Michelle Yeoh Didn't Set Out to Be a Star. She Just Stayed True to What She Believed In

Michelle Yeoh wasn’t trying to become a martial arts movie star. Or an international film star. Or a trailblazer for the next generation of action stars. She simply asked one question when starting out on Hong Kong action movie sets in the late 1980s: “Why can’t the women do that?” Embarking on an acting career at a time when there was no blueprint for how women could make it in action films, the Malaysian actor leaned into her dance background when learning how to perform her own stunts. She rapidly grew to fame in Hong Kong, starring alongside “martial arts buddy” Jackie Chan. Yeoh garnered international acclaim in the late '90s, thanks in part to leading roles in the James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies and Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Other powerful roles followed throughout the 2000s, including the strong and graceful geisha Mameha in the Academy Award-winning Memoirs of a Geisha and family matriarch Eleanor Young in the critically acclaimed Crazy Rich Asians, a film notably praised for its all-Asian cast. “When Michelle Yeoh first rose to fame in Hong Kong, there were very few opportunities for Asian actors in Hollywood,” said Jeannine Shao Collins, president of the Association of National Advertisers' SeeHer, a coalition that aims to drive accurate portrayals of women in media. “Through her trailblazing career playing powerful, complex Asian women, she’s become a globally recognized and sought-after actor. Her work shows that consumers connect with dynamic, smart characters, and that accurate female representation benefits everyone—audiences, studios and brands." Collins, whose coalition recently honored Yeoh with its SeeHer Award, added that by defying stereotypes, Yeoh has "paved the way for so many, especially Asian women like me, proving what is possible for girls and women everywhere.” Yeoh’s most recent success, Everything Everywhere All at Once—the highest-grossing movie to date for indie entertainment company A24—tells the story of an aging Chinese immigrant trying to get through a business audit of her laundromat when she gets pulled into a world-saving mission spanning multiple universes. Yeoh plays a different version of her character, Evelyn Wang, in each reality, pulling off multiple wardrobe changes and impressive stunts in the process that serve as a reminder of why she is the international star she is today. But, for Yeoh, the goal was never to achieve a higher level of fame or notoriety. Her driving motivation has always been to work with people who have a meaningful story to tell in an environment of mutual respect and equality. The roles she takes on are a reflection of her belief in shifting the culture to respect women as equals and surrounding herself with the right people in the spirit of collaboration. That belief seeps into everything Yeoh does, including her limited but meaningful brand partnerships. She has personally designed watches with Richard Mille himself for the Swiss luxury watch company, and is well known for her ambassadorship of the international luxury hotel group Mandarin Oriental, and French perfume, cosmetics and skin care house Guerlain. These days, Yeoh is moving full steam ahead on major projects in the streaming space. In the Disney+ original series American Born Chinese, based on the graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang, Yeoh will play Guanyin, an auntie trying to help her nephew navigate growing pains while hiding her identity as the all-powerful Buddhist bodhisattva of compassion. The show, which will stream on Disney+ in 2023, will reunite Yeoh with Everything Everywhere All at Once co-stars Stephanie Hsu and Ke Huy Quan. She is also currently in production on Netflix’s The Brothers Sun, a Brad Falchuk-helmed series about a Tapei gangster who reunites with his mother (played by Yeoh) and unassuming younger brother after the assassination of his crime boss father. Adweek caught up with this year’s Women Trailblazers cover star while she was on the set of The Brothers Sun, where she discussed how she earned the respect and support of her martial arts co-stars, her admiration for the next generation of creatives and the experience of being typecast. (This interview has been condensed and edited.) Adweek: You've taken on some powerful roles that shine a light on female characters who aren't typically in the spotlight, most recently in Everything Everywhere All at Once. What does that mean to you?Michelle Yeoh: I think what it really means is because so many of us women have not had a real voice for so long, we do the heavy lifting and we get bypassed. We don't even get noticed and appreciated in so many ways. And it was so nice to finally say [to these women], “You are a superhero in our hearts and our minds.” It was really to be able to vocalize and visualize it and actually show everyone. And it was so beautiful, the reaction. From the daughters, from the husbands—it wasn't just from the women themselves. And that meant so much to me. There was no road map or blueprint when you came onto the scene, in terms of becoming an international film star, especially in the martial arts world. What was that driving motivation? Did you have this end goal in mind the whole time?I always met guys [on set] who were so confident in themselves that they never felt threatened. It's only the ones who don't have confidence that feel threatened, and then they have to put you down. But I was always surrounded by guys who were like: “Yeah, cool. You want to play? Come and play with us.” 'It was wanting to be recognized as a woman and just be given equal opportunities,' Yeoh said of her driving motivation. I want women to be strong. And this was the way to show it. It wasn't an end game where I wanted to be in Hollywood. I think for a lot of people, Hollywood was always and still is the ultimate goal. And so, it was a bit of both: It was wanting to be recognized as a woman and just be given equal opportunities. I think that was the simple route to take. But then, I was always surrounded by people who had a vision, who knew what was the right thing to do. So, in that sense, I feel very blessed. It's interesting to hear that you felt supported by your male colleagues as well because in today's world—in corporate and in any industry—we don't really see or hear that often. Do you think it would have been different if you didn't have that support?It's very much in our culture, where it's inherent in our upbringing, that the son is the one who carries the name, the lineage. The daughter marries somebody else and takes on another name. It's always been like the daughter takes a second seat or a third seat or a back seat. This was something that we had to change, and it