. And she is immovably committed to them. So clear about truths. So unabashedly resolute about those truths. I deeply admire this women both professionally and personally. Go Michelle! 🎉
Michelle. deserves to win the Oscar she is EEAAO she can be a Bond girl,she can be mama at geisha movie,she can be a sword action lady,a king fu fighter,a captain in Star Trek,play role as. Yin Nan in Marvel Studios Shang Chi,N Evelyn as Chinese American immigrant Honestly she is Everything Everywhere.Please hope she can win the award She is a very talented actress.
She's absolutely gorgeous both inside and out ❤️🔥‼️‼️
I've admired her story with uproar spirit as an immigrant in Malaysia and acting in Hongkong films for so long.
Loved and well deserved. Michelle I have loved all your movies, I would love to see you and Angela Bassett get those Oscars on March 12th. I hope people know and understand how long you have been doing movies…kindly don’t ever ever give up, keep fighting for women regardless of their nationality or skin color…you might the first and to open the door but make sure you will not be the last, as well I do hope the women and the new generation do even better and keeping opening doors for others to come and lastly your stylish is doing any extraordinary and wonderful work with your fashion I simply love it hands down, see you at the Oscars and I loved your last speech at Saga Awards 😅 well done
Love her. So natural and humble🤗❤️
When I grow up, I want to be Michelle Yeoh. She’s so awesome.
Icon of the year 2022 by TIME... Michelle Yeoh you deserve to Win this coming Oscar...thanks Hollywood acknowledge yellow skin now....Love
So hope and pray Ms.Yeoh win the Oscar, and strongly believe dear Cate would be very pleased with it.
Cheers for Michelle Yeoh , we are very proud of you and happy for your success.
Proud to seeing my Malaysian compatriot to be successfully and her Chinese Malaysian accent.😊
Congratulations on every award you win you deserve it you are a great actress.
She is such an icon
I love this woman, give her the Oscar!
Michelle’s Time is Now ❤❤❤
Her positivity touches people 💜💜💜
She is such an amazing person.
She is a wonderful woman and talented actress ❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉
Thank you for sharing the journey! So touching and inspiring! Breaking out of our comfort zone and maintaining our aspirations and passion are crucial elements. I specially like the last phrase of the speech: "Forget the color of the skin, give me the opportunity because I am capable and I think it should be like that for everyone" I am very proud of you! ❤
She speaks Malaysian, English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. And she can literally kick ass!
She is absolutely amazing!