Michelle Yeoh was on a Zoom call Tuesday with her “Everything at Once” family — including co-stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Ke Huy Quan and James Hong and directors Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan — when she learned that she was “overjoyed”: She had been selected as an actor. the best actress for her performance as a laundry owner in this film, a sci-fi acid trip through time, space and personal experience.
“We want to hold each other’s hands, even though they are in America and now I’m in Paris, so we’ve been screaming at each other,” he said on the phone shortly after announcing their names. It’s no surprise: “Everything at Once” led the day with 11 nominations, including best picture.
If he wins, Yeoh – who was born in Malaysia and became an Asian film star before crossing over to the world in films such as “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000) and “Crazy Rich Asians” (2018) – will be the first in Asia. woman to win the director of the theater Oscar. (He won his first Golden Globe earlier this month.)
“Ninety-five years of the Oscars,” he said. “Of course, I’m over the moon, but I feel a little sad because I know that we know that there have been amazing actors from Asia that have come before me, and I stand on their shoulders.” He added, “I hope this will break the glass ceiling until it’s gone, that this will continue, and we’ll see more of our faces there.”
Yeoh, 60, said the film, which was released last March and did well during the pandemic, was affected in part because it came “at a time when we all need healing.”
He explained: “We went through a crazy, chaotic time in our lives, and we all need something to give us hope and to reassure us that as long as we can show each other kindness and compassion and love and not give up. on your family.”
Expectations were high for the actress, who earlier in the week responded to a mass shooting in Monterey Park, Calif., an Asian American neighborhood where Lunar New Year celebrations were held. “At a time when our community should be celebrating new beginnings, we are crying,” she wrote on Instagram.
When asked about his appointment at a time of sadness, he said, “One thing we all always need is hope,” and added, “We always need to be able to lift our heads and move forward.” All of our hearts are broken because of what happened in Monterey Park. “
At the heart of the film is the complicated relationship between mother and daughter, two people who are struggling to cope with everyday situations that are very different (and very different from reality). It didn’t surprise Yeoh that it struck a chord with many viewers, but they were struck by its healing power. Older women have come to him to say that even though they did not understand the film, it has helped their relationships with their daughters.
Yeoh recalled an onlooker who told him that his daughter had reunited with him after years of not speaking. “Now we’ve built and have a relationship because of your video,” Yeoh recalled the woman saying. “Sometimes when a movie like this comes along and you see that you’ve healed people, that’s an amazing reward.”
For Yeo, a former stuntwoman who has worked in the industry for years, “Everything” was a showcase of her many talents. Reflecting on the work he has been doing for a long time, he said: “But sometimes it feels like I love what I do. I have a great passion for filmmaking and everything else. So it’s like, you don’t participate in awards. You do this because you want to put the best stuff out there. “
“But really, please give me the Oscar, man,” he said, laughing. “It’s just an honor to say, don’t give up.” If you believe in yourself, you will never give up. It took me 40 years, but it’s here.
