Yeoh won over the Academy jury with her portrayal of Evelyn Wang, a laundry owner who crosses endless universes to face a powerful enemy while rethinking her marriage, struggling to get closer to her daughter and trying to resolve tax problems.
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“For all the boys and girls who look like me and are watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibility. This is proof that dreams come true.”, said Yeoh upon accepting the Oscar.
“And, ladies, don't let anyone tell you that you're past your prime. Never give up”, she added, amid applause.
Also competing for the statuette were Cuban-American Ana de Armas (“Blonde”), Michelle Williams (“The Fabelmans”), Cate Blanchett (“Tár”) and Andrea Riseborough (“To Leslie”).
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Yeoh, born in Malaysia 60 years ago, won acclaim for her portrayal of a middle-class Chinese immigrant in the United States, burdened with everyday problems, who suddenly jumps between universes, exploring various versions of her life.
But despite absurdities like sausages for fingers, police officers turned into confetti, or rocks with sticky eyes that debate the purpose of life, the film addresses something that everyone can relate to: the complexity and strength of family ties.
“We went through such a chaotic and crazy time in our lives. We all need something to give us hope and reassure us that as long as we can show kindness, compassion and love to others, we will never abandon our family.”, said Yeoh in an interview with the newspaper The New York Times.
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The troubled mother-daughter relationship is the backbone of the film directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert.
Yeoh, who gained notoriety early in her career in action films, was challenged to intersperse fights against lethal enemies with an emotional dance with her daughter Joy, and her rebellious alter ego Jobu (Stephanie Hsu), whom she tries to disarm with empathy. and love.
The actress capped off a successful awards season on Sunday with the Oscars, with awards at Golden Globes, our Spirit Awards for independent cinema and the Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG).
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The importance of having Asian representation in Hollywood was a constant in his interviews on the way to the Oscars.
“I hope this breaks this damn glass ceiling to infinity, that it continues and that we can see more of our faces up there.”, she said to The New York Times.
Miss Malaysia and action films
To Chinese parents, Yeoh was born on August 6, 1962 in the city of Ipoh, 200 kilometers north of the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur. She embraced dance as a child and specialized in ballet in England.
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On vacation, when she was visiting her family, her mother entered her into Miss Malaysia without consulting her. “I agreed to go to shut her up”, said Yeoh, who accidentally won the beauty contest.
A back injury made her give up her dancing career and seek another professional path in Asia.
In 1984, he began acting in cinema, where he collected titles, mainly action films, along with figures such as Jackie Chan and Maggie Cheung.
She burst onto the world scene with “Tomorrow Never Dies” (1997), from the James Bond series, which was followed by hits such as “The Tiger and the Dragon”, directed by Ang Lee, and “Memoirs of a Geisha” (2005) , alongside Ziyi Zhang and Ken Watanabe.
@curtonews With four Asian nominations, the #Oscar ♬ original sound – Curto News
(With AFP)
