Malaysians rarely get cast so prominently, but the Golden Globe award winner is no greenhorn and she could well win the Oscar for the best actress category.
OVER the past few weeks, Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh has been a busy bee jet-setting across continents.
She made a quiet visit home here on Dec 24 and after that, appeared in talk shows and interviews in the United States and England.
Her appearances are important in the run-up to the Academy Awards since it’s just a month away – March 13, to be precise.
History is about to be created. The Malaysian icon stands a very good chance of winning the Oscar for the best actress category for her role in Everything Everywhere All at Once.
She faces stiff competition, but she has already created history by being the first Malaysian to secure this nomination.
As one report put it, it has taken 95 years for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognise an Asian woman in its best actress category.
Earlier this year, she had already filled our hearts with pride by winning a Golden Globe award for best actress in a musical/comedy for the movie, the second Asian to clinch the prestigious award.
Yeoh is honest about the movie, which can be viewed on Astro, saying it can be confusing but has resonated with many parents, especially immigrants who would do everything for their children.
The sentiments of their parents may not mean much to the young who see things differently, but the underlying message is about love, relationship and embracement.
It’s about having conversations with their children, which many Asian parents often struggle with.
Yeoh plays Evelyn Quan Wang, whose father is upset about her eloping with a man, with whom she runs a laundromat facing a pile of tax issues.
On top of that, she must struggle with a rebellious lesbian daughter, an incompetent spouse and an ageing and senile father she must care for.
Suddenly, she finds herself having to save the universe from a super villain named Jobu Tupaki, too. Talk about tipping the scale.
One thing stands out from all these high-profile interviews – Yeoh is articulate, intelligent, humorous and speaks impeccable English (with the Malaysian accent proudly intact, without the pretentious clipped Western tone many are only too happy to adopt), and she knows when and how to deliver the right sound bite to make her interview newsworthy for each show.
Yeoh also proudly wears her Asian roots on her sleeve yet maintains a broad outlook with an international appeal.
Obviously Yeoh is media savvy and comfortable to take questions without a script.
Yeoh has worked very hard to get where she is. Her solid credentials include roles in blockbusters such as James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Crazy Rich Asians, all of which have raised her profile.
But Everything Everywhere All at Once, with interdimensional roles and newfound powers to fight bizarre dangers from the multiverse, is her first starring role.
With 11 nominations at the upcoming Oscars, the movie is poised to win many awards but the world, especially Asians, will be cheering for our Ipoh girl to win the best actress award.
Standing in her way is Australian actress Cate Blanchett, who plays Lydia Tar in the psychological drama film Tar, about an imposing female conductor in Berlin preying on women.
News reports are billing it as a neck-and-neck race with Yeoh having a slight edge, but for now, Yeoh is the most sought-after guest in talk shows, which will surely help her in the contest.
This year’s Academy Awards 2023, which will be held on Monday at 8am, will surely be the most watched ever by Malaysians.
We will be rooting for our pride and joy, our hero. Whatever the outcome, she remains our darling and Malaysia is enormously proud of her.
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Wong Chun Wai
Wong Chun Wai began his career as a journalist in Penang, and has served The Star for over 35 years in various capacities and roles. He is now group editorial and corporate affairs adviser to the group, after having served as group managing director/chief executive officer. On The Beat made its debut on Feb 23 1997 and Chun Wai has penned the column weekly without a break, except for the occasional press holiday when the paper was not published. In May 2011, a compilation of selected articles of On The Beat was published as a book and launched in conjunction with his 50th birthday. Chun Wai also comments on current issues in The Star.
