Michelle Yeoh Facts, Trivia and Filmography
Michelle Yeoh is a treat for her fans. The Malaysian actress has an unmatched charm equipped with a pretty face, great acting skills and deadly kung fu action. She’s also a producer, a fact most fans are unaware of. Michelle was born on August 6, 1962, in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia. She is known for her performances in a number of high-profile films, including “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “Tomorrow Never Dies,” and “Memoirs of a Geisha.” She’s won the Best Actress award at the Oscars for her performance in the Sci Fi movie “Everything Everywhere All at Once” . Let’s have a look at these Michelle Yeoh facts, trivia and filmography.
Interesting Facts
Yeoh is the first Asian woman ever to win Best Actress Oscar in March 2023 for her performance as Evelyn Wong in the sci-fi comedy ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once.’
Michelle Yeoh was born to a Malaysian Chinese family and grew up in Ipoh, Malaysia.
She’s been awarded the decree of PSM which is the most esteemed Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia presented for meritorious service to the country.
Yeoh is Buddhist and currently engaged to Jean Todt who is the Special Envoy for Road Safety to the United Nations.
She started her career as a beauty queen and was crowned Miss Malaysia in 1983. She then went on to work as a television host in Malaysia before moving to Hong Kong to pursue a career in acting.
Yeoh made her acting debut in 1984 with the Hong Kong television series “The Story of a Small Town.” She rose to fame in the 90s she performed her own stunts in Hong Kong action films, such as Holy Weapon (1993) and Police Story 3: Supercop (1992) with Jackie Chan.
She quickly became one of the most sought-after actresses in the Hong Kong film industry, starring in numerous action and martial arts films.
In 1997, Yeoh gained international recognition for her role as Wai Lin in the James Bond film “Tomorrow Never Dies.” She then starred in Ang Lee’s acclaimed martial arts film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” in 2000, which won four Academy Awards.
Yeoh received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2018.
She was named as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World, by People magazine, in 1997 and then again in 2003.
Yeoh has been a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) since 2016. She has also been an advocate for human rights, environmental issues, and the empowerment of women.
Did you know that Yeoh is an ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)? She has been involved in various humanitarian initiatives over the years.
The action star has worked to raise awareness about poverty, HIV/AIDS, and other social issues, and has advocated for women’s rights and gender equality.
Trivia
Her full name is Michelle Yeoh Choo Kheng.
Yeoh won Miss Malaysia Title at the age of 20.
Michelle is fluent in several languages, including English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Malay, and Hokkien.
Yeoh learnt ballet at the UK’s Royal Academy of Dance in London. However, due to a spinal injury she couldn’t pursue the career of ballet dancing, and turned choreography and drama. Surprising but believable about the multitalented diva.
Yeoh is a big fan of Formula One racing and has been a brand ambassador for the BMW Sauber F1 team. Which is also evident from the fact that she’s engaged to Jean Todt. Jean was a French motor racing executive when Yeoh got engaged to him.
She confirmed her engagement to Jean Todt during an interview with Craig Ferguson on CBS’s The Late Late Show in July 2008
French President Jacques Chirac conferred upon Yeoh the title of Knight of the Legion of Honour (Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur) in 2007
Later, she was was conferred France’s Officier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres award by the French government. It seems like, it isn’t just Jean Todt but the entire France is smitten by the gorgeous actress.
Michelle Yeoh presided as the Chief Guest at the International Film Festival of India in November 2013
Yeoh and Jackie Chan are good friends but in an interview she mentioned that she calls him “a male chauvinist pig.” She made the comment on an interview on ‘Late Night with David Letterman’ in 1997. She also said that she and Jackie are good friends but she says the same thing to his face.
During the filming of “Police Story 3: Super Cop,” in 1992, Yeoh had a major accident. She fell from a height of around 20 feet while performing a stunt. She fractured her spine and was initially paralyzed from the waist down. However, she eventually made a full recovery owing to her ‘never say die’ spirit.
Yeoh is passionate about cooking and enjoys experimenting with different cuisines.
