← Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist
Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist
WICKED STARS: Michelle Yeoh on Her Oscar Moment and a Lifetime of Breaking Barriers
00:50:23
Michelle Yeoh is an Oscar, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning actress who stars as Madame Morrible in the movie musical “Wicked” and its upcoming sequel “Wicked: For Good.” In this conversation from March 2023, Yeoh sits down with Willie Geist to reflect on her sweeping awards-season success for “Everything Everywhere All At Once” and what it meant to finally have her big Hollywood moment. She looks back on her groundbreaking career, from “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” to “Memoirs of a Geisha” and “Crazy Rich Asians,” and shares the gratitude and perspective that guide her today.
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- [00:01]
Audie Cornish
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- [00:30]
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- [01:02]
Interviewer
Hey, guys.
- [01:03]
Willie Geist
Willie Geist here with another episode of the Sunday Sit down podcast. My thanks as always for clicking and listening along. We thought we'd pause for a minute this summer and bring you some of our favorite conversations of the year with people who've been nominated or who have won Academy Awards. And we begin with the woman who won the trophy for best Actress. She is Michelle Yeoh. She won the Oscar for her performance in Everything Everywhere all at Once, that bizarre, cool, fascinating movie that swept through with 11 nominations and won seven Academy Awards. Michelle and I got together at this really cool moment on the eve of the Oscars. Living in this moment so long coming for her, so well deserved for a woman who's been around Hollywood a while and has starred in a whole bunch of really good movies, finally getting her moment and becoming the first Asian woman ever to win the Academy Award for Best Actress. So sit back, relax, and enjoy my conversation with Michelle Yeoh on the Sunday Sit down podcast.
- [02:09]
Interviewer
Michelle, it's great to see you.
- [02:10]
Michelle Yeoh
It's really good to see you again.
- [02:12]
Interviewer
It's been a couple of months. We saw each other at the National Border Review.
- [02:16]
Michelle Yeoh
Has it been a couple of months already?
- [02:18]
Interviewer
Yes. January, I think. Early January, mid January, something like that.
- [02:21]
Michelle Yeoh
We're marching, right? Okay.
- [02:22]
Interviewer
Yes. It's already March. It's already March. That was a beautiful night.
- [02:27]
Michelle Yeoh
It was.
- [02:28]
Interviewer
And a beautiful night for you. And you've had so many beautiful nights since then. In terms of recognition for this performance, how are you feeling as you sit in the middle of all this right now?
- [02:38]
Michelle Yeoh
You can see the big grin on my face. It's been a real roller coaster ride because you know the NPR is it Was easy because, you know you're getting an award, so you have none of that terrifying, oh, God, what am I going to do if I don't? And it's been fabulous to see this little film that has such a giant heart be embraced in all these ways. When we. When the movie came out last March, we had our world premiere in south by Southwest, we knew we had something magical. When it's. When flying up to, you know, when you put it out there, it goes up to the skies and please, God, don't let it fall flat on its face. And it didn't. And it soared higher and higher, higher. And as it went around the world, the global reaction, the word of mouth, the love that was generated with the people of the different generations, and everybody found something that was relatable to them and resonated so deeply with them that it's been a whirlwind of emotions, gratitude, love, and it's going on.
- [03:52]
Interviewer
I was thinking about that a year ago at this time, you all knew you had something unique, clearly something special that people hadn't seen before. From the script, from the script, from the beginning. But you could not have imagined, as we sit here almost a year later.
- [04:06]
Michelle Yeoh
To have 11 nominations, 11 Academy Award nominations. If you had told me that last year, we would be like, funny. Would love that. But it's funny because, you know, we're. If you look at it, it's a weird, wacky, wild, wonderful movie. Very, very original. Maybe too original for some people, too, like in the future kind of thing. It's like five genre of movies all in one. But we had champions like a 24 who understood this is a very special gem. Can't just put it out there. You can't just say, well, it will go into streaming because we finished the final day of shooting on lockdown. That morning was locked down in Los Angeles and everything had to stop filming. And we had just shot that in the Mood for Love kind of romantic scene in the rain down the night corridors. That morning, we all had to go our separate ways. It was very hard because we couldn't say a proper goodbye. You know how when you finish, you will have a big dinner together and you'll pat each other on the back and say, yeah, wrap party. It was like, no, everybody has to go. And so we all literally. I went to Australia because I was filming the Marvel movie Shang Chi. And then when I got there three days later, they had to lock down too. So, you know, our whole world was put into disarray. But a 24 kept the Daniels and Paul, our editor, they kept them together, kept them going, I mean, separately, because it was locked down. But they had. They gave them time to process and time to edit it with the music. And so when they finally held on until south by Southwest, and thank God it wasn't a virtual festival. It was one of the first festivals that people could come together and celebrate the magic of cinema. And ours was. It was magical. I think at that point it hit us. It was like, wow, these people are really, really reacting to the movie. Because, you know, when you're so invested in it, all you see are the love, the passion that we have for the story. And we knew it was a very special story right from the word go, because you know when you're reading it, when it speaks to you. And then meeting the Daniels, these two crazy boys of mine, these geniuses, had the courage to write a story about a very ordinary woman. And we women, mothers, daughters, aunties, grandmothers, are ordinary, but are given the opportunity to be extraordinary. And that was the most powerful message, I think, for all of us.
