Michelle Yeoh has been defying Hollywood norms for over four decades. In the 1980s, she became one of Hong Kong’s most popular stars after appearing in a string of successful martial arts films. By the late 1990s, she co-starred alongside Pierce Brosnan in the 007 flick Tomorrow Never Dies. Her performance as Wai Lin was widely considered to be progressive for shattering Asian stereotypes in Western cinema.

Yeoh has since worked steadily over the years, showcasing her imitable talents in numerous box office successes such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), and Crazy Rich Asians (2018). Just this year, she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), becoming the first Asian woman and only second woman of color to do so.

Film historians often note that Yeoh’s great physicality, acting prowess and commitment to Martial Arts are what brought her international recognition. However, before she was a famous leading lady, the actress dreamt of becoming a professional ballerina.

Born in 1962 in Malaysia, Yeoh came from an upper middle class family. Her father was a politician and lawyer. Despite not coming from a showbiz background, the actress has stated

that her family was always supportive of her interest in the arts. At the age of five, her parents enrolled her in ballet school. By the time she was a teenager, Yeoh decided to pursue a career as a professional dancer. She would travel to London as an international student, majoring in ballet at London’s Royal Academy of Dance.

However, her dream came to an end after an unexpected spinal injury. Despite dedicating years of her life to ballet, Yeoh was told she would not dance again. She chose to pursue a career in acting instead, graduating from university with a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Arts, and minor in Drama.

Upon returning to Asia, Yeoh’s acting career quickly took off. Her mother persuaded her to join the Miss Malaysia World pageant in 1983 where she won the crown. She followed it up with a highly memorable watch commercial, co-starring Jackie Chan, where she caught the attention of film producers in Hong Kong. Yeoh found her calling in Martial Arts movies during the mid 1980s. Despite not having any formal training, she took to it quickly, realizing how similar the discipline was with ballet.

1985’s Yes, Madam was her first leading film role. Although set in the world of martial arts, one can truly see how Yeoh has used her dance training to perfect combat sports. Years of learning choreography helped her memorize fighting moves, while the strength she gained from dancing gave her the stamina to engage in complicated sequences. Since her breakout role, Yeoh has notably performed all her stunts herself. Today, the actress continues to be an inspiration to young women and men around the world. Particularly, those from the Asian community who look to follow in her footsteps. Her story and illustrious career has proven that one can succeed in anything, when they are truly committed to their art.

Michelle Yeoh will next appear in Kenneth Branagh’s A Haunting in Venice (a whodunit adapted from the Agatha Christie novel), the highly anticipated film adaptation of Broadway musical Wicked (co-starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo), and three of the upcoming Avatar sequels directed by James Cameron.