Michelle Yeoh became the first Asian woman to win best leading actress at the Oscars, as Everything Everywhere All at Once wins big.
Yeoh took home the first Academy Award of her celebrated career, for best actress in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
The honor came after decades of martial arts and action films such as “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” and “Yes, Madame.”
“For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities,” Yeoh said during her speech at the Oscars after winning the prize. “This is proof that dreams do come true. And ladies, don’t let anybody tell you that you are ever past your prime. Never give up.”
Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the zany sci-fi adventure centers on Yeoh’s Evelyn Wang, she plays a Chinese-American laundrette owner who is mired in a tax audit, stuck in a crumbling marriage and struggling to connect with her daughter Joy.
But when she discovers different versions of herself in the multiverse, she must tap into their skills in order to save the world.
Yeoh dedicated the award to her mom and all the mothers in the world. “They are the real superheroes, and without them, none of us will be here tonight,” she said.
At the Oscars, Yeoh is only the third Asian woman — following Yuh-Jung Youn for “Minari” and Miyoshi Umeki for “Sayonara” — and the first in the lead category to win an acting prize. She’s also just the second woman of color to win best actress after Halle Berry in 2002 for “Monster’s Ball.”
Best leading actress has historically been far less diverse than the supporting actress category, where Ariana DeBose, Yuh-jung Youn, Regina King, Viola Davis, Lupita Nyong’o and Octavia Spencer have won in the past decade.
As she exited the stage, she shouted, “Thank you to the Academy — this is history in the making!”
Despite the stacked competition, Yeoh was the odds-on favorite to win because she was honored at nearly every precursory ceremony, including SAG Awards, Independent Spirit Awards and the Golden Globes. In clinching the trophy, Yeoh beat Cate Blanchett for “Tár,” Michelle Williams for “The Fabelmans,” Andrea Riseborough for “To Leslie” and Ana de Armas for “Blonde.”
“I wouldn’t be standing here tonight without the Daniels, without the amazing cast and crew [and] everyone involved with ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once,’” she said. “Also, my extended family in Hong Kong, where I started my career. Thank you for letting me stands on your shoulders.”
Furthermore, Yeoh’s co-stars Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis triumphed in the supporting actor and actress categories. In the history of the Oscars, no other film has ever won best picture, best director and three acting prizes.