- [06:54]
Interviewer
I was joking with you before we were talking, that I was watching the film again last night, and my son came in in the middle of it and said, what's this about? And I said, I don't know. I don't know how to describe this. You'll have to watch it from the beginning sometime. So I'm curious, when the Daniels came to you the first time, how was this even pitched? Because it is so unique. It's unlike anything anyone has ever seen on a screen before. What was the pitch? And did you get it right away?
- [07:19]
Michelle Yeoh
So they were very smart. They sent me the script, because when you pitch something like this, it's very hard. It's like science fiction, comedy, horror, drama, martial arts. You know, they did say, how do you pitch someone something like that? But they were also very lucky because a 24 was already with them at the beginning when they wrote it, and they spent a few years writing that for me, meeting them was to see if they were not certifiably insane. And very quickly, you can see that bond between the two of them. There was like, there's no ego. I'm the alpha and you're number two. Or, you know, there was none. And you could see it was with love. Love that's on the paper. It was coming from their guts. This was a story that they really wanted to tell about the strong women in their lives. And it was very empowering, because the only thing I said right off the block, Was like, you have to change the name. You cannot call her Michelle.
- [08:23]
Interviewer
Right. People don't realize that the character was Michelle.
- [08:25]
Michelle Yeoh
Yes, it was written Michelle Wong. And I remember Daniel Kwan. Daniel Kwan is a very expressive face and shinert has these big eyes. And Daniel was like, but we wrote it for you. That's why we call her Michelle. And I'm like, that's. You might have written it for me. Right. But to call her Michelle would be so distracting for the audience. Every time you call Evelyn Michelle, the audience would be going, is that Michelle trying to be Michelle in the movie, or is she playing Michelle? You know, and it's distracting. So I said, you have to do that. You can call her anything you want. I'll leave that option to you. But not Michelle. And I believe that this ordinary housewife who has so many tasks, I mean, she is a woman that you would meet in the supermarket or in Chinatown. She's an aging Asian immigrant woman that goes about her work, trying to take care of her family, you know, trying to achieve the American dream, but failing miserably. She deserves her voice. She deserved to be seen and heard. And so that's why she needed her own name. And so I'm so glad the boys finally relented and go, okay, well, I.
- [09:39]
Interviewer
Can tell you from their side of this, and I know you've heard this, they have said, as you point out, they wrote it for you. And they said if you had said no, they weren't sure there was a movie. In other words, if it wasn't you, they couldn't imagine who else it would be. At that point, was there ever any doubt in your mind that this was going to work, or were you all in right away once you saw the script?
- [10:00]
Michelle Yeoh
I was all in. It was meeting them. And then I must say, it was also I watched. I said, what have they done? This is only their second movie. And the first movie was Swiss Army Man. And so I said, I need to see what they've done before. I need to have a feel for them before I meet them. So when I saw Swiss Army Men, I was so intrigued. I was going, like, I can't believe I'm watching a movie about a farting corpse. And I have gotten so invested in there. So these two are amazing storytellers, because when you've been in the business long enough, in the first few minutes or the first 10 minutes, you already have an understanding this is going in a good way. Right? So when I met them and I felt this amazing energy from them, I was like, I'm doing this because it's an indie film, and, you know, the people around you, they'll go like, are you sure you want to do this? Is it a little weird? Is it a little wacky? I'm like, that's the whole point. It is original. It's refreshing. It's something that you've not seen before. And isn't that why we want to. Want to be a storyteller? So that was just like, no second guessing, no hesitation.
- [11:12]
Interviewer
I have to point out you make even farting corpse sound elegant. The way you say it. That was beautiful. So you agree to do the film, then you get on set. And I'm just trying to imagine, as I watched it, directing that movie, for one, but. But acting in it. Because you're in all these different worlds, these different parallel universes, metaverses and the multiverses. And you and I just. How do you approach that as an actor? Because it is, to me, it's like playing seven or eight different characters or whatever the number is. How did you approach that as a.
- [11:52]
Michelle Yeoh
So first of all, you have to create. Who is Evelyn Wong?
- [11:55]
Interviewer
Right?
- [11:56]
Michelle Yeoh
Where does she come from? She needs her own life. So I set up sort of like her diary. What does she do? Where is she from? Her background, her history, her aspirations, her dreams, all these kind of things. So that when I walk into there, I know Evelyn. This is Evelyn Wong. And then I have to study the script. And what I do is normally it's kind of easy because I will tag the scenes that I'm in and I'll show you a photograph of my tagged script. Then I realized very quickly, the normal big tags, you know, stickers that you have, because I would tag on the side and write C number and da, da, da, quick description. So I know the flow. Just as, you know, we don't film accordingly. You jump and all this kind of. So you have to, in your mind, know your emotional arc, where at what point she's thinking what and doing what. So with this one, there were at least eight universes. So they all deserve their own color codes. And then I break it down to if there is action in it or no action in it, if it's a drama scene or it's emotional or what, what kind of level of emotions there are going through this. So that when I jump from one universe, whether it's shock, terror, you know, anguish, whatever, you know, we walk in and you immediately you are tapped in. So it's just our job to do the research, to do the homework, to Create a real Evelyn Wong with the work that she does, the posture that she is, her accent, what she would sound like if she's an Asian immigrant. So she would talk with a more Chinese accent and, you know, a little bit of a broken English. And then so the interaction there is Cantonese, there's Mandarin. When she speaks to her father, then when she speaks to her husband, Waymond, and then when she speaks with joy, it's almost all in English, so it's all the juggling. But once you understand this whole concept of who this person is, then it's Shirley with our costumes and hair and makeup, Anissa and Michelle. And they re aged because she's. Evelyn has no time to go to the spa. She probably doesn't even know what a mask is, you know, and she has no time to do. Her hair would be gray, it would be naturally the way the color it is. And she would shop in Chinatown. So that was what Shirley did. She went to Chinatown and brought back all these, like, all the things that Michelle Yeoh would never wear.
