Michelle Yeoh Wins Best Actress at the 2023 Academy Awards
She is the first Asian actress to receive the honor in Academy history.
History was made this evening when Michelle Yeoh took home Best Actress at the 2023 Academy Awards. Part sci-fi, comedy, action film, and family drama, Yeoh’s starring role as immigrant laundromat owner Evelyn Wang in Everything All At Once is a testament to her tremendous range as an actress. The cherry on top of an illustrious four-decade-long career, her victory is both long overdue and highly deserved.
After decades of captivating performances in Tomorrow Never Dies, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Crazy Rich Asians, and many more, the Malaysian-born actress had yet to receive the film industry’s highest honors until this year. Just a few weeks ago, Yeoh became the first Asian woman to win a leading film acting award at the SAG Awards. Tonight, she broke a new record.
Prior to Yeoh, Merle Oberon was the first woman of Asian descent to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, however, at the time, she did not openly identify with her Asian heritage for fear of racial biases. That was in 1935. It’s taken the Academy over 85 years to recognize another Asian actress in the category. Yeoh’s Oscar win is monumental for several reasons: it honors an actress whose talent, grace, and versatility have influenced film for decades; represents a triumph for Asian actors who have so long been excluded from the silver screen; more broadly, the win sets a precedent for diversity in film, pointing towards a promising new future for the industry. Cheers to Yeoh finally receiving her flowers.
In her speech, she spoke to the young Asian children watching at home, saying, "For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities." She also made a point to speak to women watching: "Ladies, don't let anyone tell you that you are past your prime."
