Everything Everywhere All at Once star Michelle Yeoh has responded to her historic nomination for Best Actress at the 95th Academy Awards. The actress, who has been nominated for her portrayal of the multiverse-hopping hero Evelyn Quan Wang in Everything Everywhere All at Once said of the nomination (via THR) that “it’s taken a long time. But I think this is more than me,” as she discussed inclusivity and diversity in the industry.
“We are a little movie that has such a great, loving, beating heart that so many people relate to. And I think that is the reason why we are here today with all these nominations, because we’re just getting an outpouring of love — it’s been such a healing process. Not just in the movie, but [for] our audience as well, as they walk through the journey with this crazy woman called Evelyn Wong.”
Heaping praise on everyone involved in bringing Everything Everywhere All at Once to life, Yeoh addressed the long road that it has been as she finds herself the first Asian to ever be nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars.
“It’s taken a long time. But I think this is more than me. At the present moment, constantly, all the time, having Asians walking up to me saying, ‘You can do it, you’re doing it for us.’ It’s like, ‘I understand. I totally understand.’ All this time, they’ve not been recognized, they’ve not been heard.”
Michelle Yeoh Feels That the Nomination “is Beyond Just Me”
Yeoh has been in the industry for decades, and is best recognized for demonstrating her affinity for martial arts with roles in the likes of Police Story 3: Supercop, Wing Chun, the James Bond outing Tomorrow Never Dies, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and the Oscar winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, as well as the hugely successful Crazy Rich Asians.
“I’ve been in the movie business now for 40 years. When you have validation from your peers, all that is like the cherry on the cake. But the reason why you do films and you present your babies out to the world is because you want the story to be told, you want the people to understand, whether it’s your culture, whether it’s certain very poignant stories, or important tales, to be told. I think this is beyond just me. It represents so many who have hoped to be seen in this way, to have a seat at the table, to say, ‘I am of value too, I need to be seen too.’”
Yeoh was very glad to see her name on the Best Actress list for Everything Everywhere All at Once, feeling that she would have been letting down all those who believed in her.
“I’m glad I got nominated. Otherwise hell, man, I wouldn’t know what to do. When they were calling out the names, I was like ‘If they don’t call my name, what am I gonna say to the people who have had so much belief in me?’ It’s been my nightmare for the last two days, because it could happen, right? How am I gonna walk out that door? And all these disappointed Asian faces looking: ‘Why did you not do it for us?’”
Finally, Yeoh thanked the actresses that have come before her, and revealed the sheer level of congratulations she is now receiving following the Oscars announcement.
“We know of so many more amazing actresses than myself. So, this is for them. I stand on their shoulders. And I thank them for paving the way and allowing me to get here. My phone is going completely bananas from Hong Kong and Asia and China. They are all dialing in because they are just so ecstatic for me and for the fact that, you know, it’s the first Asian who’s getting this opportunity to be up there.”
Everything Everywhere All at Once has been nominated for a total of 11 Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director for Daniel Kwan and Daniel Schienert. The 95th Academy Awards 2023 is scheduled to take place on Sunday, March 12, 2023.