- [14:32]
Interviewer
A bit of a departure for you.
- [14:33]
Michelle Yeoh
Which is fantastic, because that's how you create. You allow this character to have a life. So, you know, she walks a little hunched over because she's always carrying heavy things. So she shuffles. A lot of the times, you know, when she clutches her bag and she's like, I love that. I love being able to, you know, let yourself be. Not always, like, held together.
- [14:57]
Interviewer
Right.
- [14:57]
Michelle Yeoh
It's liberating in a way, to allow some other personality to come in.
- [15:03]
Interviewer
But then there would be other scenes where you're in a ball gown, on a red carpet. It'd be a little bit more Michelle Yeoh in scenes like that. Is it fair to say, though, there were days where you would walk in and look at the set and say, hmm, what are we doing over there? And now what's happening over there? I mean, it's a lot to keep straight, even for an actor as talented as you are.
- [15:21]
Michelle Yeoh
That's why the Daniels, Larkin, our dp, our Josh, our set coordinator, our stunt coordinator, our Marshall Club boys, everybody was on their game. They all knew what they had to bring to the table, and they were prepared. Everybody had great respect and love for each other. So we all knew what was going to happen. Because, you know, like, some of the fight sequences that we did, you would think, oh, they must have taken a week to do that. We did that in a day and a half or a day. So it's very. Yes, it's true. But we were very grounded because the IRS building in Simi Valley, where we shot the first almost six weeks, everything happened in that building. The different homes, like the hot dog fingers, the different universes was in there. So that when we came in, we didn't have to worry about the configuration of. Oh, God. New place. Where is this? What are we doing here? So we knew the place we were in. We came to that parking lot, we walked in, we had a big sort of Chinese to start work. We prayed to the gods, and we pray to respect the grounds that we are on. And then we were there for a few weeks. That kept us grounded so we could, like, jump through the air. You know, the grand staircase where the fight of love was. So everything was in that place where everything was chaotic. That place gave us solid ground.
- [16:50]
Interviewer
I was watching some of those fight scenes, thinking, she knows what she's doing. She's done a little bit of this in her career. But I was also reading in some of them, you might have been a little too good at it in a way that Evelyn might not have known how to fight that way. Is it true that the Daniels asked you to sort of turn it down a little bit? You were too good at it?
- [17:08]
Michelle Yeoh
No, no, no. I think what it was. It was normally when I'm, for example, in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, you know, or in. I am the mentor. I am the one who's teaching the art. So it has to look like I know what I'm doing. Like in Shang Chi, every move is articulated in a very clear way. And the expression of serenity and calm and peace, knowing what you're doing. But in this one, the Daniels came up to me and said, oh, it's Evelyn Wong. She doesn't have a clue what she's doing. Her hands know what she's doing because she's just jumped to the other universe and acquired the skill and jumped back. But now you're back to Evelyn Wong's head, so her hands will be doing. So it was fracturing of the mind because the hands would be doing all these crazy things, and the face is going, what the hell am I doing? Wow. I cannot do. So it was good because that's what I love, being challenged. I love being said. For them to come up and say, can you try this for us? Can you do this for. For us? And every day they'd throw, like, say, I love you in eight different ways. Or, you have to do this and you have to do that. Okay. Pee in your pants.
- [18:22]
Interviewer
They really threw it all at you, didn't they?
- [18:25]
Michelle Yeoh
Yeah. Yes, and I really did because it was very interesting. I was with John Chu because we're filming Wicked in London, right? And, you know, sometimes during the set changes, we were sitting there talking. He said to me, so what was the most difficult day. Day in? Because he understood, you know, when you're jumping from one universe to the other universe, like you say, it's like one corner, this is happening, that corner, another thing is happening. So many things are happening. And then next thing you know, you're running from one corner to the other. And then they'll say to you, okay, you go this. You. You bounce sideways, and then now you're in a different universe, and then you bounce again sideways, and now you're. So there was a lot of bouncing against the walls and you're going, what the heck? But it was very interesting. For the life of me, I couldn't think of a day where I thought that was really tough. It was such a happy set that we felt invigorated. It was like, come on, challenge. Come on, throw it at me. Whether it was the action, whether it was the emotional, there was so much reward from it that it was exciting, you know, when we. We could laugh at each other. We were laughing with each other, you know, with Key, we're always teasing about his high voice, and he's like, oh, my hands. Were like, key. But then suddenly he'll be Alpha Wayman and be like, oh, my hands. Okay, that's bad. Can we keep Waymond that Alpha Wayman, please?
