The star of Everything Everywhere All At Once, Michelle Yeoh, is incredibly proud of her historic Best Actress Oscar nomination. As an actor in the comedic drama, she played Evelyn Wang, a Chinese immigrant and laundromat owner who discovers the existence of the multiverse and needs to face off against several multiversal threats by becoming one with her alternate selves and learning to embrace their skills and experiences. In the process, she manages to save the remaining universes and become a genuine hero across the entirety of reality, despite having no real experience with the multiverse beforehand.
Now, as the full list of 2023 Oscar nominees is released, Yeoh is officially the first Asian nominee for Best Actress at the Oscars. She is taking advantage of the opportunity to speak out about the exclusion of Asians from the ceremony and the difference it makes in the communities when Hollywood recognizes them. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Yeoh made it clear that she sees this as a serious milestone for Asians as she receives the validation and recognition she deserves for her performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once. Check out her quote below:
“It’s taken a long time. But I think this is more than me. At the present moment, constantly, all the time, having Asians walking up to me saying, ‘You can do it, you’re doing it for us.’ It’s like, ‘I understand. I totally understand.’ All this time, they’ve not been recognized, they’ve not been heard…I’ve been in the movie business now for 40 years. When you have validation from your peers, all that is like the cherry on the cake. But the reason why you do films and you present your babies out to the world is because you want the story to be told, you want the people to understand, whether it’s your culture, whether it’s certain very poignant stories, or important tales, to be told. I think this is beyond just me. It represents so many who have hoped to be seen in this way, to have a seat at the table, to say, ‘I am of value too, I need to be seen too.'”
Michelle Yeoh’s Legacy In Hollywood, Explained
Yeoh’s legacy in Hollywood will be that of a game-changer. She has earned the love of the industry with Jaime Lee Curtis personally supporting her awards campaign and other major Hollywood stars speaking out to praise the actor’s performances. Having starred in Everywhere All At Once, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Tomorrow Never Dies, and Crazy Rich Asians, Yeoh has made a name for herself and has proven that she has the staying power to keep that name relevant for decades, having made her acting debut in 1984 with The Owl vs. Bumbo.
What Michelle Yeoh’s Nomination Means For Asian Representation
Asian actors in Hollywood rarely get the representation or praise that they deserve. Yet with Hollywood working to diversify its films with recent hits Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Everything Everywhere All At Once, previously underserved communities are finally getting to see themselves on-screen in unique roles that allow members of their communities to be seen as heroes, rather than being typecast into specific stereotypes. Yeoh has even become the first Asian artist to receive an honorary AFI degree, meaning that even the American Film Institute recognizes her contributions to the medium.
Yeoh’s success could very well mean that other Asian actors receive more opportunities going forward. She is also serving as a beacon to young Asian people that they can succeed in film if they set their mind to it, and that there is no need to shy away from the challenge. Having won two BAFTAs, a Golden Globe, and having received a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Oscars, Yeoh is proving that any barrier can be overcome. Just as the Everything Everywhere All At Once directors had the perfect reaction to Oscar nominations for the project, Yeoh’s recognition of the wider influence of her nomination shouldn’t be understated.