wasn't just changing the men's mindsets, but also the mothers', the grandmothers'. And having them, the brothers and fathers, say, “No—my sister, my daughter, deserves equal rights.” It's a whole culture of having to move in the right direction. And I was very lucky, I think, because I never was a threat to their manhood or to them or trying to say: “I'm going to take over your place. I'm going to replace you.” It was never like that. It was a “we work together” mindset. Because in our industry especially, it's all about collaboration. Nobody, not one person, can do it on their own. … I always worked with people who believed in that—believed in equality, believed in great respect and admiration for each other. It was always, “You make me better, and I make you better.” When you're on set, do you find yourself leaning into a bit of a mentorship role to the cast and crew?I don't try to put forward that [impression] because I want them to feel that I am learning from them as well. This is a mutual exchange. Yes, I've had blah blah blah years of experience, but the experience doesn’t count for jack shit because times are evolving. Things are always changing. We constantly have to up our game and understand how things are happening in front of us. So, in that way, I want them to feel like I'm here for them. 'Nobody is just waiting on the sidelines to be rescued,' Yeoh said. 'They’re making the roles, and they’re making their voices heard.' There's a lot of excitement and buzz around American Born Chinese, especially once it was announced that you're being reunited with your co-stars from Everything Everywhere All at Once. How have you seen your fans respond, and do you think the following from the movie will tune into the show?I think they will tune in for the show because the show is really good. It's very special. It has what it’s like to be American-born Chinese with also the mythical culture of China. It’s like our Peter Pan. It’s all these mythical goddesses and gods. I think it will stand up on its own feet because of the values and the excitement of what it will bring. It is so different. With the recent success of Everything Everywhere All at Once, have you seen different types of roles come in? How has that been?I have. It's been very interesting. … There was a time before Everything Everywhere All at Once when I was getting a little despondent. It was like: "Really? Is this [typecasting] how it's going to be?" It’s always been like that. All the men can go on the adventures with my daughter, but [my character] would be relegated to stay at home to wait for them to come back and tell me what the results were. It was like, "no!" But I think it has changed. It's like: "Hey, we're going to go on an adventure. Let's all go together." Sons and daughters and whatever. That's what it is—just like putting the balance back. Just because you're of a certain age, you do not get relegated to stay at home. So were you getting more typecast for your age?The honest truth is, yes, we all do [get typecast]. There's no two ways around it. But then, I'm also very proud of my peers—look at Reese [Witherspoon], look at Nicole [Kidman], Salma [Hayek]. So many of them were like: "I will not be put in that box. I will step up. And if I have to do my own shows, find my own stories to tell, we will do it." Yeoh's Ubiquity Tomorrow Never Dies (1997): Yeoh becomes a Bond Girl, starring as Colonel Wai Lin alongside Pierce Brosnan in the spy-thriller franchise. Keith Hamshere/Getty Images Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000): Yeoh stars as businesswoman and warrior Shu Lien in the martial-arts action film, one of the highest-grossing foreign language movies in American film history. Chan Kam Chuen - Sony Pictures Classics Crazy Rich Asians (2018): Yeoh plays the elegant and intimidating matriarch of a prominent Singapore family and antagonist to Constance Wu’s main character in the first major Hollywood film to feature a primarily Asian cast since The Joy Luck Club in 1993. Sanja Bucko - Warner Bros. and SK Global Entertainment Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021): Yeoh plays Ying Nan, the aunt of Shang-Chi, the first Asian superhero in the Marvel universe. Disney+/Marvel Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022): Yeoh plays Evelyn Wang, an aging Chinese immigrant and laundromat owner on a mission to save the world in a battle spanning multiple universes. A24 Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022): Yeoh lends her voice to the role of Master Chow, a kung fu master turned acupuncturist, in the latest installment of the popular Despicable Me franchise from Universal and Illumination. Universal Pictures American Born Chinese (2023): Yeoh reunites with Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton and plays the Buddhist bodhisattva of compassion in the TV adaptation of Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel. The action comedy arrives on Disney+ in 2023. I think that is what's happening. Nobody is just waiting on the sidelines to be rescued. They're out there and they're making the roles, and they're making their voices heard. And that's the most important thing. In terms of advertising, what kind of brand partnerships are you intrigued by? Have you seen those offers coming in a bit more as well with your recent surge in success?I've always been doing things with the people that I admire and love. So it's not like a trend thing that I believe in endorsing. I'm very loyal and faithful. It takes me a while before I can just jump on a train. When you come to a certain point, you are much more selective. You also want to have freedom. Do you mean creative freedom or freedom of being able to choose what products to endorse?Both. Sometimes when you are limited to one particular [product], then you have limitations. You put yourself in a box. But it all varies on the individual at the time of your career. It's very important to have a good team that helps you select what would be right for you to keep moving forward. Brand purpose and brand values have come up a lot in the past few years. Is that something that you also carefully vet?Absolutely. But that should be the first reaction. Do we have synergy? What do we have in common? Why do we speak the same language? It's like being in a marriage. Otherwise, it's too fake. And at this point in my life, why do I have to be with people that I don't believe in? Why would I do something that I don't have the connection with? I have to say I'm so blessed. I have choices. Sometimes when you're young, when you're just starting out, it is a struggle because there are so many obstacles that you are facing. But if you're very lucky and you have great people around you, they help you make the right choices. Check out all of Adweek's 2022 Women Trailblazers here.