- [19:54]
Interviewer
And then he'd go back to nine voices.
- [19:55]
Michelle Yeoh
He died. And he calls me his big wife because, Echo, his real wife. So I'm the big wife.
- [20:01]
Willie Geist
Okay.
- [20:04]
Interviewer
I was amazed, too, that you were just saying this grand spectacle was shot in just over a month, which I think people make some assumptions that it had special effects and all this thing. No, this was an independent movie that they had about 38 days, as you said, to make. So you really had to stay on it and get it done.
- [20:20]
Michelle Yeoh
Stay on it, get it done. And I think it also means that the preparation. I mean, they worked on it for about five, six years. Finally, when they got the script, to me, it was about six months when they started to audition and find, you know, the keys and the Stephanie and the Jamie to come together. The casting was so well done. I mean, James Hong and bring all these people in together. And I would get a news from the Daniels and say, we are doing this, and what do you think about this? And what do you think about that? And I love that collaboration process. And I think a lot of the times when it is a smaller movie, you have much more creative opportunities to be like that. Sometimes when it's a big studio movie, there's so many executives sitting in all the different places, and everybody is, like, contributing to the big plate, and you're going like, oh, my God. One more comment. Can you imagine? They would look at this script and go, no hot dogs, no ketchup, no mustard. None of this, none of that.
- [21:21]
Interviewer
I don't think the hot dog fingers would have made it past the executives.
- [21:25]
Michelle Yeoh
It would have been too much for them.
- [21:28]
Interviewer
We have some notes. Lose the hot dog fingers, and then.
- [21:30]
Michelle Yeoh
It'D be a pile of notes. No, no, no, no. It is. It's true. And because we didn't really have a lot of rehearsals time, I think the Daniels, because Key and Stephanie did, because they lived here in la and so they had time to prep with. With the Daniels, which is very good. And I think Daniels just left me alone because I was finishing off Star Trek Discovery with Emperor Jojo. So I didn't finish until almost December. And after Christmas and New Year's, I was straight back on with everything, everywhere, all at once. So when I had that time was to discover Evelyn Wong, create Evelyn Wong, give her life and breathe into her. So when I came onto set, it was like, then having Jamie Lee Curtis really clinched it really, really good. Because, you know, she brings a different gravitas to the whole. The whole process of it. And she is so generous as a human being, not just with work, but purely as a human being. Just love all the way through. Always, you know, encouraging, always supportive. So we didn't have to rehearse the scenes. I mean, we just looked at each other. Gun. And then just went for it.
- [22:45]
Interviewer
You know, it's funny, I knew she was in the movie, but even in that first scene, when she turns up in the IRS office, you don't recognize her. It takes you a minute to realize the story.
- [22:55]
Michelle Yeoh
But she helped create that character. She knew what Deirdre should look like. And I think that was the beauty of it. When we all wanted to do this, it was like, what can we bring to it that's going to make it even better than what is on paper? Because on paper, we have something so precious and it's a gem. But now we have to polish it with love and care and passion and compassion and make it, like, really shine and give it life, breath, breathe life into it. And I think that's what we did, because the Daniels set a very nice Tone. We were cast and crew, but we ended up as family because every morning we had this. They started this ritual where it's an indie film. So, you know, you're very pressed for time, right? Every minute counts. They would bring everyone on set, you know, people that you normally don't see because they are busy at the back, you know, making the props or something like that, or the caterers or whoever, the drivers that you don't never come on set. Everybody would come on set. Everybody saw each other, Everybody understood what we were there for. And we would take turns into. You do the warm up today. You can do anything. And of course, Jamie with a pelvis hump. I did like the dragon dance. So then it bonded us because, you know, we really saw each other and we held hands. You know, we were. We. Then we would go back to our respective things knowing that we're doing. We're in this together. We're the everything bagel. We are, you know, the locks, the capers, whatever it is. And we're. We're jumping into that as one, as a team. So I think that really, really helped because every time, you know, like the Daniels when they did Rakakuni, they thought it would just be a puppet with someone at the back. But our. Our prop master was like, no. They went all out into finding someone who would bring and do this for us with the animatronics, you know, and it just makes that much difference. I mean, where the hell would we get money like that? And what I love is that creativity. Just think with all the multiverses and jumping into all. We had a small, very accomplished team of people who did the special effects. But we also had to, you know, it's like find the ones that you have to do. Can't do. Just can't imagine that every. Can you imagine if we could draw circles? Our jumping of the universe was a kusha cost nothing except the telephone device. Yeah. Touch that head if it turns green. Your father.
- [25:37]
Interviewer
One of the beautiful parts about this movie that stays with everyone, I think, is when you look at the multiverses and the way your life might have turned out if something had gone in a different direction. And you can't help but not think about your own life when you watch that. What if this is. What if I had stayed with that person or not met this person or gone to this school? There are all these. We all have our own version of these multiverses. Did it get you thinking at all about all the directions your life has taken over the years?
