Michelle Yeoh Facts: 8 Lesser-known Facts About The Ipoh-born Actress

Facts about Michelle Yeoh

Malaysia’s very own acting legend, Michelle Yeoh, is undeniably one of the most iconic Asian actresses in Hollywood to date. From a badass Bond girl to a Marvel star, the actress has a dazzling acting portfolio spanning four decades now, and continues to prove that she is a force to be reckoned with.

Recently, Yeoh bagged the Best Actress award at the 2023 Golden Globe Awards for playing a stressed mother and laundromat owner in the movie, Everything Everywhere All at Once. Here, we’ve compiled a list of lesser-known facts about Malaysia’s beloved Hollywood star, who jokingly told the Golden Globes to “Shut up” when they tried to cut her historic acceptance speech short.

Table of Contents

Facts about Michelle Yeoh

1. She studied at the Royal Academy of Dance in London

Image credit: Pinterest

Michelle Yeoh may be out there making blockbuster hits one after another, but her first love and dream was to be a ballet dancer. The Ipoh-born actress began taking up ballet lessons when she was only 4 years old, and did not stop pursuing dance when she moved to London. There, she was enrolled at the distinguished Royal Academy of Dance.

However, an unfortunate incident during a ballet practice session resulted in a spinal injury that prevented her from continuing with daily intensive training. Unable to graduate as a ballerina, Yeoh instead focused her attention on other branches of art, receiving a B.A. degree in Creative Arts with a minor in Drama.

2. She is the daughter of the late Dato’ Yeoh Kian Teik

Image credit: The Straits Times

Most Malaysians are familiar with the fact that the Hollywood star hails from Ipoh. But not many may be aware Yeoh is also the daughter of the late Dato’ Yeoh Kian Teik, the former chairman of Perak Malaysian Chinese Association, a prominent lawyer, and a transportation mogul in Ipoh.

Her father passed away in 2014. Yeoh had received a call from her family about her dad’s deteriorating health condition while she was shooting a television series called Strike Back in Budapest. She subsequently rushed home and was able to be with her father during his last moments.

In an interview with The Star, the global star reminisced on all the time she spent with her beloved father and called him “a wonderful man and her hero”.

3. She is a two-time pageant queen

Image credit: @malaysia.time.tunnel

It’s no surprise that a beauty like Michelle Yeoh experienced glory during her beauty pageant days. In fact, she was crowned a beauty queen not once – but twice.

In 1983, Yeoh represented Malaysia at the Miss World pageant in London when she was only 20 years old, and even bagged the title of Miss Malaysia World. The same year, she proceeded to join the Queen of the Pacific beauty pageant in Australia, and won another crown. She also earned the Miss Moomba title that same year in Australia.

4. She adores jewellery

Image credit: Vogue

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, and Michelle Yeoh sure lives by that statement.

The Hollywood actress mentioned in an interview with the Financial Times that she is a huge fan of jewellery, admitting that while she isn’t someone who buys a lot of things due to her Buddhist beliefs, jewels are her weakness.

Her adoration for all things bling is surely fitting for her role of the wealthy Eleanor Young in Crazy Rich Asians. In fact, the massive engagement ring she wore in the movie was Yeoh’s own emerald-and-diamond ring, as none of the ones that was brought in by the production team met her standards.

Image credit: @jenyamato

The Crazy Rich Asians actress makes sure to flaunt her love for stunning jewellery on the red carpet as well, by completing her looks with statement jewellery pieces from the likes of Chopard, Chaumet, and Tasaki Atelier. She even donned the same ring from Crazy Rich Asians during the Golden Globes red carpet in 2019.

5. Her career in the movie industry started by chance

Image adapted from: Fanpop

Being in the film industry may not have been Michelle Yeoh’s ultimate ambition – but life has a way of taking you to places where you’re meant to be.

Towards the end of her term as Miss Malaysia, the young beauty was introduced to a Hong Kong businessman and co-founder of D&B Films, Dickson Poon, who was looking for someone to do a commercial with the legendary Jackie Chan. Poon was introduced to Yeoh during a dinner with a friend, and was enthralled.

Yeoh was later invited to Hong Kong for the commercial, and bagged a contract with D&B Films soon after – it’s safe to say that the rest was history.

6. She is steadfast to her principle of saying no to onscreen nudity

Image adapted from: Wallpapercrave

While Yeoh has starred in all sorts of projects and played a diverse range of roles throughout her career, there is something that she would never attempt – onscreen nudity. During the 26th Singapore International Film Festival, the Marvel actress shared that baring her skin onscreen was not something she could do as “her parents wouldn’t like to see that”.

When asked if this decision has ever affected her career progression or her relationship with a director, she had some inspiring words to say, sharing, “If they know who you are, then it won’t. Every person has certain limits and you must know your own. A filmmaker has to consider that some actors have principles that they don’t want to cross, and if they can’t come to a compromise then they have to find someone else”.

We’re proud of Michelle Yeoh for knowing her principles and sticking to them.

7. She has a fear of heights

Image credit: Flickr

For a film star with years of experience starring in various action and martial arts films, you’d think Yeoh possesses no fear whatsoever. But you’ll be surprised to know that the actress, who is known to do her own stunts, actually has a fear of heights.

Image credit: @michelleyeoh_official

Unlike most prominent action heroes and martial arts film stars, the Malaysian actress has never had a formal training in martial arts. Even so, this doesn’t stop Yeoh from tackling death-defying stunts all on her own in countless action films, such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, James Bond: Tomorrow Never Dies, and Marvel’s Shang Chi.

Yeoh relied on her early days of dance training for the flexibility required of stunts, and also leaned on her on-set trainers to prepare for her martial arts action scenes. She also trained herself in a gym alongside veteran action stars such as Dick Wei.

8. She has numerous prestigious awards & titles under her belt

Image credit: @goldenglobes

The 60-year-old Malaysian acting legend is undeniably one of Malaysia’s pride and a true icon in the industry.

Her recent, most notable, win was at the Golden Globes 2023 for Best Actress in the Musical Or Comedy Motion Picture for her performance in the critically acclaimed film, Everything Everywhere All At Once. But this is only one of the many achievements she has received throughout her career.

Just days before the award season kicked off in 2023, Yeoh celebrated history by being the first Asian actress to be given the Best Actress award at the National Board of Review Awards.

Image credit: @michelleyeoh_official

Crowned Icon of The Year and one of the world’s 100 most influential people in 2022 by TIME magazine, Yeoh further cemented her status as a household name in the industry.

While in her 20s, she received several other notable awards as well. In 1997, she was listed by People magazine as one of the “50 Most Beautiful People in the World” and in 2009 as one of the “35 All-Time Screen Beauties”.

Deservingly, Yeoh was named the Best Action Heroine in 2008 by Rotten Tomatoes, a testament to the smorgasbord of action roles in her portfolio. The star was also a proud recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the ASEAN International Film Festival in 2013.

Facts about Michelle Yeoh

A beacon of Asian representation in the film industry and an epitome of a legendary movie star, Michelle Yeoh has been breaking boundaries for decades. She continues to be an inspiration for not just Malaysians but fans all over the world, and we look forward to seeing her take on more roles in the near future.

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Cover image adapted from: Flickr & @michelleyeooh_offiicial