Top 112 Quotes & Sayings by Michelle Yeoh

Explore popular quotes and sayings by a Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh.
Last updated on September 18, 2024.
Michelle Yeoh

Michelle Yeoh Choo Kheng, PSM is a Malaysian actress. Yeoh is credited as Michelle Khan in her early Hong Kong films. She rose to fame in the 1990s after starring in a series of Hong Kong action films where she performed her own stunts, such as Yes, Madam (1985), Police Story 3: Supercop (1992) and Holy Weapon (1993). Internationally, she is known for her roles in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and Ang Lee's martial arts film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). The latter role earned her a BAFTA Award for Best Actress nomination.

For me, beauty comes from natural happiness. I think that a woman glows, and a man, even, when they're healthy and they're happy.
My career in the movie business began in Hong Kong, my heart has always been tied to Asia, and it is immensely gratifying to see international recognition for Asian cinema as a whole.
Let's empower men and help them take a stand to stop acts of violence against women. — © Michelle Yeoh
Let's empower men and help them take a stand to stop acts of violence against women.
India is a great talent pool of actors. I see Freida Pinto making it big in Hollywood, and I am sure many others can also make it.
Wai Lin is the first Bond Girl who is on a par with Bond, someone who can match up with him mentally and physically. From the moment our characters see each other, there is a wariness and a recognition that this person is not who she or he seems to be.
I have people who love me and people that I love and a man that I love. So in that sense, I feel that I'm pretty well rounded.
I'm not a fashion victim, and I don't closely follow trends. I dress the way I feel comfortable because, at the end of the day, you have to be comfortable.
You never know whether the subject matter will click with the audience at that particular time. I wish there was a formula, you know, 'That plus that equals success.'
'Crouching Tiger,' of course, was a very dramatic role for me, and the fighting was very serious.
As producers, we can influence where the budget goes, but only the director really controls what tone, what type of movie you are trying to make.
I always thought of myself as James Bond.
Martial arts is just practice. Being a geisha requires complete control.
You have to have integrity. — © Michelle Yeoh
You have to have integrity.
It's so important for me to do my own stunts. The sense of achievement is so immense. But the studios don't want to take the risk.
For an actress, everything is always fine - you are looked after, you have your trailer, and everything provided. But the crew are the ones out there in the wilds all the time, hours before and after us.
There might never be another 'Crouching Tiger.' There might be something that's even better than 'Crouching Tiger.'
Your timing has to be very accurate. I've done a lot of wire work before. I can see that experience makes a big difference.
When you love someone, you don't try to change them.
We all learn every day, and that's the magic about film making.
My grandmother had flawless skin just from using basic skincare - an old herbal remedy in the form of a white powder and cream. I don't actually know what was in it because when you're young, you're not interested in skincare, and I didn't want to walk around the house with a white face.
I don't like cutting my hair. I did that once, and my mum thought I was a boy.
I was struck by Suu Kyi's warmth and generosity. No matter how petite she looks, she exudes amazing strength. More than anything else, I felt like I already knew her, like she was an old friend, because I'd been watching her so intently, and she was exactly what I had figured she would be.
I thoroughly enjoy a good hot bath. That is my ultimate luxury.
Playing a sinner is very liberating!
Before you get into the mind, you have to inhabit the physicality. Body language is a great way of speaking.
This world belongs to all of us, and all sexes should be able to live in respect and harmony.
We always see Aung San as a strong, tough woman. There are two stories running in parallel. You see the contradictions between the East and the West, and you see someone who does mundane and normal things - someone who's supposed to be a housewife - and then someone who's become important and imprisoned.
I stretch and do my squats when I brush my teeth.
I grew up in Malaysia, and Bollywood is really big there. As a result, I've grown up watching a lot of Hindi movies.
Acting is not just impersonating your character.
We have to make movies where we do not think this is for the American market or this is for the Chinese market. We have to make a good movie that anyone would just want to sit down and watch because love, language, culture transcend everything.
As an actor, you hope to find roles that are challenging to you as an artist. Then if you are truly blessed, you will find that it also carries a message that you can impart to your audience.
The Asia and the Pacific region is facing an epidemic of road death and injury, but we also have innovative Asian road safety solutions.
When I watch myself on-screen, I always look for the flaws.
I have been presented with roles with demand not just a physical ability but mental disciplines as well. 'Memoirs of a Geisha' was not so much about physical exertion... it was much more graceful and contained than that.
Some of the martial arts films, the motivation is about martial arts. That's where it's coming from. It is a visual, commercial film, to showcase the next stunt, the biggest thing. And character development becomes a side thing.
I kick and punch quite hard, and it surprises people.
When a movie becomes very successful, it's automatic that people will start thinking a sequel, a prequel, a quel-quel. — © Michelle Yeoh
When a movie becomes very successful, it's automatic that people will start thinking a sequel, a prequel, a quel-quel.
As an actress, you know there are limitations on what you can do creatively.
As a producer, what you want to do is make the next hit. But you also want to lead the audience into wanting to watch different movies. You have to vary your content.
San Suu's story will always involve politics, but the essence is the love story.
Playing Aung San Suu Kyi was a journey in itself. She represents many things for many people and for many reasons. Although I have played many important roles in my life, I can say that this role has been a journey of self-realisation.
Martial arts is something you can learn or pick up and think you could do really well.
If you read a lot of Chinese literature, there has always been very strong women figures - warriors, swordswomen - who defended honor and loyalty with the men. So, it's not new to our culture - it's always been very much a part of it. It's good that now the Western audience would have a different image of the Chinese women.
Body language is more fascinating to me than actual language.
It's very important for us all to understand that we are interconnected and we need to hold hands together, especially when the going gets tough.
I have done many films across the globe and would love to be a part of Bollywood, but the script must have a strong character for me.
There is so much we can do to save lives on our roads. — © Michelle Yeoh
There is so much we can do to save lives on our roads.
The beauty about being a producer is you sit there, and you explore ideas which become a passion, which slowly becomes a reality.
Sometimes, being a girl away from home - it gets to you.
I'm terrible on the phone. I just text my friends and family and say, 'Hey, I'm in town.'
There is no guaranteed formula. And that's one of the interesting things about filmmaking. You could put $115 million in, and it doesn't guarantee success.
My mother is a very big cinema buff, so as a kid, we watched a lot of Indian and Malay films.
If I only get to play Malaysian roles, there wouldn't be very many roles for me to play.
In a movie, that's the only time when you're allowed these kind of fantasies to be lived. Being able to look so cool and be able to fight five bad guys and take them down. When can you do that?
It can only be true love when you enable your other half to be better, to be the person they're destined to be.
When men have a smile on their faces, that does a lot for me.
On 'Far North,' we were always aware of being at the whim of mother nature. She's the biggest star in the film.
Beauty shouldn't be superficial and should come from within, and your eyes will tell the story.
Every time you do a movie, it's important for your career, your reputation.
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