- [26:05]
Michelle Yeoh
I Think you do. You know, sometimes something, it triggers a memory and you remember someone in your past and you think, oh, could have been. But then you remember why it wasn't. Right. You have thought of other things, you've moved on. And I do believe in moving forwards rather than just keep looking sideways and think, it looks greener over there. Right. Because that's. I think a lot of the times we don't. We forget to be present. We forget to really take in, learn how to be satisfied with what we have really, and enjoy that, rather than think, well, it could have been better. Anything could have been, but that it could have been. So I don't really believe in wasting time doing that, because I do believe when I am there, I will give it my very best. And there is a reason why it didn't work out, because obviously my very best at that time wasn't, or it just didn't. So I would move forward to see how I can find a place where I can give my very best and still continue to do so. But I do think where this film has resonated with a lot of people is we do that. And especially when you're in a very bad place or when you're depressed and when things are not working out, you say angry things to the people that you love most because you want to lash out, you're hurting and you think you deserve to be hurt, too. So you would say things like, I wish I didn't do this. And sometimes we do that with our kids as well. Right. Especially, like a lot of immigrant families, we have this issue of communication. Chinese people do, you know, we keep a lot to ourselves, which is not a good thing, because at some point it will just. And we take things very personally because, you know, I mean, my mom and I have a very interesting, beautiful relationship. It's like, you know, she just called me the other day, if you're going to the Oscars, you must not wear pants.
- [28:11]
Interviewer
Thanks for the tip, Mom.
- [28:12]
Michelle Yeoh
Yeah. She was like, and don't do this and don't do that and you should keep your hair. And so I was so naughty. I left her a message. Oh, mom, no. We tailor made the tuxedo for me. So I'm wearing pants to the Oscars. And today I got this really long message. You can tell them that you changed your mind.
- [28:32]
Interviewer
Oh, that's mean.
- [28:34]
Michelle Yeoh
She said, when you wear pants, you look short. I love my mom.
- [28:39]
Interviewer
The dynamic never changes, does it?
- [28:41]
Michelle Yeoh
And sometimes I have to remind her, I said, mom, do you know how old I am? You know, when I go home, she'll say, your hair is so long. You look a little too tanned. You're this, you're that. I'm like, okay, nice to see you too, Mom.
- [28:56]
Interviewer
Did she find a moment, though, to say congratulations on being nominated for an Academy Award?
- [29:01]
Michelle Yeoh
Actually, she did. No, she just said. Yeah. Actually, she didn't say congratulations in that way. She just said, like, everybody is very happy for you. Okay.
- [29:15]
Interviewer
You're like, does that include you?
- [29:16]
Michelle Yeoh
Yeah. No, no, she's very happy. I know. She is Very, very happy. She is.
- [29:21]
Interviewer
That's so sweet.
- [29:22]
Podcast/Advertisement Host
That's so funny.
- [29:23]
Interviewer
Our mothers are always our mothers, aren't they?
- [29:25]
Michelle Yeoh
Yes. And I think that's why the daughter. Mother and daughter character really resonated, because it's been a year, but generally this whole year has really helped us in understanding how much it's affected people. Because as a storyteller, why do you want to tell stories? You hope that the stories you tell will help to affect people, shine the light on certain messages or whatever. You know, not necessarily always the being the do gooder, whatever it is, but if you get an opportunity. And our medium is very, very powerful. And through this whole process, you feel like our film has helped to heal and start conversations and, you know, help people step back and not be so judgmental and think, actually, you do see me. You just didn't know how to tell me. But now I perhaps understand that when you say you're getting fat, you're trying to motivate me to be better, you know, be healthier. So it is in so many ways, I've had mothers that come up and say, yeah, your film, you're pretty good. Your film is a bit. Not quite sure I understand, but it's okay because my mother. But my daughter saw it and she's talking to me again. So that was very powerful. And young kids, because now I'm really cool with the young kids because, you know, for a long time, even when crazy rich Asians came out, this young generation don't really know me. I mean, Crouching Tiger came out 23 years ago, but now it's released in the cinema again. And I hope this generation of film goers will go and watch it in big screen. Because that's when. Why we made the movie, for the scope, for the magical, you know, taking you to somewhere else. And they would come up and they say, you're really cool. And then some of them just hold my hands and look at me and you can see the emotion in their faces. It's like And I'm like, it's okay. I see you too.
- [31:30]
Interviewer
And what do you think that's from? What are they saying to you when they hold your hands like that?
- [31:34]
Michelle Yeoh
That you see me, you recognize me. And I think that's what this movie has done. It's like with the Evelyns, with the Deidre, with the joys, is that we actually see you and you are enough.
- [31:49]
Willie Geist
Hey guys, thanks for listening to the Sunday Sit down podcast. Stick around to hear more from Michelle Yeoh right after the break.
- [31:55]
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
Hey there, it's Dr. Sanjay Gupta with some exciting news to share. CNN is now streaming. That means you can read, watch and stream everything in one subscription. You can watch news live 24.
- [32:08]
Michelle Yeoh
7.
- [32:08]
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
You can also explore catch up videos and explainer videos. And you can also watch the library of CNN's originals, including my latest documentary, it doesn't have to hurt. Just go to CNN.com AllAccess Life doesn't.
- [32:26]
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- [33:24]
Interviewer
Welcome back.
