Michelle Yeoh confesses she no longer receives movie scripts for ‘Asian-looking’ stars

Michelle Yeoh has recently opened up on how winning an Oscar for Everything Everywhere All At Once brought positive change for Asian actors in Hollywood.

Yeoh recalled industry was not ready to “recognise” Asian stars when she came to the Cannes with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon over 20 years ago.

“There were so many great Asian, Chinese movies that came out at that time. But if you look at all the films that get nominated here in Cannes and get awards, especially at the Oscars…they would nominate best director, film, everything, but not the actors? It seems a little odd,” explained the actress while speaking during the Kering Women in Motion talks at Cannes Film Festival, via Variety.

Yeoh also revealed that after the success of Everything Everywhere, it is believed that diverse story telling should be introduced as audiences are interested in innovative ideas.

“It’s just a matter of pushing the envelope and refusing to say that this is the ‘normal way.’ In the ‘normal way,’ would ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ would have been nominated? Chances are no, five to ten years ago,” stated the Crazy Rich Asians actress.

The actress mentioned, “In Everything Everywhere All At Once, even though we traveled the multi-verses, the main theme was love.”

While discussing about the sequel to Everything Everywhere, Yeoh disclosed, “There won’t be a sequel to the movie. We would just be doing the same thing.”

In almost four-decade of her career, Yeoh expressed her elation over getting a movie script that doesn’t describe the character as a Chinese or Asian-looking person.”

She asserted, “We are actors. We are supposed to act. We are supposed to step into roles that are given to us and do our job as best we can.”

“That, for me, is the biggest step forward,” added the actress