Michelle Yeoh 'overjoyed' with first Oscar nomination: 'I will forever cherish this moment'

Michelle Yeoh is the first Malaysian to be nominated for an Oscar. She also made history as the first Asian to land a Best Actress nomination at the Oscars. Photo: Reuters

Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh says she is "overwhelmed and overjoyed with happiness" with her first Oscar nomination.

The Ipoh-born star is nominated for Best Actress at the 95th Academy Awards for her performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once.

"Every single person who worked on this film poured their heart and soul into it, and we are all so grateful to the Academy for recognising so many from our EEAAO family," the 60-year-old actress wrote on her Instagram hours after the Oscar nominations were announced at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, California.

Yeoh is the first Malaysian to be nominated for an Oscar. She also made history as the first Asian to land a Best Actress nomination at the Oscars.

"Playing Evelyn Wang has been one of the great privileges of my 40 year career. It is truly the role of a lifetime," Yeoh said as she thanked Everything Everywhere All At Once directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert for the opportunity to star in the sci-fi film. "I will forever cherish this moment."

In Everything Everywhere All At Once, Yeoh portrays a laundromat owner who hops through multiverses. The movie, released in March last year, is the lead contender at this year's Oscars after receiving 11 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director.

Yeoh told The Hollywood Reporter that her phone has been ringing incessantly after her historic Oscar nomination.

“My phone is going completely bananas from Hong Kong and Asia and China. They are all dialing in because they are just so ecstatic for me and for the fact that, you know, it’s the first Asian who’s getting this opportunity to be up there,” she told the trade publication.

Yeoh will be competing against Cate Blanchett (Tar), Ana De Armas (Blonde), Andrea Riseborough (To Leslie) and Michelle Williams (The Fabelmans) for the award.

If Yeoh wins the Oscar, she will be the first Malaysian to walk away with the highest acting honour in show business. Additionally, she will also be the first actress of Asian descent to win in the Best Actress category in the Academy's 95-year history.

The 95th Academy Awards will be held on March 12 in Los Angeles with Jimmy Kimmel as host.