The mother of the first actress of Asian origin crowned at the Oscars for her role in “Everywhere All At Once”, said she was “very happy”, and “very proud”, from Malaysia.
“Malaysia boleh!”Michelle Yeoh’s mother exclaimed in a video call with her daughter, minutes after the announcement of her historic Oscar victory, in reference to a popular slogan that can be translated as “Malaysia can do it!”.
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“I cried”
“I am very happy (…). I am proud of my daughter. She is very hardworking”rejoiced Janet Yeoh with journalists, her daughter having become the first Asian woman to win the Oscar for best actress. “I will call her to come back (to Malaysia) and (we) celebrate (that) very soon. Next month is my birthday.”
Janet Yeoh, accompanied by family and friends, attended a live broadcast of the Academy Awards at a cinema in Kuala Lumpur, where cheers, hugs and tears of joy rang out the second the announcement broke. been made. “It was a breathtaking moment”said Michelle Yeoh’s niece, Vicki.
“I was speechless, I cried. Everything happened so quickly. We are so happy that she won, that our aunt won.” “We kept telling him: You’re going to win (…) You’re going to go on stage with the golden man”she said, in reference to the statuette of the Oscars.
“Pride of Asia”
The 60-year-old Malaysian actress won the award for her role in the wacky comedy Everything Everywhere All At Once. Cate Blanchett had long been a favorite to win her third Oscar thanks to the film Tar.
Everything Everywhere All At Once is based on a family intrigue. We follow Evelyn Wang, a Chinese immigrant played by Michelle Yeoh, who runs a laundromat in the United States, catapulted to the rank of elected official, on whom rest the hopes of thousands of parallel worlds threatened by an evil force which happens to be her own daughter.
“She is not only the pride of Malaysia, but she is also the pride of Asia”said Tan Ooi Hong, a fan of the actress.
Michelle Yeoh, who emerged on the planetary scene with the James Bond tomorrow never dies, was born in 1962 in the city of Ipoh, 200 kilometers north of the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur. As a child, she took up dancing and specialized in ballet in England.
Back in her country on vacation, her mother entered her in the Miss Malaysia pageant without telling her.“I agreed to go there to silence her”, Michelle Yeoh explained with a laugh. And she wins the title.
“Tan Sri”
A back injury forced her to abandon the idea of a career as a ballerina. Back in Asia, she is looking for another professional path. She began her career on the big screen in 1984 and collected films, mostly action, notably alongside Jackie Chan.
In 2013, Michelle Yeoh received from the King of Malaysia the title of “Tan Sri”, one of the country’s most prestigious civil honors.
In Hong Kong, where the actress worked for a decade before becoming a Hollywood star, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung praised her and called her “a shining star with impressive achievements”.
“It’s a testament to the strong potential of Hong Kong’s talent and film industry”did he declare.