Michelle Yeoh has not been known to engage in public spats with other celebrities. She is known for her professionalism and grace, and as a supportive co-star. However, Yeoh was reportedly involved in a confrontation with fellow actress Maggie Cheung. The incident took place while filming the movie “The Touch” in 2000 over the filming schedule. The argument reportedly escalated into a physical altercation, with Yeoh allegedly slapping Cheung.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1984 | The Owl vs Bombo | Miss Yeung | |
| 1985 | Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars | Judo instructor | Cameo |
| Yes, Madam | Inspector Ng | ||
| 1986 | Royal Warriors | Inspector Michelle Yip | |
| 1987 | Magnificent Warriors | Fok Ming-Ming | |
| Easy Money | Michelle Yeung Ling (Ning) | ||
| 1992 | Police Story 3: Super Cop | Inspector “Jessica” Yang Chien-Hua | |
| 1993 | The Heroic Trio | Ching / Invisible Woman / Number 3 | |
| Butterfly and Sword | Lady Ko | ||
| Executioners | Ching / San / Carol | ||
| Holy Weapon | Ching Sze / To Col Ching | ||
| Supercop 2 | Inspector “Jessica” Yang Chien-Hua | ||
| Tai Chi Master | Siu Lin / Qiu Xue (“Autumn Snow”) | ||
| 1994 | Shaolin Popey 2 – Messy Temple | Ah King | |
| Wonder Seven | Fong Ying | ||
| Wing Chun | Yim Wing-Chun | ||
| 1996 | The Stunt Woman | Ah Kam | |
| 1997 | The Soong Sisters | Soong Ai-ling | |
| Tomorrow Never Dies | Wai Lin | Hollywood debut film | |
| 1999 | Moonlight Express | Sis Michelle | |
| 2000 | Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon | Yu Shu Lien | |
| 2002 | The Touch | Pak Yin Fay | |
| 2004 | Silver Hawk | Lulu Wong / The Silver Hawk | Also producer |
| 2005 | Memoirs of a Geisha | Mameha | |
| 2006 | Fearless | Ms. Yang | Director’s cut only |
| 2007 | Sunshine | Corazon | |
| Far North | Saiva | ||
| 2008 | The Children of Huang Shi | Mrs. Wang | |
| Babylon A.D. | Sister Rebeka | ||
| The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor | Zi Yuan | ||
| 2010 | True Legend | Sister Yu | |
| Reign of Assassins | Zeng Jing | ||
| 2011 | Kung Fu Panda 2 | Soothsayer | Voice |
| The Lady | Aung San Suu Kyi | ||
| 2013 | Final Recipe | Julia Lee | |
| 2016 | Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny | Yu Shu Lien | |
| Mechanic: Resurrection | Mei | ||
| Morgan | Dr. Lui Cheng | ||
| 2017 | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 | Aleta Ogord | Cameo |
| 2018 | Crazy Rich Asians | Eleanor Young | |
| Master Z: Ip Man Legacy | Tso Ngan Kwan | ||
| 2019 | Last Christmas | Santa | |
| 2021 | Boss Level | Dai Feng | |
| Gunpowder Milkshake | Florence | ||
| Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings | Ying Nan | ||
| 2022 | Everything Everywhere All at Once | Evelyn Wang | Also executive producer |
| Minions: The Rise of Gru | Master Chow | Voice | |
| Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank | Yuki | Voice | |
| The School for Good and Evil | Professor Emma Anemone | ||
| 2023 | Transformers: Rise of the Beasts | Airazor | Voice; Post-production |
| A Haunting in Venice | TBA | Filming | |
| 2024 | Avatar 3 | Dr. Karina Mogue | Post-production |
| Wicked: Part One | Madame Morrible | Filming | |
| The Tiger’s Apprentice | Mrs. Lee | Voice; Post-production | |
| 2025 | Wicked: Part Two | Madame Morrible | Filming |
| 2026 | Avatar 4 | Dr. Karina Mogue | Filming |
Michelle Yeoh’s life story is one of perseverance, dedication, and success. She has become one of the most recognizable and respected actresses in the world. Her contributions to film and humanitarian causes have earned her many accolades and awards. She’s become an inspiration not just for every Asian girl but also for anyone with 50+ years of age. If she can act, do action and win an Oscar at 60 years of age then anyone can do anything.
If you too are a fan and have interesting facts/trivia to share then do write to us in the comments. You may also like to read other such interesting posts in our Entertainment Section.
