Michelle Yeoh won Best Actress at the 95th Academy Awards for her incredible performance Everything everywhere at once On Sunday evening.
In the film, which also won Best Picture, Yeoh portrayed Chinese-American immigrant Evelyn Quan, who is tasked with saving her existence when threatened by a mysterious force known as Jobu Tupaki.
During her acceptance speech, Yeoh shared that women should “let someone tell them you’ve passed your prime,” and the actress certainly hasn’t let that happen in her own career.
Yeoh put on many incredible performances throughout her stellar career before landing an award-winning role in the Daniels’ epic family drama. Here’s everything you need to know.
the Lees Crouching tiger, hidden dragon Wowed viewers upon its release in 2000 thanks to its stunning graphics and fight choreography, with Yeoh taking on the role of Yu Shu Lien in the martial arts drama.
Yeoh starred in the film alongside Chow Yun Fat and Zhang Ziyi, and Yeoh’s warrior tried to fight the thief Jen (Zhang) to get a fabled sword known as the Green Destiny.
The actress reprized her role in the Netflix follow-up Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny.
Crazy rich Asians completely changed Hollywood’s view of Asian-led drama upon its release in 2018.
The film was a huge box office success and catapulted many of its cast to superstardom, although Yeoh was certainly already at that level.
Yeoh played Eleanor Young, Nick’s (Henry Golding) no-nonsense mother who falls out with his girlfriend Rachel (Constance Wu).
supercop is the third film in the police history franchise, and it sees Yeoh star alongside Jackie Chan.
The Hong Kong action-comedy gives Yeoh a chance to show off her martial arts skills against fellow actor Chan as she plays an Interpol inspector who teams up with Chan’s detective, Chan Ka Kui, to stop a Chinese kingpin.
The 1985 movie Yes Madam is another martial arts epic from Yeoh’s incredible career, and it’s also one of her debut appearances.
Yeoh plays Inspector Ng, who teams up with British police officer Carrie Moss (Cynthia Rothrock) to solve a grizzly murder.
Yeoh also appeared in Rob Marshall’s adaptation of Arthur Golden’s novel memories of a geisha, chronicling the life of geisha Nitta Sayuri.
In the film, Yeoh portrays Mameha, the matriarch who helps train Sayuri (Zhang Ziyi) and other young women in the arts of being a geisha.
Danny Boyle teamed up with Yeoh in the sci-fi film Sunshine, which focuses on an international team of astronauts trying to revive the dying sun in 2057.
Yeoh portrays Corazon alongside Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne, Chris Evans, Benedict Wong and Hiroyuki Sanada, among others.
Another great martial arts film from Yeoh’s back catalog is wing chun, which was released in 1994 and in which she portrayed Yim Wing Chun alongside Donnie Yen.
In the film, Yeoh’s Wing Chun uses her skills to defend herself against bandits and other nefarious people trying to harm her village.
In 2011, Yeoh Aung San portrayed Suu Kyi in a biopic about the Myanmar politician’s early life and struggle against the country’s military regime.
Aung San Suu Kyi was arrested during a military coup in Myanmar in 2021 and charged with a range of crimes including corruption. In December 2022, she was sentenced to 33 years in prison, according to the BBC.
Yeoh made her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in the franchise’s first Asian-led superhero film. Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
In the action film, Yeoh Ying played Nan, the leader of a hidden nation who helps Simu Liu Shang Chi train for his fight against his father Wenwu (Tony Leung).
Yeoh has also acted in a Bond film alongside Pierce Brosnan’s reprise of 007 in the 1997 film Tomorrow never dies.
