#Oscars2023: Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh is the first Asian and Malaysian to win Best Actress
Today, our beloved Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh had made film history.
After weeks of anticipation and speculation, our wishes have come true and Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh has won Best Actress at the 95th Academy Awards (The Oscars) tonight.
Winning for her outstanding role in the film Everything Everywhere All At Once, it marks a momentous achievement for Asia as Tan Sri Michelle has become the first Malaysian and Asian to win this prestigious award.
During her acceptance speech, she says, "All the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight. This is the beacon of hope and possibility. Dreams do come true... And ladies: don’t let anybody ever tell you you are past your prime.”
Along with the Best Actress award, the film Everything Everywhere All At Once has swept six other awards including Jamie Lee Curtis in Best Supporting Actress, Ke Huy Quan in Best Supporting Actor, Best Film, Best Director, Best Editing and Best Screenplay. This also marks the most awards won by one single Best Picture since Slumdog Millionaire, which has won eight awards in 2008.
After decades of captivating performances in Tomorrow Never Dies, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Crazy Rich Asians, and many more, Tan Sri Michelle has broken consecutive records this years including her SAG Awards win prior to The Oscars.
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 honours 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.