- [33:24]
Willie Geist
Now more of my conversation with Michelle Yeoh and you.
- [33:29]
Interviewer
You have through all these accolades you've received and all these awards you've been given every time you go up in front of a microphone. Just the other night at the SAG Awards, for example, I'm not, not going there on that part of it. I know what you're thinking, but you always make it about something bigger than you. And you did it. Going back to that NBR night, you talked about having to change your name and then reclaiming your name. You talked at the SAG Awards the other night about you being up there for all the little girls who might be watching and seeing themselves up there. Are you carrying some of that, I don't know if responsibility is the right word, but are you carrying that with you through this amazing ride you're on.
- [34:09]
Michelle Yeoh
Right now, It's a gift to be given this kind of responsibility. I don't see it as a responsibility. I've always seen it as, this is what we do for each other. We have to. We are in this world together and collectively. Only collectively can we make this a better place. And I feel that if we all don't take it as, oh, you have to do this. Otherwise, you know, when you gift, when you give someone, you're not expecting a return. You give and keep giving because it's sharing. And I think it's so important because for so long, especially out here in America, you didn't see faces like mine or keys on. Not so many. You can count them. How many TV series or how many movies? Because this one with everything everywhere all at once after Crazy Rich Asians. The previous one was Joy Luck club. That was 26 years ago. So it started with everything, with. Oh, God, now I forgot the name. Wait, what was I saying? Crazy Rich Asians, yes. It sort of lit the fire, but so much was riding on that. What if it didn't work because it ticked all the wrong boxes? It was a romantic comedy that. And romantic comedies, you know, had been quiet for. Not very romantic for a while. And then all Asian cast, whoa. Ticking even more boxes, you know, so it was a risk, but life is about taking risks, and that's the only way we can make change. Good. Changes move forwards. So that lit the fire. And then Shang Chi, you know, our Marvel superhero with an Asian. Asian family that triggered even. It took it to another level of things. And then when everything everywhere brought it to a place where an ordinary Asian family, immigrant family, which is all the immigrant families around, could relate to this because this is their. When they came here for the American dream, this is what they are doing. And so over the years, this is something that I have been pushing forwards in my own way, small way, but keep pushing it forwards because it's not just a. I don't see it as a responsibility. I see it as a way, a path that is the right path. Because, you know, with all the shoulders I stood on behind me, the people that are with me now and the people that need to be in front of me, we need this path, and it's our choice to make it as well. So it's a gift for me to be able to say, look at me.
- [36:55]
Interviewer
It's emotional enough to win an Academy Award, but with everything you've just laid out and everything you've just described how much would it mean to you to stand there not just for yourself, but for so many others holding that trophy?
- [37:10]
Michelle Yeoh
Oh, I think there's the expectation globally right now, because just the nomination had shined a light on a lot of people. Of course, for me, hell yeah. Don't make me say bad words again.
- [37:34]
Interviewer
But there's so much more there than just you.
- [37:37]
Michelle Yeoh
Yes. It's beyond me. I mean, it's right from when we started garnering all this kind of attention, it was very obvious, this Asian family. It was. It was being seen. People around the world were saying, look at us. Please look. See us. Don't sideline us. Give us a seat at the table. We're not saying that we deserve to be there for no good reasons, but we have to be given opportunities to play roles that deserves a place at the table. But right now, for a long period of time, these roles were so far and in between. Right. I mean, for me, even myself, I mean, I've been in the business a long time, and this was the first time in so many years where I have an opportunity to show you.
- [38:33]
Interviewer
You've said at the NPR Awards that night that you dreamed of getting to Hollywood until you got there, right? Yeah, you said it's sort of joking, but your point was a serious one, which is you came from a place where you could do anything and you wanted to come show that to Hollywood, and they weren't ready for that. They had an idea of who you should be, what kind of actor you should be.
- [38:55]
Michelle Yeoh
Right.
- [38:55]
Interviewer
So how did you work through that in those early years? I mean, here you are. This is the first, really, is it fair to say the first movie where you are the headliner? This is, you know, it's an ensemble, but you are the name at the top of the poster.
