Michelle Yeoh has made an outstanding achievement by winning the Academy Award for Best Actress at the Oscars on Sunday. This historical win marked her as the first actress of Southeast Asian descent to achieve this prestigious accolade. Yeoh received the honor for her role as Evelyn Wang in the movie "Everything Everywhere All at Once," which also won the Best Picture award.
Despite having decades of work and numerous roles in popular movies such as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "Tomorrow Never Dies" in the James Bond franchise, and "Crazy Rich Asians," this was Yeoh's first Oscar nomination. In her award-winning role, Yeoh plays the character of a Chinese immigrant who explores alternative lives in other universes.
When she climbed the stage to receive her award, Yeoh received a standing ovation. In her speech, she expressed gratitude towards all the little boys and girls who look like her, stating that this was a beacon of hope and possibility for them. Yeoh also encouraged women not to let anyone tell them they are past their prime, adding that dreams do come true.
She went on to thank her directors, production company A24, and cast and crew, dedicating the award to her mother and all the mothers in the world. Yeoh's family and friends watched the Oscars at a large viewing party in Kuala Lumpur, and the crowd erupted in cheers and many embraced Yeoh's mother when Yeoh won.
Yeoh's mother expressed that she had no doubt her daughter would win as she is a hard-working girl. Yeoh's win received congratulations from the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, on behalf of the country where she was born. The film "Everything Everywhere All at Once" was written and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, also known as The Daniels, who won the Oscars for Best Director and Best Screenplay.
Yeoh's co-star Ke Huy Quan, who started his career as a child actor in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and "The Goonies," won the Best Supporting Actor award, becoming the second performer of Asian descent to win that award. Long-time film star Jamie Lee Curtis also won the Best Supporting Actress award for her role in the film, marking her first Oscar. The film also won the Best Editing award.