Michelle Yeoh has done white-knuckle kung fu, fantastical Wuxia, spy thrills, and a contemplative biopic. She's shared the screen with Pierce Brosnan and Jamie Lee Curtis. She's been directed by filmmakers Ang Lee and Luc Besson. She has done hand-to-hand combat, stunt work with wires, or simply with nothing at all to protect her from facing gravity. What might be even more shocking, is the fact she was never an experienced martial artist. Instead, the actress relied on previous ballet dancing and rigorous training to present herself as an expert once the cameras rolled. It might be safe to say the method was a success.
The intense commitment to getting a performance right was not only for the kung fu movies. When she had the opportunity to take on a real-life figure in The Lady, she made the challenge end up looking easy. She studied hours of archival footage, worked on an English accent, and learned a new language. If there is any lingering question as to what Yeoh is capable of, it took a battle across a multiverse to be her ultimate showcase. All of this is a far cry from when she won Miss World Malaysia back in 1983. Michelle Yeoh's movie career is as eclectic as the genres she's played in.
7. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) is back. This time, he must go up against a media mogul (Jonathan Pryce) who plans to cause the next World War. Helping 007 this time around is Colonel Wai Lin (Yeoh), who can handle her own share of henchmen without Bond rushing in to intervene. She does a lot of kicking into the baddies, and although there are a good number of action scenes, it all looks a little too safe. That isn't to say they don't have fun. One sequence involved the almost constant rotation between Bond and Lin, handcuffed together, as they ride a motorcycle away from an advancing helicopter. Tomorrow Never Dies helped bring international fame to the actress, with Colonel Lin being the first Chinese Bond Girl, a character often considered one of the franchise’s best.
6. Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
Professor Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) learns her Prince Charming-like boyfriend Nick (Henry Golding) is in fact an actual prince to a fortune. The Young family is from old money and Nick’s mother doesn’t plan on Rachel getting too comfortable during the visit. From her first appearance in 1995 London, Eleanor Young (Yeoh) exhibits a quiet demeanor but with absolute control. Don’t underestimate her, she knows what she wants and has the authority to obtain it. A luxurious hotel attempts to deny the Young family entry. Within moments, not only does Eleanor secure a room, she becomes the hotel’s owner. But this mother isn't cold-hearted, even if Rachel might say otherwise. Yeoh is an accomplished enough actress to imbue this role with a dose of complexity.
5. Police Story 3: Supercop (1992)
After a few years of acting retirement, Yeoh returned to acting, and what a comeback. In Supercop, she more than proves herself as a formidable action scene partner alongside Jackie Chan. Despite being the bigger star, Chan doesn’t get all the exhilarating action scenes. Yeoh gets a good amount of screen time to prove her skills. She fights in hand-to-hand combat with speed. She narrowly misses getting caught in an explosion. To beat it all, she jumps onto a criminal’s escaping van, holding on as it swerves to fling her off. Her face is clearly seen, producing more anxiety as she lifts her leg to avoid oncoming vehicles. Even more intense than the action-packed finale, is how it was achieved behind the scenes. Although not knowing how to hit the brakes on a motorbike, Yeoh rode up a hill to leap onto a moving train.
4. Yes, Madam! (1985)
In being one of Yeoh’s very early works, there’s a charm to the exposed rough edges. Editing isn’t exactly consistent with previous character movements. The sound is obviously dubbed afterward. There’s also the odd use of cues from John Carpenter’s Halloween score. Overall, it’s raw and visceral, like many of the Hong Kong kung fu films of the time period. It even helped kick off a wave of movies that became the “girls with guns” subgenre. Costarring with Cynthia Rothrock, Yeoh’s Senior Inspector Ng doesn’t look out of place. Which is remarkable, what with Rothrock’s black belts in seven styles of martial arts. Unlike Tomorrow Never Dies, Ng isn’t so reliant on only using high-powered kicks to get the job done. The bodily injuries she causes to the bad guys would surely cost a hefty hospital bill.
3. The Lady (2011)
Yeoh gave an intense dedication to bringing real-life Aung San Suu Kyi, who transitioned Myanmar closer to a democracy. Directed by Luc Besson, who made genre classics with grand concepts, from The Fifth Element and Léon: The Professional, there’s irony at play. The two tackle material that is very much the opposite of their well-known previous works. There are no aliens or assassins. Yeoh even hoped audiences wouldn’t anticipate her suddenly using her fists to resolve conflicts. As Suu Kyi, the role was of an empowering and inspiring figure for Burma, who believed in non-violence to achieve a democracy. If learning martial arts to reach the talents of Rothrock and Chan could be one challenge, Yeoh faced a very different one with The Lady. The actress needed to learn how to speak Burmese. This is Yeoh we’re talking about, so she rose to the occasion.
2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
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Ang Lee directed this Chinese fable brought to vivid life. The unrequited romance between Michelle Yeoh’s Yu Shu Lien and Chow Yun-fat’s Li Mu Bai makes for a bittersweet love story, as two long-time allies who can’t act on their feelings. Yeoh got to really show off, from her sword fighting to the pain of a woman unable to act upon her affections for her fellow warrior. She excels at it but Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is well-known for its crisp, wide-shot fight choreography. When not doing wirework for the Wuxia fights, she has a showdown with Zhang Ziyi’s Jen Yu, in order to claim the Green Destiny sword. Using various weapons, Yu Shu Lien matches its specific fighting style, one after another.
1. Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Evelyn Wang is at her wit's end. There’s her family’s failing laundromat, her husband’s uncertainty with their marriage, and plenty more family drama. That is all before a multiverse conflict pulls her into its orbit. This is Michelle Yeoh’s best role in years, and she easily carries it from start to finish. Great scene partners help, with fellow costars consisting of James Hong, Jamie Lee Curtis, Stephanie Hsu, and Ke Huy Quan. When Evelyn “verse-jumps” into a universe where her doppelgänger is a beloved movie star, archival footage of the actress’ real life appearances can be seen. From the Daniels, Everything Everywhere All at Once is one special retrospective and tribute of Yeoh’s career so far. It blends together what makes her a versatile actor and performer, from the stunts, emotions, and humor. The biggest satisfaction at the end might not even be the action set pieces or sci-fi elements. It’s seeing Evelyn as a daughter, mother, and wife who recognizes, despite how trivializing the world may seem, there is much to enjoy within it.