- [39:09]
Michelle Yeoh
It's not giving up. It's like believing that it's possible, I think. I mean, look at James Hong Kong. He's 94. I think, first of all, you must be passionate about what you do. This comes from passion. So you don't see it as a job. This is something that you love. And when you love something big enough, then you want to make sure that it's the right thing, that you are doing it and you are doing it right for this passion of yours. Because if you take on a job, it takes you away from people you love, your family and all that. And so you better make sure that what you're doing is really worth your time, your love, and what you're giving to it. And it is, yes. When I remember saying, and then I got here, because in the whole world, Hollywood is the place to go to, because Hollywood is where dreams come true. So at that point, I remember a dear friend who was a producer for John Woo, Terrence Chang, he called me, and I was in Hong Kong having a great time because there I was making the movie, movies that I wanted to do and have. And he said, you know, you should come out here because, you know, you speak good enough English, and here you can read your own scripts. I mean, that was the biggest, like, plus to go over. So then I was thinking when I have a moment and, you know, and the things are right. So I did. I came out, I came to Hollywood, and that time quite a few directors and actors were trying to make it in Hollywood as well, because that is the ultimate dream. And then you get here, and for the first time, I think I understood that I'm a minority. And that really blew. I almost couldn't understand the word. It was like, I think I better look it up in a dictionary, what the hell is going on? Because, you know, I come from Malaysia, where we are multiracial. We have Malays, Indians, Chinese. And so, you know. And then, of course, being in Hong Kong, we see Asian faces everywhere. In. When you're in Asia, on TV and movies, we are the heroes and the white guys are the bad guys. So. But then. So when you come here and suddenly you're put in this box and every time you read. And so I thought, okay, since I'm here, I will pay my dues and do the rounds. And I was very lucky. I knew some friends, directors who would say, oh, meet my agents, because in Hollywood you would need an agent. And then when you meet these agen, like, the first thing they always say to me was, you speak English. And I'm, wow, okay, so where is. Where are you from? I said, oh, I just came from Hong Kong. Oh, Japan? And you're like, no. So it's. It's very discombobulating to go like, you're the number one in the world, and you don't know what. Because I guess at that point it was also. Hollywood was already so big, and the box office here was enough. They didn't really need to think about. The others were just like, little perks and bonuses that came in. Right. And so it was a little shocking to see all to hear and feel that way. But because I had a very strong career in Asia, I didn't have to give in to. I remember going for my first audition, they Said you have to go and do this. I'm like, okay, I'll try it out. And then when you get there, they give you the lines. And I'm like, what? I walked? I said, thank you, but no thank you.
- [42:45]
Interviewer
Did you really?
- [42:46]
Michelle Yeoh
I did.
- [42:46]
Interviewer
And that's early in your.
- [42:48]
Michelle Yeoh
That was early. It was like. Because this is. No, if I do this, I validate that we are this and I can. And it was just not right.
- [43:00]
Interviewer
It was all stereotypes, it was all stereotyped.
- [43:02]
Michelle Yeoh
I mean, it was every script that you read, the Asian has to come from Chinatown. And you know, thank God, you know, 20 something, 30 years down the road, it's all changed because we are everywhere and we're not just in China.
- [43:17]
Interviewer
That's right. That's right. Before you got to Hollywood, I should point out, you were. It wasn't clear that you were going to become an actor at all, right? You were an athlete, ballet dancer, you had all these other skills.
- [43:31]
Michelle Yeoh
And then I didn't think I never.
- [43:33]
Interviewer
Was that even on the radar acting as a.
- [43:35]
Michelle Yeoh
No, no, no, no, not at all.
- [43:38]
Interviewer
Okay.
- [43:38]
Michelle Yeoh
And even because my mom is an avid cinema goer, so as a child we would go to the cinemas all the time. My dad was into Tarzan and documentaries, my mom was into romantic and horror films. So we got a full blast of what it is to go to the cinema. I mean, every week we would go at least twice or three times really, since a little child. And I would look at the screen, you know, in wonder and magic, you know, Ben Hur and you know, the My Fair lady and go like, wow, they're so pretty. But never thought that I would be up there myself, you know, have envisioned that. Ballet was always my dream. I wanted my own school. You know, I come from a. Ipoh is a small city and it's as much. We see it as more laid back. And I love it the way it is. Life is beautiful, life is calm. You know, you go to the mountains, you can go to the sea within an hour. And so it was like a really, really good living. And so I wanted to have a ballet school there, you know, small time, small town girl. And then I went on to. To study ballet in England. I did do a degree in dance and I took a minor in drama. Oh, God, boy, did I hate it. That was the first time I discovered stage fright when I had to say lines on stage. I forget my own name. I was so bad.
- [45:11]
Interviewer
Oh.
- [45:13]
Michelle Yeoh
But when I danced, that was a different. That was a completely different thing. So then I was given an Opportunity to go to Hong Kong to make a commercial. To do a commercial.
- [45:25]
Interviewer
This is the Watch commercial.
- [45:26]
Michelle Yeoh
That's the Watch commercial with Jackie Chichan. And at that time, when I was meeting with the producer and the owner of the whole setup, they would say, oh, you're going to do this tomorrow morning. I arrived today, tomorrow morning with Sing along. And I go like, cool. Okay, then, you know, you're doing your hair and makeup early in the morning. You turn around and you see this guy shuffling over. God, he looks so familiar. And then I recognize the nose. Oh, my God, it's Jackie.
- [45:56]
Interviewer
Jackie. Oh, that's so funny. And that was your first screen gig, is that right?
- [46:01]
Michelle Yeoh
That was my first screen gig. That was like my audition, my, you know, thing. And then the company offered me a film contract.
- [46:10]
Interviewer
Yeah, you've casually glossed over the fact that you were Miss Malaysia, which would be a headline in most other people's resume. But. But even that is funny because it was your mother who signed you up for it.
- [46:22]
Michelle Yeoh
My darling mom. Without your knowing it again, I swear to God, my mom would have made a brilliant actress. She would have been the best diva. So she is living vicariously through me. He's like, when I go home, you know, when we go to. We go out for dinner on our own, like to a restaurant, we walk in and my mom would be like. And I'm like, mom, who are you waving to? She said, they're smiling at me. I'm like, mom, you are smiling. It's like, do you know them? No.
- [46:54]
Interviewer
Oh, your mom sounds like the real star in the family. With all due respect, she is totally.
