Who is actor and producer Michelle Yeoh?
Michelle Yeoh Choo Kheng, known professionally as Michelle Yeoh, is a Malaysian actor and producer born on August 6, 1962, in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia. Renowned for her work in Hong Kong action cinema and international film, she has starred in productions including Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Tomorrow Never Dies, Crazy Rich Asians, and Everything Everywhere All at Once. In 2023, she became the first Asian woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress for her leading performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Background/biography
Yeoh was raised in Ipoh in a Malaysian Chinese family. Her father, Yeoh Kian Teik, was a businessman and politician associated with the Malaysian Chinese Association, while her mother was Janet Yeoh. She moved to the United Kingdom as a teenager to study ballet at the Royal Academy of Dance in London.
A spinal injury prevented her from pursuing a professional ballet career, and she later studied drama and other performing arts. In 1983, she won the Miss Malaysia World title and represented Malaysia at the Miss World pageant. Her early exposure through pageants and television advertising led to an opportunity in Hong Kong's film industry, where she began building a screen career in the mid-1980s.
Film career and producing work
- Yes, Madam! (1985) — action film that helped establish her as a Hong Kong action star.
- Police Story 3: Super Cop (1992) — appeared alongside Jackie Chan.
- Wing Chun (1994) — played the title role in a martial-arts film.
- Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) — played Wai Lin in the James Bond film.
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) — played Yu Shu Lien in Ang Lee's internationally acclaimed martial-arts drama.
- Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) — played Mameha.
- The Lady (2011) — portrayed Myanmar political leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
- Crazy Rich Asians (2018) — played Eleanor Young.
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) — played Ying Nan in the Marvel Studios film.
- Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) — played Evelyn Quan Wang, a role that won her the Academy Award for Best Actress.
Yeoh became widely known in Hong Kong for performing physically demanding action roles at a time when few women were leading major martial-arts productions. She later expanded into English-language films while continuing to work across Asian and international cinema.
Alongside acting, Yeoh has been involved in producing projects, including through her production company, Mythical Films. Her career has also included television work, notably the series Star Trek: Discovery, in which she played Philippa Georgiou.
A historic Academy Award win
At the 95th Academy Awards in 2023, Yeoh won Best Actress for Everything Everywhere All at Once. The achievement made her the first Asian woman to receive the award in that category. Her acceptance speech drew attention to the significance of representation in major film awards and to the length of her career in the industry.
Did you know?
- Michelle Yeoh won the Miss Malaysia World title in 1983.
- She initially trained in ballet in the United Kingdom before an injury redirected her professional path.
- She performed many of her own action sequences during her Hong Kong action-film years.
- She received the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2023 for Everything Everywhere All at Once.
- Yeoh married former Ferrari executive and International Automobile Federation president Jean Todt in 2023.
