Traumatized Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh was given the Presidential Freedom Award here on Friday for her “exemplary contributions” to the United States, world peace, or other important social, public or private endeavors. He was among 19 people awarded the medal.
US President Joe Biden presented Ms Yeo, 61, and 18 of her fellow recipients with the Medal of Honor, the highest civilian honor, at a ceremony at the White House in the late afternoon.
“For over 40 years, on and off screen, [Michelle] “Yoh…has shattered stereotypes and glass ceilings, enriching and elevating American culture,” the president said in introducing the Malaysian-born movie star.
“Her roles, from martial arts to romantic comedies to science fiction, transcend gender, culture and language and show us what we all have in common.As the first Asian actor to win an Oscar for Best Actress, , she bridges cultures and not only entertains, but inspires and opens hearts. And that's what she continues to do,” Biden said.
When introducing her, he toyed with Yeo's first name and called her “Michael” before quickly correcting the mistake. Moments later, Mr. Biden draped a medal with a blue ribbon over Mr. Yeo, who was dressed in black.
She was the last recipient to receive her medal, with all 19 recipients being honored in alphabetical order.
Ipoh-born Ms Yeoh won the Best Actress Oscar last year for her leading role in the film. Everything at once, wherever you are' won Best Picture and Best Director at the 95th Academy Awards.
It took Mr. Yeo just under 40 years of perseverance to shatter the stereotypes that President Biden referred to.
At one point in the late 1990s, she turned down so many movies that she found herself out of work for two years because all the roles she was offered were stereotypical Asian characters, Yeoh said in an interview.
“At the time, people in the industry couldn't tell if I was Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or even if I spoke English,” she said. people Magazine March 2023 issue.
“They were talking very loudly and very slowly,” she said.
This was after she made her international break in the James Bond series of films. Tomorrow Never Dies. In it, she plays Wai Ling, an English-speaking, action-oriented Chinese spy. Yeoh is fluent in English, Malay, and Cantonese.
Not only did she defy Asian stereotypes, she also refused to appear in films where actresses were little more than cutesy props or damsels in distress. And she did this at the beginning of her career, not after establishing herself.
The list of 19 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Friday included pioneers and record-breakers in the arts, entertainment, education, civil rights, sports and aerospace.
In addition to a number of big-name American politicians, Yeo's recipients also included television talk show personality Phil Donahue. Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman to travel to space. Medgar Evers, civil rights icon assassinated in 1963. Swimmer Katie Ledecky, 21-time world championship gold medalist. And the late Jim Thorpe was an accomplished multi-sport athlete and the first Native American to win an Olympic gold medal.
From Hong Kong to Hollywood
Former Miss Malaysia Michelle Yeoh got her break in a Hong Kong film co-starring international action and martial arts superstar Jackie Chan, and would go on to co-star in about a dozen films. In her debut novel, Yeo said: peopleshe played a woman who needs to be saved.
However, this was probably the last time she played such a role. A year later, in 1985, she was offered her first lead role, an action-oriented role as a Hong Kong police officer. She learned Cantonese because she knew very little Cantonese. And she did the stunts herself. This also broke the stereotype.
Yeoh quickly established himself as the region's top star in Hong Kong films. She then took her voice from Hollywood in a Bond movie in 1997, but after that she didn't work for two years.
The director is Ang Lee, who has made a name for himself in Hollywood. sense and sensitivityoffered Yeoh the role of a warrior, one of his three major roles in a martial arts film. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
The film was a huge hit and was a milestone for Yeoh in her career. She received a BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) nomination for Best Actress. When the movie was released in her restored 4K version in February 2023, time the magazine declared Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Proving that Michelle Yeoh has always been “criminally underrated.”
This martial arts film again led to offers from Hollywood, but this time the role was much better than before. After that, Yeoh appeared in several notable films. Memoirs of a Geisha, sunlightand crazy rich asians.
Finally, sometime in 2018, Daniels (director duo Daniel Shiner and Daniel Kwan) offered her the lead role in a movie. Everything at once, wherever you area movie set in the multiverse.
This offbeat film was the one Yeo had missed out on: the one that won him an Oscar.
Yeoh played a Chinese-American immigrant laundromat owner who single-handedly saves lives, making her the first Asian woman to win the Best Actress Oscar.
She mentioned her historic accomplishment in her acceptance speech.
“For little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibility,” she said.
“This is proof that you can dream big and that dreams do come true.”