- [46:59]
Michelle Yeoh
My brother and I would sit on each side of her because if we go to a wedding and, you know, and if they're singing, she'd be the first one and she would start singing. I remember even as a small child, I'd hold one hand and my brother would hold the other hand and we'd try and keep her down.
- [47:14]
Willie Geist
Stick around for more of my conversation with Michelle Yeoh right after a quick break.
- [47:19]
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- [48:20]
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- [48:51]
Willie Geist
Welcome back now to the rest of my conversation with Michelle Yeoh.
- [48:56]
Interviewer
You have a very successful career in Hong Kong. A lot of action. Probably your athletic and ballet background helped in those. Then you come and you do the James Bond film.
- [49:06]
Michelle Yeoh
Yes.
- [49:06]
Interviewer
And what was that like to step into that universe?
- [49:09]
Michelle Yeoh
Oh my God, it was so wonderful. And I think Barbara Broccoli, Michael Wilson, Barbara Broccoli. I love that woman. And of course Roger Sparta Swood who was the director of the film. And I remember him saying, don't take this so seriously, okay? You are not here because you are able to do stunts. You are here because we believe you are a good actress. And when you can't do, we don't want you to do the stunts because it's too dangerous. We want you to be the good actor next to the incomparable divine Pierce Roslyn. So that was, I think maybe my first real audition where I had to do it with Pierce and it was terrifying because it was a new world to me. But Barbara and Michael, especially Barbara, she's a very nurturing person. She is loving and she's very giving. But she calls me bitch face and I call her dumbfound.
- [50:08]
Interviewer
Dare I ask why she calls you that?
- [50:11]
Michelle Yeoh
It's our nickname. I call her W and she goes even to date, Is that right? Yeah, I mean she, I did American born Chinese and this young actor called Ben, brilliant singer and he seasicked in his 20s. And Barbara said when you see Michelle, go up to her and call and he goes like a wooden dag.
- [50:38]
Interviewer
Someone comes up out of contact, tells.
- [50:40]
Michelle Yeoh
You that, no, no, no. If someone said that to me, I would know where it's coming from. But poor Ben, he was like, there's no way on earth I would dare to do that.
- [50:50]
Interviewer
Oh, my gosh, that's so funny. So clearly you had a good experience with your first major movie and introduced you to American audiences.
- [50:57]
Michelle Yeoh
It introduced me to a global audience. Yes. On a different level. It literally dragged me into the international global, you know, view with. I mean, it's Bond, right? You will forever be part of the Bond legacy. And I was so blessed that, you know, when I think people who have these kind of legacies love what they are doing because they are so real and down to earth because, you know, everybody is there because they want to be there. And the people who have been working there have been there for years, like, right from since Cubby Broccoli. So they grew up with this. I mean, it's like the Daniels as well, like Paul and Larkin and all those. They've been together for 12 years, since college days. So you can see when they work, it's like clockwork. Everything runs smoothly. They know, they understand where they're going with it. So it's the same with Tomorrow Never Dies, is that it's not just a machine that's going. They understand. Understand how they ended, how to nurture, protect it and let it evolve as it. As it's moving forward, you know, with time.
- [52:06]
Interviewer
You've been in some incredible movies. I mean, a lot of people in this moment are focused at, oh, she was so great in everything everywhere. Which, of course, you are. But then you look back and, I mean, Crouching Tiger and Memoirs of Geisha, Crazy Rich, Asia. I can go on and on. There's this. You've had an incredible.
- [52:21]
Michelle Yeoh
Yes.
- [52:22]
Interviewer
Resume of films. Is this a gratifying moment? Not just for this movie, because now people are looking at your career and saying, my gosh, she really is one of our best.
- [52:33]
Michelle Yeoh
It is. It is. And I must say that with the SAG award, that is from your peers, from your fellow actors who have been through these kind of journeys. You know, the whole works of wanting and not guessing and desiring and all this, and then be part of something that's amazing and great and trying to find the next one and the next one. And sometimes it's elusive, sometimes it's. It's. It disappears from you, but it's. It's very, very gratifying. And I'm glad I'M still here, being able to enjoy it when it's and and seeing there's such a long road ahead because like 60 is the new prime.
- [53:13]
Interviewer
Yes.
- [53:14]
Michelle Yeoh
Hell yeah.
- [53:15]
Interviewer
Absolutely. And you've got a lot coming down the road that people are going to be excited. Congratulations on this moment and so many moments before it. It's a pleasure to talk to you.
- [53:23]
Michelle Yeoh
Thank you. That was fun.
- [53:24]
Interviewer
Thank you.
- [53:25]
Willie Geist
My big thanks again to Michelle for a great conversation. You can see everything everywhere all at once if you haven't already on any number of streaming services. My thanks to all of you for listening again this week. If you want to hear more of my conversations every week, be sure to click follow so you never miss an episode. And don't forget to tune in to Sunday Today every weekend on NBC. I'm Willie Geist.
- [53:50]
Interviewer
We'll see you right back here next.
- [53:51]
Willie Geist
Week on the Sunday Sit down podcast.
- [54:09]
Michelle Yeoh
Foreign this is the exclusive table with the View.
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Michelle Yeoh
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